Living

<< Previous   of   Next >> Mark Mulligan/The Herald  (click to enlarge) DeAnna and Jim Britt playfully disagree about who is more responsible for their sprawling garden in south Everett. The garden helps draw the neighborhood together, as children come by to pick flowers for their mothers. Mark Mulligan/The Herald  (click to enlarge) The Britt's cat, Tiger Lily, sits on a rock bordering a goldfish pond Jim Britt found on Craigslist.com. Mark Mulligan/The Herald  (click to enlarge) While DeAnna Britt's favorite rose is the Queen Elizabeth, she grows many other varieties, including Love's Magic, seen here. These came from the Antique Rose Farm. Mark Mulligan/The Herald  (click to enlarge) This calendula, a natural remedy for irritated skin, grows in the Britt's south Everett garden. The organic-minded couple steer clear of pesticides, using beer to deal with slugs, and fertilize with alfalfa grass.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, August 3, 2008 Growing goodwill: Garden brings Everett couple contentment -- and good neighbors By Andy Rathbun Herald Writer DeAnna Britt strolls through her garden in south Everett, pointing out a patch of baby's breath here, lavender there, and roses pretty much everywhere. Her favorite is the Queen Elizabeth rose, a massive bloom on a thick, thorny stem. "She's like me," Britt said. "She's not the most glamorous rose, but she's sturdy and dependable." During the past 12 years, the Britts have transformed a small, overgrown, grassy yard into a garden straight out of a fairy tale. Wildflowers grow in clumps, and the design is free flowing, with one flower bed bleeding into another. Queen Elizabeth roses aside, DeAnna Britt, 41, can't chose a favorite element. "It's like who's my favorite kid?" she said. "I like different parts of it for different reasons." The Britts can't agree on who is more responsible for the garden. While DeAnna Britt insists her husband, Jim Britt, 55, has played a large role in mapping it out, he's quick to call her the true artist. Indeed, she sounds like one when she discusses her flowers, which spring from between 250 and 300 rose bushes and hundreds of other plants. "I hope to get more," she said. "To me, it should never be done. It's like painting with plants." Garden's a bridge... At times, the Britts' garden has acted as a common ground for neighbors. Girls stage tea parties on the couple's park benches. Children of Hispanic immigrants come to the yard to pick flowers for their mothers, as well as a handful of herbs. A couple of days later, the Britts may find a plate of tamales at the front door. "It's so cool," Jim Britt said. "It kind of bridges that gap." ...and a bargain Remarkably, the Britts have invested very little money in the garden. In part, that's because DeAnna Britt has a green thumb. She grows most of her plants from seed and abstains from buying pesticides. But it's also because Jim Britt has a good eye for Craigslist.com postings. He has found a picket fence, several benches, a free goldfish pond and even large chunks of lawn. Apparently a Mukilteo man was expanding his own garden. He let Britt swing by and take the excess yard, which now carpets a portion of the property. It takes some work... The Britts moved into their south Everett home in 1995, and DeAnna Britt went to work on the garden the following spring. Since then, she has spent countless hours in the yard. She says a lot of the garden takes care of itself. The canopy of plants, for instance, helps trap moisture and reduce the time spent watering. Jim Britt said the property is about 100 feet by 100 feet, though his wife points to a different measurement. "I know it's enough to stick more plants in," she said. ...and a few scratches While DeAnna Britt seems to walk into any part of her garden unafraid, Jim Britt draws back from plots overgrown with thorns. "I got tired of being attacked by roses," he said. "You come out of there all scarred up." Hearing this, his wife swings up her forearms, showing a cross section of scars. She said when she goes to her office -- she works in customer service at a call-in center -- she sometimes has to explain the wounds to co-workers. "I don't have a personality disorder," she tells them. No, she has a garden. Andy Rathbun, Herald Writer, arathbun@heraldnet.com, 425-339-3455

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