Roeder Home History
The son of Bellingham’s founder Captain Henry Roeder, Victor Roeder became one of Bellingham’s best-known citizens and businessmen. Victor Roeder purchased ten lots in the then undeveloped Broadway Park area of northern Whatcom. He later sold three and used the remaining seven to build his home, one of the finest in Whatcom County. Beginning in 1903, Roeder meticulously supervised the work over the home’s five-year construction (1903-1908). In 1969 Dr. Donald Keyes, who bought the house from the Roeder family in 1945, dedicated the house to the Whatcom County Parks Department. This stately home is on both the Local and National Historic Registry.
A Symphony of Trees and Shrubs
Entering the gardens that surround the Historical Roeder Home is like stepping back in time to 1910 or 1920 when Victor Roeder created this inspiring space. When our Master Gardener team decided to update this urban oasis in the middle of Bellingham at the end of Broadway Avenue across from Broadway Park, we could not wait to inform the surrounding neighborhoods about the options of renovating an older overgrown garden!
Giant Sequoia trees, a huge black walnut, a copper beech, and a hawthorne take center stage when viewing the garden from the front. In the back stands a very tall Sweetgum or liquidambar, along the alley by the garage. The twenty foot tall rhododendrons and full sized azaleas show off their colors in the spring, as well as the tree peonies near the house and the fountain. The star magnolias appear at the front corners of the house with white blooms, followed by pink and red blooms of the weigela shrubs alongside the house and garage. Lilacs and Rose of Sharon bloom later, as well as quince, hydrangeas and hardy fuchsias. We have added lily-of-the-valley under the spreading viburnum tomentosum ‘Mariesii’ that shows off her white lacecap flower heads.
A Tapestry of Perennials and Annuals
In the spring the beautiful wisteria vine with its scented lavender flowers spills over the Welsh poppies under the back arbor. Perennial geraniums flourish under the shrubs as well as the Dutch iris and anemones. The spectacular peony bed beside the street shows off her heavy blooms with the tall phlox showing up next in front of the boxwood hedge. The spiraea ‘Anthony Waterer’ blooms pink in several places, with cotoneaster filling in with red berries. Annual wax begonias are planted in front of the house and sign beds for white, pink and red color, with self sowing snapdragons filling in along the base of the house.
Did I mention the Rose Garden? It is full of huge, scented heritage roses interplanted with sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ beside the huge rambler rose that will stretch to 30 feet if we let it. Boxwood hedges and yews keep the garden green year round. Scented Philadelphus Mock Orange and Korean Lilacs cascade over the driveway and fountain – perfect for a June wedding.
Maintaining a Legacy
All these shrubs and plants are kept in check by our knowledgeable Master Garden team with much pruning knowledge. Signs to identify various plants are placed into the beds in the spring and removed in the fall.
