During COVID when many travel opportunities shut down, visiting gardens remained possible. Most years I might only visit a garden two or three times a year. Not during COVID. With so many other sites and activities shut down, gardens became a tranquil place to visit. The Lakewold Gardens in Tacoma, Washington was one of our options.
Like many other gardens in the Puget Sound area, this garden started out as a personal garden which later became a public garden. The initial small property was purchased in 1908 by Emma Alexander who planted a popular garden in what was known as the Lakes District. Her son later expanded the property to the 10 acres it is today. The name Lakewold was conceived by a subsequent owner in 1925. The name comes from the Middle-English word for “lake-woods.” Gordon Corydon and Eulalie Wagner bought the property in 1938 and lived there until 1978 donating the land for a garden in 1987. Lakewold Gardens officially opened to the public in 1989.
It was a sunny summer afternoon when we visited the Lakewold Gardens. The gardens are not far from the freeway, although the entrance is not well marked, and we drove past it the first time. We went on a Thursday as that is a free day, or pay-what-you-can day. On the other open days it does cost a small fee to go in.
The parking lot is not particularly large, but on a weekday it wasn’t too busy, and there was plenty of room. After checking in, we were given a map to follow. Much like the Bloedel Reserve, they were trying to keep people flowing in the same direction to limit contact during this time of COVID.
The first stop was the home on the property, Wagner House, but it was not open for us to inspect. Around the home were some garden areas including a knot garden. A veranda with an overhead pergola covered in wisteria runs along the side of the house to provide a nice shaded area.
From the home we continued on a wide path which leads to a pool. Geometric garden areas surrounded by boxwood hedges run parallel to the path. Within the initial hedged areas were some topiaries. Farther down the path the long rectangular spaces didn’t seem to have much inside them during our August visit.
The pool looks like a nice place to relax in the late evening. It has an interesting shape to it, and there are some nearby benches for sitting and relaxing. It’s not a pool for swimming, more of a wading pool.
Just past the pool is a tea house, a unique feature of the Lakewold Gardens. This structure is made of open panels which makes it another relaxing place to sit and enjoy the tranquility of the gardens and perhaps read a book.
From here the path leads to areas that are not so formal. The trail guides visitors through tall evergreens and forest ferns. Along the way there is a statue of St. Francis on one of the tree trunks.
The trail continues down towards the lake. First one passes a small pond, and then you are led down to views of Gravelly Lake at Picnic Point. You can’t really get down to the lake shoreline from the paths, but there are nice views and some places to sit and enjoy them. One interesting feature here is a statue of a young boy with his catch of fish.
As one begins to move farther along the trail, there is a large wooden table with benches. It’s live edges and rustic features make it an interesting site. A centerpiece of moss adds to the rustic feel.
Moving back up the trail, we continued along a shady path. At the top there are some colorful flowers and some nice views of the home and the large lawn.
The path leads back to the house and then behind it. There one follows a large circular driveway. In the center is a large grassy lawn. There are a few features around it including an interesting sculpture and a flagpole with the American flag.
There are two more gardens to view. The hydrangea garden was the most interesting. I have always loved hydrangeas, and the number and colors that were in this garden were amazing. This was my favorite part of the garden. While some of the other garden areas seemed a little lifeless in the heat of the summer, I was glad I came when the hydrangeas were in full bloom. I was most impressed with those that seemed to have an edge around the small petals, very unique. I’d love to have some of these varieties at home (if I had a garden).
The other garden area is a Japanese inspired garden with some small maple trees and other plants along with some Japanese inspired sculpture pieces. Having been to other Japanese gardens in the area, I didn’t feel this section of Lakewold Gardens was that exciting.
As with any garden, the plants and flowers change with the seasons. That’s the beauty and wonder of gardens. You can go one month and then visit a few months later and see completely different plants in bloom. Lakewold Garden’s website indicates they have a large number of rhododendrons, but none were in flower when we were there. Visiting in the spring would be the opportune time to see those. However, I was glad we visited when we did to see the hydrangeas. You might enjoy another season better. In any case, it can be worth an afternoon to wander through these lovely grounds and soak in the tranquil environment.
Is there a garden that provides a place of tranquility for you? I’d love to have you share your experiences in the comment box below.
I have been to lake wold 3 times. We are blessed to have such a well kept garden in our area.
Yes, our area has great weather for gardens.