Exploring the Rhododendron Garden in Federal Way, Washington

Spring flowers brighten our day after the gloomy days of winter. In the Pacific Northwest one of the star garden plants is the rhododendron. Gardeners have planted these bushes with their bright and colorful flowers throughout the gardens of the Northwest. However, there is one place specifically one can go to get a look at these plants, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way.

This garden was created specifically to focus on rhododendrons. The founders brought plants from various places around the world. Originally it was led by a few enthusiasts. The garden was small and located in Oregon. In 1974 the Weyerhaeuser Company in Federal Way, Washington agreed to lease 24 acres to the organization for free. The garden was completed in 1984 after opening to the public in 1980. Today the foundation that runs the garden continues to encourage the study and development of rhododendrons.

Th garden is on the east side of I-5 in Federal Way. The parking for the garden is a short walk away from the main entrance. The garden adjoins the Pacific Bonsai Museum. Visiting that museum, to the right is free. As you enter the main entrance the bonsai museum is to the right. To the left is the Rhododendron Garden where visitors pay a small entrance fee. The garden closes on Mondays.

Before visiting the gardens I checked out their web page. It indicated that mid-March to mid-May were prime viewing times. Driving around nearby neighborhoods I had seen many rhododendrons in bloom in early May so I figured it was a good time to visit the garden. However, I was disappointed because I couldn’t seem to find many rhododendrons in bloom at the garden. Perhaps I didn’t go to the right places. I did not receive a map of the garden when I entered, and I didn’t see one to pick up so I wasn’t sure where to go. The garden was also larger than I expected so I ended up running out of time. I may have to go back another time to try to find more rhodies.

That doesn’t mean there was nothing to see. There were some beautiful plants that I was excited to see. Here is what I did see.

Let’s start with the Pacific Bonsai Museum. This is in an outdoor space but is divided by walls so that each of the bonsai plants has a background wall behind it. The interesting element here is that the museum brings the focus of the displays to the Japanese experiences during World War II. Most people know that the United States removed many American Japanese families from their homes and put them into internment camps during the war. The exhibit brings attention to that period and its impact on the Japanese culture. The bonsai plants were accompanied by stories of those who created them and their connection to the war. There is a lot of information here to see.

During my visit I particularly appreciated seeing the variety of plants used in creating the various bonsai. Most of the ones that I have seen in the past have been evergreen plants like pines or fir trees. Here artists used a large variety of plants including maple and one very colorful azalea. This is something you don’t want to miss seeing when you come to the garden.

When I entered the rhododendron garden area, I first encountered plants for sale. There is a nice area of plants available for purchase. Since I don’t have a garden, I moved past this area without really checking it out. I’m sure there are some interesting plants to buy here that one might not find in your neighborhood nursery.

The first sign I saw indicating an area pointed to the azaleas so I headed off in that direction. For me this was the most beautiful part of the garden. There were a lot of azalea plants along the paths, and they were in full bloom. Pastel colors dominated, and blooms covered the bushes. It was definitely azalea time in the garden.

From here I wandered toward an area referred to as the alpine garden. I passed by some other plants before reaching the alpine area. Here the plants were much smaller and lower to the ground. It has more of a rock garden type feel to it. There were other plants here besides the rhodies and the azaleas.

I took a path that seemed to go more out into the woods, and here I saw a number of rhododendron bushes that were quite large but very few flowers. The path eventually led me to a pond area, a green colored pond. A sign indicated the green comes from a fern that grows on the water. Ferns are another plant they cultivate here, and this area had a number of ferns that were unfurling their fronds. This is one of my favorite things to photograph. I find the shapes of the coiled up fronds so interesting.

Wandering further I came to another delightful place where there was a plot of unusual blue poppies. I was excited to see and photograph them. However, they weren’t very cooperative. Their faces were all turned away from the garden path. I had to somehow maneuver my camera around trying to get a photo of their faces.

From here I meandered through the trails that indicated a wooded area. Again I encountered some large rhododendron bushes but few flowers. However, I could see new growth emerging from the plants, and they created some interest just in the way they were growing. While I may not have gotten a lot of flower pictures, I was still able to capture some of the interest in the garden.

Of course there are other plants throughout the garden. There were some gorgeous dogwood trees and a number of peonies scattered around the garden.

There is a glassed in conservatory to protect plants that came from tropical regions. Inside are some rhododendrons that come from environments such as Vietnam and New Guinea. There is a misting that takes places regularly to keep the environment humid. Other tropical plants are included here as well so it provides different plants to see than those in the Northwest. Stepping outside the conservatory one can rest in the patio area surrounded by beautiful colors..

I didn’t plan my time very well and found that I ran out of time. The garden closes at 4:00 which seems a little early. I ended up being there for about an hour and a half, but I know I missed part of the garden areas. One probably needs two to three hours to see the garden more completely.

Have you had a chance to visit the Rhododendron Garden? Share your experience and the time of year you were able to visit in the comment section below. What did I miss? I’d love to hear from you.