The state of Washington’s nickname is the Evergreen State. Many people think it rains here all the time. That’s not really true. We don’t have a lot of heavy rains, but many gray days with a light rain. Summers, however, can be quite beautiful and warm. In fact this is a perfect climate to grow many wonderful plants, and gardening is a popular activity in the Puget Sound region. Garden enthusiasts can find a number of gardens in the Seattle area to visit.
I want to share with you three gardens that I enjoy visiting. Each of these are unique and best of all free to visit. These spaces offer wonderful opportunities for landscape and flower photography. Open year round, these gardens offer an ever-changing landscape and variety of colors and beauty.
Kubota Garden
Our first stop is in the Rainier Beach area of South Seattle. There you will find a wonderful Japanese style garden, Kubota Garden. Fujitaro Kubota bought the first five acres in 1927 and began developing the garden. It turned into his career as a landscaper and a gardening company. The garden eventually grew to 20 acres. Sadly in the 40’s the garden was abandoned when the family was placed in an internment camp during WWII. In 1981 the garden was declared an historical landmark to save it from developers. In 1987 the city of Seattle acquired the garden so that today it is open for all to discover and enjoy.
The garden has a small parking lot, but you can park on the nearby street if necessary. As you enter the garden, you will see a large Japanese bell. From there you can begin to wander the various paths that lead through the garden.
From the entrance visitors will need to walk down into the garden. The central part of the garden is fairly flat. However, opposite the entrance is a hill with a waterfall that cascades down it. Adventurers can walk up paths along and over the stream that flows down.
There are a number of ponds and water features throughout the garden. Some of these have bridges or beams that cross from side to side. They add to the Japanese feel of the garden.
While there are beds of flowers, in many ways it is the variety of tees and bushes that create the interest in the garden. This is especially true during an autumn visit. The brilliantly colored trees really show off their colors in the fall.
It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering the garden paths and taking photos. Neither of the times that I visited was it particularly crowded, although during my fall visit I definitely encountered a larger crowd. In this time of social distancing it should not be difficult to keep one’s distance while visiting the Kubota Garden. It is a serene and calming place to visit.
Bellevue Botanical Garden
On the east side of Lake Washington, the Bellevue Botanical Garden is a peaceful and calming urban garden. It began in 1981 with the donation of 7.5 acres of land to the city of Bellevue by the Shorts. Additional land was added creating the 53 acre garden. Various garden organizations have worked to help create this urban garden. It officially opened to the public in 1992
Visitors will find parking is readily available with overflow parking nearby if necessary. There are a number of buildings onsite including classrooms and a gift shop at the entrance. There is also a coffee shop on the property. Since it is easily accessible, it is a popular place to walk and commune with nature.
Coming through the main entrance visitors will find areas with colorful flower beds. These include perennials, various shrubs and bushes, and other carefully selected plants.
If you love fuchsias you will enjoy the border near the coffee shop with a variety of fuchsia bushes to enjoy.
A trail will take you away from the manicured flower beds and down into an area which will seem like a walk in the forest. Tall trees tower overhead. Here the undergrowth is more natural and not as maintained. It’s odd to know you are in a city, but feel like you’re walking a trail in the mountains.
One of the features of this area is a suspension bridge. The bridge crosses a deep ravine which you can observe from the bridge. The bridge can feel a bid wobbly to walk across so be prepared for it to move with you.
Another part of the garden has an enclosed Japanese style garden called the Yao Garden. It honors Bellevue’s sister city.
In December the garden is lit up with lights and the whole places changes. It’s a fun and beautiful experience, but for this event there is an entrance fee. It’s worth doing at least once to see the way they light up the garden.
Jennings Memorial Park
If you love flower photography then a great place to visit is north of Seattle in the city of Marysville. Jennings Memorial Park is a large park. With its neighboring park, Jennings Nature Park, there is a lot to do here. Visitors can walk around a large pond with a fountain. There are playgrounds for children and ball fields for a game of soccer. There are walking paths, and, yes, there is a garden.
This garden is actually a WSU extension master garden. There is a teaching aspect to the garden as there is information around about some of the gardens and methods used. However, this garden is not big. It does not have wide paths so social distancing may be a bit of a challenge. Visitors should look for a small fenced-in area behind the big red barn. Here they will find a surprisingly large collection of plants.
There are a lot of different ornamental plants from small trees to colorful flowers. The flowers seem to attract a lot of bees as well.
The garden also has sections of vegetables. Here you will see some creative ways to grow vegetables even in small places.
It’s a great place to go if you want to take pictures, but your family isn’t interested. They can find activities to engage them while you enjoy spending an hour finding the small details of the plants around us.
In this unusual year where feelings of stress, anxiety, frustration, and chaos are common, we can find some relief in nature. While going for a hike in the mountains might seem necessary, nature can be much closer. These three garden spaces offer an opportunity to find some peace and quiet without pulling out your hiking boots. Carve out some time, and find some calm in the midst of nature that is close at hand.
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