Puget Sound Public Gardens and Arboretums
Need inspiration on what plants to grow in your landscape? Want a relaxing stroll in a beautiful setting? The Puget Sound has many public gardens that you can enjoy. Here is a list of some public gardens that may be near you.
Suggestions when you visit the gardens:
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
- Bring something to drink, especially if it is a warm day. If it’s a really nice day bring a picnic!
- Bring your camera! Take a picture of a plant or plant grouping that catches your fancy and then email us at thedailyplantit@gmail.com to see if we have or can get those plants that you must have in your yard. If the plant is labeled be sure and include its name.
Bellevue Botanical Garden is an extensive 53 acre collection of gardens and borders showcasing plants that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. http://www.bellevuebotanical.org/
The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island is an internationally known public garden and forest preserve of natural and designed Pacific Northwest Landscapes. http://www.bloedelreserve.org/
The University of Washington Botanic Gardens is an organization that supports and maintains The Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington Park Arboretum.
The Center for Urban Horticulture is comprised of greenhouses, demonstration gardens, the extensive Elisabeth C. Miller Library, Hyde Herbarium, Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program, and the base station of the King County Master Gardener Foundation.
The Washington Park Arboretum is a 230 acre showpiece of over 10,000 plant specimens reached by meadows, paths, and walkways just east of the Montlake Bridge. http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/index.php
The Seattle Japanese Garden, located within the Washington Park Arboretum is a 3 1/2 acre formal garden designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida in 1960. The garden is part of the Seattle Parks and Recreation department. https://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm
Kubota Garden offers 20 acres of hills and valleys, waterfalls, ponds, rock outcroppings and an exceptionally rich and mature collection of plant material. The Kubota family was instrumental in bringing Japanese style gardening to the Pacific Northwest. Over 60 years in the making, this garden is a jewel near the border of Seattle and Renton on Renton Avenue S. http://http://www.kubotagarden.org/
The Chase Garden, located in Orting, Washington, is Pacific Northwest design of wildflower meadows, rock gardens, Japanese gardens and woodland gardens developed over 40 years. A grand vista overlooks the river valley, forested foothills, and Mount Rainier. http://chasegarden.org/
Dunn Gardens, located in Shoreline and originally designed by the Olmsted brothers, contains a richly diverse collection of rhododendrons, specimen flowering trees, and woodland plants beneath a canopy of fir and deciduous trees. http://dunngardens.org/
The Seattle Chinese Garden is in the process of becoming a classically designed Chinese garden the four essential elements of a water, rocks, plants and traditional Chinese architecture in a six acre destination in southwest Seattle. http://www.seattlechinesegarden.org/