There are many parks, P-Patches, and demonstration gardens in the Seattle area to visit, and the surrounding mountain ranges (when they can be seen!), and bodies of water surrounding us like Lake Washington and Elliot Bay can bring contemplation and introspection. But visiting a garden can recharge your creative spirit, and help you to create your own oasis of calm in the city.
Here are a few of my favorite non-profit gardens in the Puget Sound area.
Chase Garden, located in Graham, WA, is a great place to view native plants in a garden setting. The Chase Garden sits on a bluff overlooking the Puyallup River Valley and features spectacular views of Mt Rainier. It has a woodland garden of second growth Douglas Firs with native understory plants, and a meadow filled with wildflowers, Japanese maples, rhododendrons and conifers. Emmott and Ione Chase started developing this 4 acre garden in 1962, it is now a Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy.
Earth Sanctuary in Langley, WA is a great place to watch birds, to meditate, and to see a large scale ecological restoration project in progress. Visit the Cottonwood Stone Circle, currently the tallest stone circle in the world, made of Columbia River basalt and surrounded by black cottonwood trees, where Blue Herons like to nest. It is hoped this area will be contain a Blue Heron rookery in a decade or so. Walk around the labyrinth lined with salal, walk by a stone dolmen, a meditative site with large flat stones laid on upright ones which forms an enclosed space for reflection. It's hard to believe this area was covered in invasive Himalayan blackberry plants in the early 1990s.
Lakewold Gardens in Lakewood, WA offers landscape architecture by Thomas Church and a Georgian-style mansion surrounded by rare and native plants, State Champion trees, over 900 rhododendrons, 30 Japanese maples and statuary. In pioneer days this area was known as the Lakes District. Sheep grazed on the lush prairie grass and drank from the spring-fed lakes. In 1908 Emma Alexander purchased the land and by 1913 her garden was already locally famous. Currently there is a fern garden, shade garden, knot garden planted with culinary herbs, a rock garden of alpine plants and miniature species bulbs, and a rose garden.
Seattle Chinese Garden in Seattle, WA opened in 2010 and is the largest Chinese garden outside of China, showcasing not only plants, but also stone, architecture and water elements. Plantings include traditional garden favorites with meanings lying deep in Chinese culture, exotic plants with ornamental qualities collected from Sichuan's hills and valleys, and unusual varieties of Chinese plants already familiar to Western gardeners, including new roses, wisterias, dogwoods and viburnums.
Powellswood Garden located in Federal Way, WA, opened in 1999. At Powellswood, you have an opportunity to see mature versions of plants that you see in local nurseries. A lovely perennial border, woodland garden, spring garden, fern and rhododendron garden, and a small Tea house awaits visitors. Cold Creek that borders the north side of the garden was restored a few years ago, and the shade garden extends to the creek bank.
Resources
Chase Garden, http://www.chasegarden.org, $5 per person entrance fee, open April thru October, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 3pm.
Earth Sanctuary, http://www.earthsanctuary.org, $7 per person entrance fee, open all year during daylight hours.
Lakewold Gardens, http://www.lakewoldgardens.org, $7 per person entrance fee, open all year long but please check web site for days and times.
Powellswood Garden, http://www.powellswood.org, no entrance fee, open April thru October, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pmplus Mother's Day Weekend. Otherwise, the garden is open by appointment only.
Seattle Chinese Garden, http://www.seattlechinesegarden.org , free for Seattle residents, SCG members, and children under 5. Otherwise: Adults $6, Seniors 62+ $5, Students $5. Spring hours: Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 5:30 pm.
If you have questions about how to care for specific plants, identify organisms, or learn techniques to create healthy, sustainable garden communities, contact the Garden Hotline at (206)633-0224 or help@gardenhotline.org. Check in with Seattle Tilth at www.seattletilth.org for a list of classes and volunteer opportunities.
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The Garden Hotline is managed by Seattle Tilth as part of Seattle Public Utility's Natural Soil Building Program, with additional sponsorship by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program (LHWMP) in King County and the Saving Water Partnership.
About Seattle Tilth: Founded in 1978, Seattle Tilth is an educational non-profit organization offering classes and programs that serve adults, children and families in north, central and south Seattle, and in the cities of Issaquah and Auburn. Seattle Tilth's mission is to inspire and educate people to grow food organically, conserve natural resources, and support local food systems in order to cultivate a healthy urban environment and community.
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