Meditating at the Japanese Gardens in Bloedel Reserve, Washington
A slight breeze and the smell of wet cedar. 150 acres of pristine gardens on a Pacific Northwest island all to yourself. Swans glide like figure skaters on the lake below the weeping willow and small cascades trickle behind bright rhododendron and huge magnolia blossoms. You can pretend to be French aristocrats in the Bloedel mansion, which now operates as the visitor center overlooking Puget Sound, or find true enlightenment in the rock gardens and Japanese guesthouse, offering moments of quiet reflection.
A must visit for any Seattleite or tourist Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island is 150 acres of alluring beauty. Serenity abounds at the reserve as visitors wend their way around this blend of natural woodlands and formally landscaped gardens.
Plan to spend several hours wandering, sitting, and meditating on flowers, tress, butterflies and bees. And make sure you visit the estate house, formerly home to the Bloedel family to get a sense of the history of the place. Prentice Bloedel was the mastermind behind the creation of the gardens and ahead of his time in his views on environmental sustainability and the healing power of nature. Bloedel chose the University of Washington as the custodian for this public preservation endeavor. His generosity and foresight is a gift to those of us wise enough to take advantage of this public gem.
The Bloedel Reserve truly is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best excursions.
Won
Photography Honorable Mention
for submitting on
Bloedel Reserve
in
Bainbridge Island, WA
as part of the
Weekly Contest.
Bloedel Reserve is Spring Green
A must visit for any Seattleite or tourist Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island is 150 acres of calming beauty. Serenity abounds at the reserve as visitors wend their way around this blend of natural woodlands and formal landscaped gardens.
Plan to spend several hours wandering, sitting, and meditating on flowers, tress, butterflies and bees. And make sure you visit the estate house, formerly home to the Bloedel family to get a sense of the history of the place. Prentice Bloedel was the mastermind behind the creation of the gardens and ahead of his time in his views on environmental sustainability and the healing power of nature. Bloedel chose the University of Washington as the custodian for this public preservation endeavor. His generosity and foresight is a gift to those of us wise enough to take advantage of this public gem.
The Bloedel Reserve truly is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best excursions.
On an island in Puget Sound is a cool place called Bloedel Reserve. It once was a private estate before being donated to the island as a park. You have to make an appointment to visit as they only allow so many visitors at a given time in order to preserve the land. It has a series of walks that take you through various garden areas. One of those garden areas is the Moss Garden. While so much of the Pacific Northwest is moss covered this place is particularly so. When walking through the garden one expects to see dinosaurs roaming freely through the area. It’s eerily quiet and appears to be from another time.
A slight breeze and the smell of wet cedar. 150 acres of pristine gardens on a Pacific Northwest island all to yourself. Swans glide like figure skaters on the lake below the weeping willow and small cascades trickle behind bright rhododendron and huge magnolia blossoms. You can pretend to be French aristocrats in the Bloedel mansion, which now operates as the visitor center overlooking Puget Sound, or find true enlightenment in the rock gardens and Japanese guesthouse, offering moments of quiet reflection.
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