Being so far North, many people new to the Puget Sound region are surprised to learn that this area is very temperate most of the year. With the nearness of the Pacific Ocean, and its temperature moderating influence most city areas receive only a few inches of snow during the winter months and this often melts quickly. Also, with the amount of rain we receive, it only makes sense that the area abounds with beautiful gardens galore, most of them within city limits. These gardens are must-sees if you are an avid garden or nature lover. Our most popular gardens are listed below.

Bellevue

Bellevue Botanical Garden
Address: 12001 Main Street Bellevue, WA 98005
Hours: Open daily, including holidays, from dawn to dusk and from dawn to 9:30 pm during Garden d'Lights. Visitor Center is open daily 9am to 4pm and from 9am to 9:30pm during Garden d'Lights.
Admission: Free

The Bellevue Botanical Garden, Bellevue, Washington comprises 53 acres of display gardens, woodlands, meadows and wetlands. Highlights include the NPA Perennial Border, Waterwise Garden, Yao Japanese Garden, Alpine Rock Garden and summer displays of dahlias and fuchsias.

Throughout the year natural and manmade vistas of color and greenery change, delighting the eye regardless of the season or weather. Dogs or other pets are not allowed in the garden.

Each Saturday and Sunday, April through October a tour begins at the visitor center at 2pm. Also, you can arrange a free guided tour of the Bellevue Botanical Garden for your group.  

Mercer Slough Nature Park
Address: 2102 Bellevue Way SE 98004
Blueberry Farm: 2380 Bellevue Way SE 98004
Sweyolocken Boat Launch: 3000 Bellevue Way SE 98004(non-motorized boats)
Bellefields Trailhead: 1905 118th Avenue SE 98004
Winters House: 2102 Bellevue Way SE 98004
Environmental Education Center: 1625 118th Avenue SE 98004
Admission: Free

Just minutes from downtown Bellevue, the Mercer Slough Nature Park is the largest of Lake Washington’s remaining fresh water wetlands and Bellevue’s largest park. Explore over 320 acres of wildlife habitat, agriculture, and freshwater wetland ecosystems on 7+ miles of trails including a unique canoe trail. The blueberry farm sells fresh seasonal produce. The beautifully restored historic Winters House is Bellevue’s only public building on the National Historic Register. It serves as the home of the Bellevue Historical Society, the park visitor's center, and is available for meeting and event rentals. Free guided nature walks are offered every Saturday, from July through October, meet at Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center for Saturday nature walks.

Everett

Nishiyama Japanese Garden at Everett Community College
Address: Everett Community College, 2000 Tower Street, Everett, WA 98201
Admission: Free

The crowning jewel of the Nippon Business Institute facility is the Japanese garden, the Nishiyama Garden. It provides a respite from the external world offering a place where visitors can linger along stone pathways and gaze into a tranquil pond. Constructed using traditional Japanese methods, the design includes a waterfall, a well, stone walkway, pond, rock garden, three bridges, an earthen wall with tiled roof and an authentic Japanese garden gate. The garden provides an attractive transition from the surrounding campus and neighborhood into the Japanese environment of the NBI center. Initial funding for the center was provided by the Commemorative Association for the Japan World Exposition (1970) along with many generous individuals, groups, organizations and government agencies.

Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens
Address: 145 Alverson Blvd, Everett, WA 98201
Hours: Open Daily, dawn to 10 PM (8 PM winter hours)
Admission: Free

Founded over 30 years ago, it is tucked into the West side of Everett's Legion Park and remains undiscovered to many county residents. It is now enjoying a resurgence of interest with the regional fascination in landscaping and gardening. the Arboretum is ready to offer not only ideas pertinent to today’s home gardener, but the relaxed enjoyment of a peaceful, beautiful setting. The facility has wheelchair access for almost the entire area.

Ferderal Way

Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden
Address: 2525 South 336th Street, Federal Way, WA 98003 (Weyerhaeuser Campus, West Entry Parking Lot)
Hours: 10am to 4pm, March through September, closed Thursdays, 11am to 4pm, October through February, closed Thursdays & Fridays
Admission: $5.00 General Admission, $3.00 Seniors (65+) & Students (with school ID)
Free Admission children under 12 year, RSBG members, school groups, and current Weyerhaeuser employees
Free admission to the Garden (Located on the Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters Campus): November, December, January, & February.

Just south of Seattle, Washington is the Rhododendron Species Foundation and Botanical Garden, a non-profit organization and home to one of the largest rhododendron collections in the world. Over 10,000 rhododendrons grow in a beautiful 22 acre woodland of tall native conifers. The flowering season in western Washington begins in early January and continues through late July with the majority of species in bloom from March to May.

As the sun warms the earth, rhododendron flowers burst forth in shades of pure white to soft pink, clear yellow, brilliant red, and deep violet. Complementing the rhododendrons are numerous companion plantings of ferns, primroses, iris, heathers, maples, magnolias, and many other exotic and unusual plants. These plants add year-round interest and color including fiery fall color in autumn from the many different types of deciduous trees and shrubs.

Greenbank (Whidbey Island)

Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens
Address: 3531 Meerkerk Lane, Greenbank, WA 98253
Hours: Summer Hours: 9am - 4pm, March 15th - September 15th, Winter Hours: 9am - 4pm, September 16th - March 14th, Wednesday - Sunday, closed Monday - Tuesday
Admission: $8.00 per Adult Children under 16 admitted free (when accompanied by an adult) Special Event admission may vary.

Meerkerk Rhododendron Gardens, a not-for-profit garden open to the public, encompasses ten acres of display and educational gardens enveloped by forty-three acres of woodland preserve with 4-5 miles of nature trails. Friends of Meerkerk memberships, plant sales, admission donations and contributions combine to care for the Gardens.

Pets are permitted to be walked on leashes on the Nature Trails only, which are located off the main parking lot. Please do not walk your dog in the Gardens proper.

The Gardens are located 2 miles south of Greenbank on Whidbey Island, WA. From Seattle take I-5 North to the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry, continue north on Whidbey Island for 15 miles on State Route 525 to Resort Rd. Turn right on Resort Rd. and continue 1/2 mile to Meerkerk Lane. Turn left on Meerkerk Lane and follow the signs to the visitor's parking area.

Lakewood

Lakewold Gardens
Address: 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Lakewood, Washington 98499
Hours:
April-September: 10am to 4pm, Wednesday through Sunday
October-November: 10am to 3pm, Friday through Sunday
December-January: 10am to 3pm, Fridays
December-January: 10am to 3pm, Saturday & Sunday by member appointment
February-March: 10am to 3pm, Friday through Sunday
Admission: $7 General; $5 Senior, Student, Military, and Groups (10+); Members of The Friends of Lakewold and Children under 12 free.

Lakewold Gardens, offers a tremendous visitor experience. The 10 acre garden estate offers a haven of gardening delights, historical features, statuary, landscape architecture by Thomas Church, and a stunning Georgian-style mansion.

People shopping for gardening books, unique tools, and plants ranging from herbs to roses and trees, will delight in visiting The Garden Shop.

Maple Valley

Lake Wilderness Arboretum
Address: 22520 SE 248th Maple Valley, WA 98038
Hours: Open daily, dawn to dusk
Admission: Free, Saturday workshops, fee varies

This 40-acre Arboretum is located in Maple Valley, adjacent to Lake Wilderness Park. In addition to its focus on Northwest native plants, the Arboretum features one of the world's largest collections of Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale). The Arboretum's urban forest and cultivated gardens provide the backdrop for recreational and educational opportunities that are readily available and free to the public.

Maintenance and ongoing development of the Arboretum is performed by the Lake Wilderness Arboretum Foundation through a joint use agreement with the City of Maple Valley. The Arboretum offers programs, classes and workshops on a regular basis. Note that programs are usually in the evening and are free. Saturday workshops class sizes are limited, so sign up early!

Olympia

Delbert McBride Ethnobotanical Garden
Address: 211 SW 21st Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501
Hours: 11am - 3pm, Wednesday - Saturday
Admission: Adult (18 & over), $2.00, Seniors (60+), $1.75, Family, $5.00, Youth (6-18 yrs), $1.00, Child (under 6), FREE (Admission covers the State Capital Museum and Outreach Center)

This native species garden at the Washington State Capital Museum in Olympia is named in honor of the late Delbert McBride, the museum's curator emeritus and an ethnobotanical expert of Cowlitz/Quinault descent.

The garden was created to provide an understanding of the foods, medicines and other utilitarian functions derived from the native flora by American Indians in western Washington. The garden serves as an educational platform for discussion among environmental organizations, Native American communities, educational institutions, private landowners and the public. The garden also is a visual reminder of the need to preserve both the ecosystem and cultural heritage of the Northwest landscape.

The more than 30 species of plants were selected and planted on the grounds of the museum, the former Clarence Lord Mansion in Olympia. The museum, which is a unit of the Washington State Historical Society, is situated eight blocks south of the Washington State Capitol campus. The garden is open year-round, accessible to everyone, and has its best show of plants during the late spring and summer months.

Yashiro Japanese Garden
Address: 1010 Plum St. SE, Olympia, WA 98511 (Just south of City Hall)
Hours: Dawn to dusk
Admission: Free

Discover a place where the change of season is the only concession to time. Olympia’s Yashiro Japanese Garden brings to the urban landscape an oasis of traditional garden design that is fourteen centuries old. Regal stone lanterns give structure to a tapestry of pattern. Soft evergreen boughs play against the shiny gloss of rhododendron leaves; smooth lawn gives way to solid boulders. Falling water and singing birds, quiet flowers and autumn leaves provide harmony to the rhythm of the earth.

This garden, dedicated on May 6, 1990, was made possible by the City of Olympia, the Olympia-Yashiro Sister City Association, and the City of Yashiro, Japan. Designed by noted landscape architect Bob Murase, the garden is maintained by Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation.

Seattle

Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens
Address: 3015 NW 54th Street, Seattle, Washington
Hours: Open daily
Admission: Free

The Carl S. English, Jr., Botanical Gardens (7 acres) are botanical gardens located on the grounds of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.

This botanical garden is a tribute to the devotion of our first horticulturist, Carl S. English, Jr. During the 43 years working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Carl transformed the barren lawn, left after the construction of the locks, into a garden worthy of serious study. These lovely grounds are a masterpiece of horticultural splendor, combining the elegant lines and vistas of the romantic English landscape style with the original character of more than 570 species and 1,500 varieties from around the world. One of Seattle's best kept secrets is yours to enjoy. The garden offers color, fragrance, and open spaces to awaken your senses all year long.

University  of Washington Medicinal Herb Garden
Address: University of Washington, Stevens Way and Garfield Lane, Seattle, WA 98195
Hours: Open daily, dusk to dawn
Admission: Free

Located on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, the Medicinal Herb Garden is a resource for herbalists, medics, and botanists of all levels. It is believed by some to be the largest medicinal herb garden in the Western Hemisphere. This two-acre garden nurtures some 600 species of plants and herbs reputed to have medicinal uses. University botanists and herbalists tend the plants, but anyone can visit, and May through October the garden even has free noon tours every second Sunday. Everything is well-labeled with the plants divided into seven growing "rooms," some formal, some naturalistic. Please leave only footprints as you explore this aromatic reserve. Admission is free.

Seattle Japanese Garden
Address: 1075 Lake Washington Blvd. E. Seattle, WA 98112
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, Beginning at 10am, closing time varies by season
Admission: Adults 18-64, $5, Youths 6–17, Senior Adults 65+, College students with ID, & Disabled - $3, Children 0-5 - Free

This three-and-a-half acre formal garden, located within the Washington Park Arboretum, was designed and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer Juki Iida in 1960. Since then it has won the hearts of locals who appreciate its artfully-placed trees, shrubs, flowers, stones, lanterns, ponds, paths and bridges that create a harmonious balance of northwest and Japanese garden design.

Washington Park Arboretum
Address: 2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112
Hours: Open daily, dawn to dusk
Admission: Free

The University of Washington Botanic Gardens was established in 2005 to unite the gardens and programs of the Washington Park Arboretum and the Center for Urban Horticulture. It's located around the shoreline of Union Bay on Lake Washington. If you’re looking for a place to walk, study, express your artistic talents, purchase a nature-inspired gift, or schedule a meeting or wedding, we invite you to visit both locations. You’ll find many opportunities for individual enjoyment and learning, as well as guided tours, classes and other programs.

All parts of the Washington Park Arboretum, with the exception of the Japanese Garden maintained by Seattle City Parks and Recreation, are open to the public free of charge. The Graham Visitors Center has maps, restrooms, staff and Arboretum Foundation offices, a gift shop and meeting room. No matter what time of year you visit, you’ll find something of interest along the trails that wind through 230 acres of gardens, natural areas and wetlands.

At the Center for Urban Horticulture, you’ll find gardens, greenhouses and Union Bay Natural Area, plus UWBG’s headquarters, herbarium and horticultural lending library open to the public, all housed in a certified “green building.”

Dogs are more than welcome at both sites of the UWBG as long as they are on a leash and get picked up after.

Shoreline

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Address: 20312 Fifteenth Ave. NW, Shoreline, WA 98177
Hours: Fri - Sun, March 22nd - September 22nd, 10am-5pm, Remainder of the year: Fri - Sun, 10am-3pm (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks)
Admission: Free

The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden at Richmond Beach, in Shoreline, Washington, is dedicated to the educational, cultural and aesthetic enrichment of the community and all who visit. Mareen and Arthur Kruckeberg assembled the Garden’s four-acre plant collection over many years. It is rich in native plants of the Pacific Northwest, and unusual species from other lands, set in a wooded, park-like atmosphere. The bird list identifies over 25 species that have visited the garden. The garden is open to the public for self-guided tours Friday through Sunday at designated hours. A map is available at the garden, and the bird list identifies over 25 species that have visited the garden. Free guided tours are offered on the 1st Saturday of the month from April through September. These introductory tours provide an overview of the garden’s history and highlights in about an hour. Tours begin at 1pm. Reservations are required.

Please note that parking is limited. The Garden is located in a residential neighborhood with limited on-street parking. When visiting, please carpool or use alternate means of transportation when possible and leave room between your car and the road for pedestrians.

Tacoma

Wright Park Arboretum and W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory
Address: 316 South G St, Tacoma WA (in Wright Park)
Hours: Open Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 4:30pm (gift shop closes at 4 pm), closed Mondays, (except for holidays) and Thanksgiving, Christmas week and New Years Day
Admission: Free, but donations are appreciated

Wright Park Arboretum (27 acres) is an arboretum and public park located at 501 South I Street, Tacoma, Washington. It is open daily without charge. The arboretum contains over 700 mature trees, representing about 100 native and exotic species.

Exotic tropical plants and floral displays await you at the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory in Wright Park. This historic glass conservatory, with its distinctive twelve-sided central dome, is listed on the City of Tacoma, Washington State and National historic registers. 3,500 panes of glass make up the dome and wings of the Conservatory. Master Gardeners are on site every Saturday from February through June, 11 am to 2pm to answer your plant questions.

Point Defiance Park Gardens
Address: 5400 N Pearl St., Tacoma, WA 98407
Hours: Dawn to dusk
ADmission: Free

Acres of gardens with sculpture, waterfalls and thousands of flowers create beautiful displays throughout the city. Thematic gardens, including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden and Northwest Native Garden provide a wide variety of horticultural experiences for visitors. Take a leisurely stroll, have a picnic, bring your camera and enjoy Tacoma's gardens!

Gardens At Point Defiance Park:

• Dahlia Trial Garden: One of the largest official trial gardens in the US and Canada, the Dahlia Trial Garden is sponsored and maintained in cooperation with the Washington Dahlia Society. The garden is comprised of plants grown from tubers sent by dahlia growers from throughout America, Canada, England, New Zealand and Australia. Each year, the dahlias are scored by official judges of the American Dahlia Society. Dahlias receiving between 85 and 100 points are included in the annual classification book. They are then named and become available to the general public. Blooms begin in July, but August is the best time to view the garden in full bloom, when plants reach heights higher than 6 feet.

• Fuchsia Garden: Hummingbirds and visitors alike will want to flock to this colorful garden between June and October when the blooms are out in profusion. Started with only 36 plants, the Fuchsia Garden now contains 125 different varieties of upright fuchsias.

This garden was constructed to test which varieties of fuchsias can be grown in the ground and will come back year after year. There are many of the 10,000 varieties that do well as hardies in the Northwest.

• Herb Garden: The Herb Garden has two beds containing more than 150 perennial plants that thrive in the Puget Sound area. The area provides a surge of growth and color in the spring and summer. The garden was established by the Herb Gardeners of Tacoma and is maintained primarily by their members. The garden provides a place to learn how to grow, use and display herbs.

• Iris Garden: Established in cooperation with the Pierce County Iris Society, the Iris Garden contains 101 tall bearded iris, 80 Pacific Cost iris hybrids and 26 iris tectorum, all in assorted colors. During construction in 1992, cobblestones from old Tacoma streets were used for the walls.

The garden site is comprised of five sections - one bed is dedicated to tall bearded iris, two beds to various median irises, one bed to beardless iris (Siberian and Pacific Coast iris), and there is a Louisiana section. Not all iris varieties are represented but most of the major ones are.

• Japanese Garden: Azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese cherry trees, crabapples and large and small pines flourish in the Japanese garden. An oriental footbridge, waterfall, Japanese lanterns and a small "tea house" further enhance the grounds. The garden provides a peaceful area to enjoy a bit of solitude and is especially enchanting in early spring. The Capital District of Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs helped to establish the garden in 1965 and continues to provide support.

• Northwest Native Garden: Established in 1962 by the Tacoma Garden Club, the Northwest Native Plant Garden is dedicated to the education and enjoyment of all who visit. This garden displays and celebrates the native flora of the Pacific Northwest. Paths winding through the one-and-one-half-acre garden pass a lovely waterfall, pond and striking wooden gazebo that Thomas Church helped design and place. The Tacoma Garden Club is instrumental in the maintenance and development of this Northwest treasure. As part of the Garden Club's ongoing stewardship, they are currently raising funds for a Revitalization Plan for the future of the garden focused on education, improving the visitor experience and ongoing maintenance. Come take a self-guided tour of this area located just before the park exit.

• Rhododendron Garden: Designed as a natural display of rhododendrons in the wild, this garden is nestled in a stand of old growth forest. Trails wind through the forest and intersect the garden. The nearly five-acre site was established in 1968 in cooperation with the Tacoma Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, which continues to provide support. The garden contains more than 500 plants, including 198 cultivated varieties and 75 species of rhododendrons.

• Rose Garden: This focal point of Point Defiance Park has more than an acre of rose gardens, the oldest of which was established in 1895. The site includes a garden of miniature roses, arbors of climbing roses, a picturesque wishing well and quaint gazebos. From June through September more than 1,500 rose bushes provide a rainbow of colors including many variegated combinations. The garden is accredited by the American Rose Society as an All American Rose selection display garden. The Tacoma Rose Society provides continuing support and maintenance assistance.

Tacoma Nature Center
Address: 1919 South Tyler Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
Hours: Trails open daily, 8am to dusk, Nature Center, Tues - Fri, 8am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sun - Mon closed
Admission: Free

Lace up your shoes and take a "quietly wild" trek in the heart of the city. You may hear the honking of Canada geese and the peculiar twitter of the wood duck as you explore this 70-acre wetland habitat. Tread carefully and you might catch sight of a red fox, raccoon, blue heron or other wildlife.

Pick up a self-guiding booklet in the Visitor Center to help you identify the many native plants you'll spot along the two-mile path. Discover science secrets in the Center's exhibit area and laboratory. Join in exciting nature programs or explore the beauty of our state on naturalist-led trips around Washington.