After three years of trying to portray the exquisite beauty of the Pt. Defiance Rhododendron Garden through mere photographs I’ve decided it’s impossible. Photographs may convey the beauty of certain specimens but can never adequately convey the setting that makes this garden so special.
A photo reduces a twenty-foot-tall rhododendron to a mere nine inches. You look down on it rather than looking up at it.
A plant that would appear gaudy standing alone in a yard, takes on a new dimension when viewed in its proper context, or at least relatively proper context since few of us are liable to see it in a forest in China or even in the Cascades.
Of course, there are also specimens, like this one
you may want to plant in your own front yard, particularly when you’re able to see the flowers up-close-and-personal.
If you live in the Tacoma area and want to see the garden at its best, NOW is the time to go because earlier varieties are starting to lose their flowers and later varieties
are already starting to bloom.