We Visit Bloedel Reserve

We haven’t been to Bloedel Reserve since November, so we decided to see what would be there in late Winter/early Spring. We found the first Skunk Cabbage we’ve seen that wasn’t deformed by sub-freezing temperatures.

I’ve been told that Skunk Cabbage is a true measure of when Spring arrives in the Pacific Northwest because it is native to the area.

I know that a number of the plants at the Bloedel Reserve are not native to the area, but seen dispersed throughout the native firs, it’s easy to assume that they, too, indicate Spring has officially arrived.

Personally, the only snow I want to see here in the lowlands is Snowdrops.

The Bloedel gardeners blend native and non-native plants in with the natural habitat.

That’s not to say that I can’t also appreciate non-native flowers like these showy Camellias.