Spring at Bloedel Preserve

It’s always a little sad when the overwintering birds leave for their breeding grounds, but, luckily, flowers that have been dormant all Winter suddenly Spring-forth.  Point Defiance Park is certainly as good a place as anywhere to see flowers, but I must admit that on a sunny day I’m more apt to drive to Bloedel Reserve.  

There’s no wrong time to visit the reserve, but Spring is probably my favorite time to visit.  Bloedel Reserve has a magical blend of common plants, both native and imported, and rare plants I’ve never seen anywhere else.  

Walking across the meadow we were greeted by these cheerful purple bells 

and this single stemmed beauty, which I suspect must have been planted, though it certainly looked “natural.”

Just before the lake we encountered a fairly common, but striking, azalea.

As we neared the Bloedel residence we saw several yellow Rhododendrons,

an uncommon, but not exactly rare, color for a Rhodie.  

Spread out over an area dominated by open meadows and old-growth forest, if you were new to the garden you’d probably swear these were just part of the natural landscape.  Only a regular visitor would realize that it takes dozens of gardeners to maintain the “natural” look of these gardens.  

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