Category: Bloedel Reserve

One of the few benefits of ignorance is that it’s relatively easy to be amazed by new discoveries. For instance, I’ve always been under the impression that the Trillium I see in the Pacific Northwest, from mountaintop to coastal wetlands is the only Trillium there was.

As we walked around Bloedel we saw what looked like three different kinds of Trillium, and neither this one

nor this one,

nor this one

looked like the Trillium I’m used to seeing, though they all looked like “trillium.”

According to Wikipedia there are actually 26 recognized Trillium varieties — who knew?

The weather here has been ideal for weeds with light rain and intermittent sunshine, so I’ve been most of my extra time out in the yard, not sitting in front of the computer adjusting shots.

This shot of a Bloedel camelia

will have to serve as a placeholder until I can get some computer time.

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.