Bellevue Botanical Garden: Plants Going Native
Just east of Bellevue's bustling downtown center, the Bellevue Botanical Garden provides a green oasis filled with plants native to the Pacific Northwest. The Bellevue Botanical Garden features 53 acres of green space showcasing native vegetation in woodlands, meadow, and wetlands environments and is owned and maintained by the City of Bellevue Parks and Community Service Department.
Individual gardens host different varieties of plants. The Northwest Perennial Alliance Border, maintained by the Northwest Perennial Alliance, uses colorful perennial shrubs, evergreens and trees among its trail. The Alpine Rock Garden uses dwarf conifers to capture the feeling of a high, rocky garden. Strollers through the Yao Garden will experience the feel of a Japanese rock garden with its viburnums and colorful ornamental maples. The Waterwise garden uses plants to demonstrate xeriscaping, the art of gardening in a low-water environment. Other gardens display varieties of fuchsia and Northwest gardening favorites: rhododendrons and ferns.
Several Northwest garden associations sponsor and maintain individual sections of the botanical garden, such as the Fuchsia Garden, which is cultivated by the Eastside Fuchsia Society.
The Lost Meadow Trail winds in a loop, taking up a third of a mile through garden spots like the Shorts garden of ground covers. Take the loop of the Ravine trail and walk through a wooded ravine through second-growth forest.
Volunteers lead guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays, April through October. The tours leave from the visitor center at 2 p.m.
During the winter holidays, the garden features its Garden d'Lights, which uses over half a million lights to transform the garden for the holidays. The brightly colored lights, creating creatures and landscapes, have become a city tradition. This is the only time the garden charges an admission fee: $5 per person.
HelloSeattle Tip: Although the garden is open from from dawn to dusk, its Visitor Center keeps more restricted hours: 9-4, except when the Garden D'Lights is running, at which time the center is open till 9:30 p.m.
Posted on Mar 3, 2011 by Cat Rambo
