Bloedel Reserve, Seattle WA

The last stop on the Garden Blogger's Seattle Fling tour was to the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, just east of Seattle, across the Puget Sound. The private and public gardens we visited in Seattle were beautiful but the Bloedel was truly spectacular.
 
The Reserve's 150 acres were filled with quiet trails through woodlands and landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden and Reflection Pool. 

The Bloedel Reserve was once the home of Prentice Bloedel and his wife, Virginia, who resided on the property from 1951 until 1986. He was deeply interested in the relationship between people and the natural world, and the power of landscape to evoke emotions ranging from tranquility to exhilaration. You can read more about the Bloedel Reserve here. 

True to Seattle's reputation, it rained the entire day we were at Bloedel, but somehow the wet and the mist added to the beauty of the landscape.

My favorite was the Moss Garden area. Everywhere I looked, moss covered the ground, tree trunks, fallen branches and stones. Ferns and low growing plants filled in the other areas:

The Japanese Garden was serene and beautifully manicured:

The Glen was filled with Birch trees, Rhododendrons and a lovely pond:

Every twist and turn within the Bloedel Reserve was truly breathtaking and magical. If you are ever in the neighborhood, I highly recommend it!