Bellevue Botanical Garden

The Ravine Experience at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 2012

The Yao Japanese Garden at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 2012 

The Alpine Rock Garden at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 2012

The Northwest Perennial Alliance Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 2012

The Northwest Perennial Alliance Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 2012

Click here for more photos of the Bellevue Botanical Garden.

The Bellevue Botanical Garden is an amazing place.  And even more amazing, it gets better all the time.  This is certainly one of the largest & best gardens in the Seattle area, which has rather few impressive public gardens.  One 53 acres, there are gardens, natural woodlands & wetlands.  Most impressive of the gardens is the Perennial Border maintained by the The Northwest Perennial Alliance.  The Yao Garden is also quite impressive, one of the best Japanese gardens in the Seattle area.  In addition to these, there is also an Alpine Rock Garden, the Waterwise Garden, the Shorts Ground Cover Garden, & the Native Discovery Garden.  The newest feature (as of 2012) is the Ravine Experience, a footbridge suspended over a ravine in the native woodland.  You have a rare opportunity here to see a small portion of the native wetlands that once covered most of lowland King County.

The Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

Nepeta (Catmint) in the foreground.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

The shrubs are Physocarpus (Ninebark) & Taxus (Yew) in the foreground.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

Eremurus (Foxtail Lily) left & Verbascum (Mullein) seem to be best friends.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane) lower right corner & Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove)

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

Eremurus (Foxtail Lily) throughout.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

Primula (Cowslip) in the foreground, Astilbe at center, Iris in the background.

Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden June 2011

This end of the garden is shaded, with Aruncus aethusifolius (Goatsbeard) in the foreground.

The Perennial Border at the Bellevue Botanical Garden is not really a perennial border, or even a border at all.  It is a series of mixed planting beds, on a west-facing slope, composed of perennials, shrubs & even some trees.  These beds run in long & narrow tiers along the hillside.  In several places they are crossed by wide concrete stairs.  The paths curve at the ends of the garden, which allows them to be traversed without using the stairs, an excellent arrangement for those with wheelchairs, strollers or weak knees.  Walking on any of these paths, with mixed planting beds on either side, does certainly give the impression of a traditional border.

This hillside, which borders the lawn west of the Visitor Center, was developed in 1992 by the Northwest Perennial Alliance.  It was commonly referred to as The NPA Border.  A small group of people designed it.  A large group of NPA volunteers maintained it.  It felt more of a piece before the renovation that began in 2008.  The earlier paths were narrow, cave-like passages through what felt like a single, massive border.  But maintenance was difficult.  It was barely possible to pass people on the paths.  So now we have the new border, which is less quirky & more functional.  The renovation was extensive.  The old border was swept away, the hillside regraded.  But many plants were saved & replanted.  By the summer of 2011, it was looking good.  The new border was designed by 2 members of the original design team & continues to be maintained by NPA volunteers.

Yao Japanese Garden at the Bellevue Botanical Garden

Yao Japanese Garden March 2010

Yao Japanese Garden March 2010

Yao Japanese Garden June 2010

Yao Japanese Garden June 2010

Yao Japanese Garden June 2010

  Yao Japanese Garden June 2010

Yao Japanese Garden June 2010

The Yao Japanese Garden at the Bellevue Botanical Garden is a serenely beautiful place.  Every part of the Bellevue Botanical Garden is lovely.  It seems constantly to be improved.  The Bellevue Botanical Garden is the closest thing the Seattle area has to a world-class public botanical garden.  The Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle is obviously trying to catch up & perhaps it will.  Indeed, the Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum is more impressive.  But the Yao Japanese Garden has a relaxed & intimate feel, while many Japanese gardens seem over-groomed & rigid.  The Yao Japanese Garden is easy stroll, along a wide path, at the edge of the woodland, not far from the main entrance.  Yao is Bellevue's Japanese sister city.  Perhaps the most beautiful & certainly the largest Japanese garden in the Seattle area is Kubota Garden in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Seattle.