Visiting Kubota Gardens...

A good friend of mine in Seattle has raved about Kubota Gardens for years. He’s invited me to their spring and fall plant sales, which unfortunately always seem to happen on a busy weekend when I can’t get away. Faced with the long drive back to Portland I decided to make a quick stop there last Sunday, before hitting the road.

This sign (below) doesn’t have quite the style the top one has does it? But it is important because it lets you know the garden is owned by the City of Seattle, as such it’s free and dogs are even allowed in the park!

From the city’s website: “Hidden in South Seattle, Kubota Garden is a stunning 20 acre landscape that blends Japanese garden concepts with native Northwest plants. The city acquired the property, which is an historic landmark, in 1987 from the estate of master landscaper Fujitaro Kubota. Kubota was a horticultural pioneer when he began merging Japanese design techniques with North American materials in his display garden in 1927. The Gardens are a spectacular setting of hills and valleys, interlaced with streams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, and rock out-croppings with a rich array of plant material.” There is a lot of history on the garden, and its creator Mr. Kubota here.

Most of the time I felt like the only person in the park. There was a light rain falling and it was chilly, but the parking lot was full so I know there were others there, somewhere.

This has to be the most beautiful Garrya elliptica I have ever seen, it was perfect!

So many times their leaves are rather tattered and spotty, not these.

Plus it helps to have a beautiful orange accent wall next door.

That creepy mass in the corner had a cut out window in it.

Of course I had to take a peak.

I’m feeling pretty smug that I picked a late October day to visit. I’m sure it’s beautiful year round but the wow factor is definitely turned up a few notches with the fall color.

This guy caught my eye, anybody know what it is?

I love its color and squiggly branches…

As I was taking this shot a crane flew overhead and landed in the tall blue tree about center of the photo. I almost tried to capture it in flight, instead I just put the camera down and watched.

He hung out here for awhile, I hoped he'd fly back towards me but when he finally took off it was in the other direction.

This is one of the things I loved about this garden, picnic tables! You're actually invited to hang out and enjoy the space. A Japanese garden without the formality.

Of course there was plenty of lawn in which to relax too, I wonder if they irrigate it during the dry summer months?

At times the paths seemed like they would dead-end without taking you anywhere.

But then you'd round the bend and a view would unfold right in front of you.

This tree was even more fabulously mossy in person.

And in this age of lawsuits and crazy safety measures it was fun to see a narrow walkway over a pond, which you could actually walk across and just maybe slip and fall in...

I wondered how long the log would last with water flowing through it. Then I noticed they'd cleverly put a galvanized pipe inside.

Nightmares, a spooky Blue Atlas Cedar cave! Dare I enter?

I did! It was actually pretty neat inside, and tall enough that I could stand up straight.
All good things must come to an end, and this is the end of my visit. The next time you find yourself in Seattle you really should stop by Kubota Gardens!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.