Need a Break from the Holidays? Fresh Air and Plenty of Plants Await You at the Arboretum, the Seattle Japanese Garden, and Kubota Gardens

Too much food, too much family (or is that just me?) ...a garden expedition is the perfect tonic for too many hours spent indoors.

Several Seattle gardens are at their best, or at least well worth a visit, in December and earliest January. My first choice this time of year is always the Witt Winter Garden, a short stroll from the Graham Visitor's Center at the Washington Park Arboretum. If it isn't too cold, witch hazels will be wafting their sweetly astringent scent on the air. A hit of the vanilla-esque perfume of sarcococca alone is worth the trip, and, weather permitting, hellebores will be coming into bloom.

 Aren't you starved for color right now? The golden and russet witch hazel flowers,, the pale ghost brambles and the glowing canes of red and yellow twig dogwood embedded in a sea of spidery black mondo grass will help your mid-winter sensory deprivation.  If you're lucky you'll see our native Anna's hummingbirds feeding on the huge golden flower sprays atop jagged-leafed Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies'.

The Seattle Japanese Garden isn't far away (at 1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East). Now with the leaves off the trees, the stripped down garden is an elegant lesson in structure and shape. Revel in the austerity of mossy branches, the serenity of stone, and the promise of pathways in this zen-like garden.

Kubota Gardens in the south end (9817 55th Avenue South) is a treat of a winter destination, with bridges, ponds, and beautifully pruned pines....

So no need to stay indoors - get outside, breath deeply, and let the quiet, subtle beauty of the winter garden work its magic on your holiday-weary soul.....

 

Comments

[Catherine]

I'm so glad to have found you have a blog. I've always enjoyed your writing and have many of your articles torn from the paper filed away for future reference.

[Ray]

Hi Val, just a quick note to let you and your readers know that the Japanese Garden is unfortunately closed for the winter. They typically close around mid-November for the winter. It looks like they'll reopen on February 15 in 2011, according to their website. I'll bet it is beautiful this time of year, but as I recall they use this time to do larger annual maintenance and pruning projects, etc. I did visit the Arboretum's Witt Winter Garden last Sunday and it was quite nice. The large Hamamelis mollis a the north entry is in full bloom and spreading its fragrance throughout the garden and surrounding landscape. It always amazes me how far the fragrance of the Chinese witch hazel travels. The hummingbirds were out and enjoying the Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies' as well. The Winter Garden is generally my favorite garden in the Arboretum most any time of year, and the show is just getting started now. Happy holidays!