Visiting the Seattle Chinese Garden

Seattle has a large and diverse Asian population whose cultures and traditions are reflected in food choices, public events and institutions across the city. On Saturday we visited the Seattle Chinese Garden, a work in progress that will eventually have many structures and natural features reflecting Chinese philosophy and spirituality.

A plaque details Seattle's partnership with a West China city to create the garden and donor walls hold names of benefactors in the U.S. and China. (Click any image to enlarge.)

The garden sections created so far blend water, stone and living plants that include evergreens of infinite shapes and textures as well as flowering shrubs, annuals and perennials that show the cycle of seasons in colors both subtle and bold.

Rhododendrons and azaleas are in profuse bloom all over Seattle right now.

Many of our familiar garden flowers were discovered in China by 19th century "plant hunters" who brought them to England to satisfy the Victorian enthusiasm for garden novelty.

Chinese gardening includes a high degree of reverence for plants as symbols of spiritual concepts.

Besides the portion already constructed, Audrey and Peter and I saw signs for many future elements, including a large reflecting pool and places to meditate and study. Click here for more information.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post visit and also hope you get to visit Seattle someday in person. I like all the gardens and arboretums best, but there is something for everyone out here.

--Bernice