Rather than trying to put our whole July vacation on the Kitsap Peninsula into one post, I decided to break it into major events! We have:

I: Campground & Cycling
II: Bloedel Reserve (Arboretum/Botanical Garden)
III: Elandan Gardens
IV: Hiking in Port Ludlow
V: Kayaking in the Hood Canal/Agate Passageway

Bloedel Reserve

In May, we went to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. This was an amazing place! You can find photos here. We didn’t know that they had timed, ticketed entry. We’ve never been anywhere that this was true! However, they allowed members to enter whenever they wanted to. We decided to join the garden as a member because a benefit would be that we can go to any gardens participating in the American Horticultural Society reciprocal program. I looked up gardens in the area and the Bloedel Reserve was on the list! We put it then on our to-do vacation list. Grogu started the journey with us and then magically transported back to the truck.

Map image from: https://metropolitangardens.blogspot.com/2011/04/bloedel-reserve.html

The Bloedel Reserve does require tickets for entry. You can only get tickets online–you can’t get them at the entry station. We reserved a time and had to pay for it as there was no discernable way to put in our AHS reciprocal program information. The price was $22/adult ticket. This is still less than our membership price to enter the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. The price was well worth it. Turns out that the Bloedel Reserve is reportedly one of the top 10 gardens in the US to visit. Timed entry was clearly necessary as there is a definite walking path and direction to follow. It takes about 2 hours if you are walking and absorbing. It took us about 3 hours with photography stops built in!

From their website:

Bloedel Reserve is a 140-acre wonder of nature, created by the imagination, vision, and a passionate love of the natural world shared by our founders, Prentice and Virginia Bloedel. Working with the rugged geography of the land, they artfully transformed a rough-hewn Northwest forest into a harmonious series of curated gardens, structural features, and distinctive landscapes, with nature as canvas and paint. The history of the land on which Bloedel Reserve sits extends back much farther than the Bloedels.

The history of the land on which Bloedel Reserve sits extends back much farther than the Bloedels. We’d like to acknowledge the history of this land.

dibəł čəł ti Bloedel Reserve.
We are the Bloedel Reserve.

ʔugʷiitubułəd čəł ʔugʷabitubuł.
We invite you to join us.

https://bloedelreserve.org/

The gardens consisted of separate areas that seemed to weave together seamlessly. Below are some snaps from the distinct areas of the garden.

Arrival Garden

This small garden area surrounds the most necessary building: the bathrooms. Definitely make a pit stop and refill your water before you start your journey!

Buxton Bird Marsh and Pollinator Meadow and the Trestle Bridge

I could have taken thousands of photos in this large area. Forgive me if this is too many snaps!

The Bloedel Home and Surrounding Gardens

As we emerged from the meadows, we found the original home. The home was built in the early 1930’s by the wife of the sixth mayor of Seattle as a weekend get-away. The Bloedel family purchased it as their home in 1951. For a complete history of the grounds and home, visit the Bloedel website. With the front door and the back door open, you can look clear through the house to the Pacific Ocean and Hood Canal.

Rhododendron Glen

I’m pretty sure all these snaps are from the Rhody Glen. I could be mistaken, though. The rhododendrons weren’t blooming so most are just small flowers in the general area.

Japanese Garden, Japanese Guest House, and the Sand and Stone Garden

This was unexpected. From their website:

While the Japanese Garden installation began in 1956 under the direction of Fujitaro Kubota, the Guest House wasn’t built until a few years later. In 1960, renowned landscape architect Thomas Church recommended that the Bloedels hire architect Paul Hayden Kirk to create a guest house overlooking the pond. Kirk’s design combined elements of Japanese temple architecture with the architecture of Northwest Coastal Native American longhouses. Construction of the Guest House began in 1961.

Mid Pond

Moss Garden

I was hoping for inspiration for our front yard. We are surrounded by tall tall cedar trees that put lots of shade onto our yard. This is great for hot days as it cools our home. It is not great for growing grass. Moss grows much easier. However, I don’t think I can create anything like they’ve created! The mosses and waters of the Pacific Northwest are beautiful.

Reflection Pool

Can you imagine sitting here for inspiration? Also, proof that the sun does shine in the Pacific Northwest. Although we started the day in cloudiness, as hoped for, the clouds burned off and the sun came out to play!

Thanks for reading to the end! If you want to see all the photos, they’re over at Flickr linked below.

Peace,

Terri

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