Kessi World

Mindful travel around the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle botanical gardens — the 10 best kept local secrets

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Seattle has abundant botanical gardens like this bright purple and yellow daisy Bellevue Botanical Gardens. The flower is on a branch with green leaves and several other pops of color are lower and out of focus. The rich dark dirt is on the ground.

A city garden, lovingly crafted by the hands of inspired green thumbs, provides one of the greatest services in an urban environment. A reminder that no matter where we are, nature is around us, flourishing and working hard to help the world persevere. Public gardens also place humanity on even ground, allowing the community at large to access the calming energy in a simple, welcoming manner. And, when searching for stillness and inspiration, look to Seattle botanical gardens to provide a calm connection to the local environment.

This article connects you with the 10 most inspiring Seattle area botanical gardens.

It’s never difficult to find greenery in Seattle, as the water flows year-round, providing encouragement for any possible organism to thrive. From the narrow cracks in the bumpy Capitol Hill sidewalks to the larger expanses of green in places like Discovery Park, nature flourishes in the appropriately named Emerald City. Lime green moss and evergreen fir trees spice up the darker winter months, while color pops in all shapes and sizes between March and October. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is a garden culture in the city.

Beautiful hydrangea in bloom with bright purple blossoms in contrast to the lime green leaves with several droplets of water on them.
Hydrangea is one of many quintessential dwellers in Seattle botanical gardens.

Table of Contents — Seattle botanical gardens

This article will focus on lesser-known botanical gardens that are true gems in their own right. What they might lack in expansive space or complex landscaping, is abundantly provided in serene areas to connect with a quieter side of the world.

Matthew Kessi poses for a selfie in a large rhododendron bush with bright red and pink blooms. he's smiling and wearing a green and white checkered shirt.

A mystic vibe leads the way – why follow me through Seattle gardens?

I am a travel writer, nature photographer, queer naturalist, and mystic with a rich connection to Mother Earth.  I’ve invested a lifetime guiding myself and others through nature and developed simple ways to be more thoughtful about paying attention to gardens in Seattle and other places in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, I lead mystic walking experiences both in group and one-on-one through some of these very gardens. If you’d like to know more about heightened adventures into deeper connections with Mother Earth, click over to the Mystic Nature Adventures part of my website. 

When I visit gardens in Seattle, it is all about the way I feel welcomed by the land, so the vibe is essential. The curated list below provides 10 lesser-known green spaces that I find particularly inviting. If you want to know some simple ways to be more thoughtful about finding your own nature in a Seattle garden, read my article, 5 easy ways to pay attention to nature (coming soon).

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Streissguth Gardens offer year round wonders to Seattle park goers, including this beautiful trillium plant, with a rich purple blossom on top of variegated green leaves.
A spectacular trillium pushes through to say hello in Springtime.

Streissguth Gardens

1640 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102. Open 5am-10pm.

Romance in the garden inspired this magnificent hillside terrace, coming together in the 1960s, as a man and woman bought houses near each other on a steep Capitol Hill slope. They both shared an enthusiasm for gardening and eventually fell in love and combined their households and the surrounding plots of flowers and trees. Over time, adjacent vacant lots were purchased from developers ready to build up the land and an enchanting garden grew up, overlooking downtown Seattle with sweeping views of the Space Needle, Queen Anne, and Lake Union. The family eventually donated the space to the city, and more land south of this plot was added to St. Mark’s Greenbelt.

A special feeling of botanical love exists here. As if still in the backyard of an intimate family garden.

The multi-colored bark of the madrona tree makes great contrast to the red berries and bright green leaves of the forest foliage in a year-round Streissguth Seattle botanical garden.
No matter the time of year, Streissguth Gardens always has a burst of color pushing through.

Today, if you take the lofty Blaine Street steps from the Eastlake area to 10th Ave E on Capitol Hill you’ll pass by this garden. It can be the perfect stopping point to catch your breath. Choose a path and wind away into the wooded area amongst all kinds of varieties of flowers. The plot is planned in such a way that something is always budding or blooming, although the spring and summer would seem more alive to the untrained eye.

Kubota Garden in Seattle is a wonderful example of Japanese and Pacific Northwest fusion of plants, like this branch of maple tree just beginning new spring leaves that are fire bright red.

Kubota Garden

9817 55th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 Parking is available and generally, open between 6 am – 9 pm.

Fujitaro Kubota arrived in the US from Japan in 1907 and created an inspiring legacy throughout his 94 years living in South Seattle. A business owner and nature enthusiast, his mission was to display the beauty of the Pacific Northwest in a distinctly Japanese way. This stunning park started as five acres of personal home and gardens and endured several iterations over the years to become as large as 20 acres and then reduced down again as the expanding city developed. Today the expanse of natural elements is operated by the City of Seattle Parks and open to the public year-round.

A bright red Japanese style bridge crosses over a creek in amongst shrubs and trees with a variety of spring foliage inside Kubota Gardens in Seattle. There are a few green tall fir trees in the distance rising up through a vibrant blue sky.
Can’t travel to Japan? The serene setting of Kubota Garden brings to life a peaceful, balanced beauty well known in Asian botanical gardens.

A calm quickly surrounds visitors when walking through the traditional Japanese style gateway and soon enough decisions must be made about which way to explore. Similar to most gardens of this style, zones represent the different elements of Japan — lowland lakes to rock-covered mountains. A feeling of space abounds and it’s easy to get lost in thickets of bamboo. Just follow the gentle sounds of water rolling off grand pieces of slate — waterfalls and streams seem to be everywhere.

Granite stepping stones lead up a narrow garden path well within the confines of a thicket of shrubbery. This leads to a waterfall inside Kubota Gardens in Seattle.
Follow the stepping stones through the thicket to the top of the boulder-built Japanese mountain and view the sweeping landscape from atop a water fountain.

Spring is a great time to visit, as magnolias, azaleas, and cherry blossoms are in bloom and the bright colors of emerging leaves from the many varieties of Japanese Maples create a collage of vibrant energy. There are picnic tables, several formal terrace viewpoints, and a variety of sweeping lawns to spend time relaxing in this lovingly crafted botanical space. My experiences in Kubota Garden led me to write another article about the most inspiring Japanese-themed gardens in Seattle.

Bradner Gardens are a community space in Seattle with botanicals in all directions, including this branch of a tomato plant, with newly formed fruit, still bright green, clinging to the vines. The branch has tiny hairs and the rich black soil is out of focus below on the ground.

Bradner Gardens Park

1730 Bradner Pl. S, Seattle, WA 98144. 4 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

This hilltop green space is relatively recent in the history of Seattle gardens and already making an impact in the Mt. Baker neighborhood in the southeast quadrant of the city. The feel is unique in that it combines park with gardens and art with community participation. The central artisanal gazebo holds it all together while the eclectic installments of rural art forged by combining items commonly found on a family farm offer a feeling of whimsical belonging.

A large lavender plant shows up bright purple flowers while the tall buildings of the Seattle skyline rise up in the background. Botanic gardens like Bradner are an important part of Seattle's nature offerings.
The city skyline frames in this ferocious lavender plant.
A metal grade garden gate allows vision through the fence, made up of a collection of pitchforks, towards the Seattle gardens in this wintry scene.
Seattle gardens in winter exhibit a rich feeling of dampness, and green continues to work into the landscape. The farm-meets-urban artwork design adds a fun touch to the Bradner Gardens Park.
Bellevue Botanical Gardens are a delight for visitors seeking a Seattle area garden to explore. In this photo two bright pink fuchsia blooms swing from the magenta branches and dark green leaves that have lighter yellow veins showing.
The fuchsia garden comes to life with a plethora of varieties in the summer months.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005. Admission to the park is free and there are plenty of parking and accessible options. Open daily from dawn to dusk and worth all the time in the world.

Cotton candy for nature lovers! Although not really “lesser-known”, I always find something new to discover with each visit — so it makes the list. This truly magnificent 53-acre symphony of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands, Japanese gardens, and natural wetlands seems to expand in every direction. Endless nooks and crannies of trees, plants, artwork, and building structures fit perfectly into the landscape. Although right in the heart of downtown Bellevue, the serene balance of humans interacting with nature feels more like an oasis of peace and slow calm.

A delicate puff of pink with yellow center is up close and focused while the rest of the green tree branches fade into the bright blue sky.

The park-like setting is a patchwork of land pieced together over the years — now offering a variety of themed zones. Start out in the rain garden that traverses a man-made hill up to the original home of Cal and Harriet Shorts. In 1981, the couple brought life to the idea of a city botanical garden by deeding their home and 7.5 acres of land to the City of Bellevue, with the requirement it remains a park for all to enjoy. Today the sleek mid-century home houses Copper Kettle Coffee Bar — serving up delicious coffee and fun eats — all with a 180-degree view of color, textures, and organic delight.

An array of trees with textures and colors come to life in the Japanese garden in Bellevue Botanical Gardens. A pea gravel path cuts through the center of the shot and leads to a bushy tree with bright red leaves while a patch of blue sky opens up at the top of the shot.
The amazing combination of textures and colors inspires quiet and calmness in the Japanese-inspired Yao Garden.

Wander and get lost in the different themed zones of the gardens. Don’t miss the bright, overflowing abundance of the Perennial Border Garden. No matter the time of year, something is always popping here. I love the Yao Garden and the peaceful, simple loop of Japanese zen. The more recent and further off the beaten track Ravine Experience in deep woods beauty only steps away from the hustle and bustle — and complete with an impressive suspension bridge dangling over a seriously deep ravine of ferns and fallen logs all cozily tucked in by a thick canopy of fir trees.

Parsons Gardens is one of the best botanical spaces on Queen Anne in Seattle, including these blue and purple hydrangea blooms that are in amongst lime green leaves and tighter pre-blooms.
Hydrangea blooms add their bright blue spirit to the peace and calm of the Queen Anne park.

Parsons Gardens

650 W Highland Dr., Seattle, WA 98119. 6am – 10pm.

The majestic neighborhood of Queen Anne is a complicated maze of large stately homes, thick foliage, and broad views of the city. The feeling is like being at a backyard gathering while exposed to the wide glory of the city at the same time. Check out Bhy Kracke Park and continue on to Betty Bowen Viewpoint, where cargo container ships glide past the Washington State Ferries transferring passengers to and from the Olympic Peninsula.

A peaceful park bench sits atop large uneven pieces of slate in a circular patio surrounded by low green shrubs and winding fir trees branches swooping in from above.
The peaceful corners of this park offer time away, only connecting with the local wildlife and rich textures of foliage.

Just in from the Betty Bowen Viewpoint is a lovely flat space of green tucked in amongst some impressive mansions. The rectangular plot is framed in by an inviting red brick half-wall and was literally the family garden of Reginald H. Parsons and then donated to the City of Seattle in 1956 by the family’s children. Explore regal cedar trees with reddish bark that glistens in the rainy weather or wind through the pathways to spot seasonal flowers making their way to the light. Even on a rainy February walk, the infusion of yellow blooms on the moss-lined Cornus Mas branches form magical thickets.

Pelican Tea Garden is one of the best secret garden experiences in Seattle. This shot shows a thick bunch of pineapple sage leaves, dark green on the edges and a lighter yellowish color near the newly budding parts of the plants.
Pineapple sage blooms prolifically in the summer months, adding a light tropical scent to the a neighborhood air.

Pelican Tea Garden

1909 E Roy St, Seattle, WA 98112. Open all the time, but suggest daylight hours. Be respectful of the neighbors.

The Japanese have mastered the ability to combine movement with quietude, and there are countless little garden courtyards spread all over the bustling metropolis of Tokyo, for example. Once on a long layover, I wandered into a pristine little corner of paradise, barely large enough to park a truck, and spent some important time recharging in a peaceful oasis amongst the neon and busy Tokyo streets.

A rustic back yard garden is quiet with a wooden picnic table, folding deck chair and a rusted metal bird bath full of a puddle enough water. The brick path is laid with a chevron pattern and a winding tree offer shade to this entire scene.
The rustic garden begins to come to life in Summer.

The Pelican Tea Garden is the closest little gem I’ve found that replicates the feeling of a secret garden in the middle of a city. This is technically a Seattle P-Patch, which is a space of city land tended to by a group of local citizens who lovingly work independent spaces like a patchwork quilt. Whereas a Japanese garden might have formal temples and perfectly raked gravel, this tiny green space employs the Pacific Northwest brand of “found item” temples. Think retro metal patio chair propped up next to a wood produce crate that contains several candles, the wax melted through the slats.

Be on the lookout for the Russian Cultural Center and then head east half a block on Roy Street. It might initially feel like trespassing, but continue down the alleyway that leads to this little haven. The caretakers might be working, and this is a labor of love, so ask questions about the varieties of plants and take in the energy of community collaboration.

Kruckekeberg Botanic Garden is a great option in the Seattle area to explore rare plants, like the Japanese pine in this close up photo of the delicate needles, dark green and slightly curvy, against blue sky.
Ornate needles of a Japanese fir grace the canopy under a blue sky.

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177. Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday — 10 am – 5 pm March through October and 10 am – 3 pm November through February. Admission is free but donations are suggested and appreciated.

This shady, exotic forest just north of Seattle in Shoreline, Washington, offers a wide catalog of trees and ground plants, inspired by Art and Mareen Kruckeberg. The couple met at UW in the 1950s and dedicated their lives to cultivating their 4-acre property with local and rare varieties of trees and plants. The grounds of this peaceful garden include the original home that is undergoing renovation and serves as the headquarters of the partner MsK Rare and Native Plant Nursery, which offers unique plants for sale around a whimsical greenhouse.

A peaceful wood sculpture rests under a dramatic tree with a dark outline of trunks bending around the art installation. The leaves are a mixture of bright green and the sawdust chips on the ground an orangish wood color. Botanical gardens like this are an important part of Seattle's gardening community.
“Wood Wave” by artist Bruce Johnson was unveiled in 2013 in a shady grove of Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. The redwood and copper materials come together to provide a play space for children visiting the peaceful area.

Continue past the shelves of nursery plant starts, down the magical hill lined with two champion trees. Weave in among rare varieties of Japanese pine and Turkish oak, through experimental native NW gardens, framed by a babbling brook. There are so many things to love about this compact oasis of nature, but perhaps the small placards describing the flora are the best feature, helping visitors learn along the way. Some of the tree varieties are offered for sale in the nursery.

The red bark of a California Redwood is up close with branches driving out in every direction. The leaves are a mixture of green and orange shedding colors with blue sky in the background. Seattle has many gardens with lovely trees like this and Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is iconic in the Seattle area.
The red bark of this California redwood comes to life amongst green and orange needles and busy branches shooting in all directions.

While exploring the crisscrossing paths there’s no doubt this garden was curated with love over many years. The iconic couple took a relaxed approach to mix local plant varieties with offerings from farther away — mostly Japan and China — and today the flow works to bring a feeling of wonder and calm. Enjoy sitting on one of the benches while gazing at the abundance of textures, colors, and geometric shapes emerging from the botanical space.

Thomas Street Gardens is a community garden on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Here, vibrant purple flowers clump together in a bright grouping above tiny green leaves.

Thomas Street Gardens

1010 E Thomas St, Seattle, WA 98102. 4am – 11:30pm.

A similar concept to Pelican Tea Garden, Thomas feels a little less “secret” and is a meatier option with more space and formal delineation between plots. Enjoy the entrance gate covered in snake-like vines and the patchwork of stones leading to a gathering space in the back of the garden. Several sections feature charming rockery, inspiring the feel of an English garden and on a sunny day, it’s likely to run into friendly locals tilling the earth. Plus, a great location near the variety of shops and activities on Broadway East, as well as a stone’s throw from the Capitol Hill Link Light Rail Station.

A whimsical path of slate stepping stones meanders though assorted colors of summer flowers in this small community botanical garden in Seattle.
Crocus emerge along a raised rockery bed with green shoots of bulb flowers in Thomas Garden on Seattle's Capitol Hill.
Like the patchwork of stones on the windy path, Thomas Garden twines together multiple gardener plots including this raised bed with crocus and other bulb flowers ready for spring to come.
Woodland Park Rose Garden is a great Seattle garden to visit. In this photo a yellow rose with red edges seems to look up to the blue sky and sun on a bright day. The foliage in the background is out of focus, showing only sporadic pops of color and the textures of the shrubbery framing the garden.

Woodland Park Rose Garden

750 N 50th St., Seattle, WA 98103 7 a.m. – dusk. The Garden is free to enter but parking in the Hippo lot adjacent to the zoo is $8 when the zoo is open.

Woodland Park is a vast expanse of green, taking in the Seattle Zoo, sporting fields, and this inspiring rose garden. The fields of roses are expansive and the number of varieties impressive, but there’s more to this formal 1920’s-era setting. Take in the bushes of lavender in amongst an arbor aligned with the reflection pool and white marble fountain at the opposite end of the lawn. Enjoy the smells of rose and freshly cut grass while resting on one of the sturdy benches along the pea-gravel perimeter walkway.

The bright array of colors in the Woodland Park Rose Garden shows summer is alive. Fronds of purple flowers are mixed with more delicate low level white ground covers while cherry trees frame in a circular pond with a fountain bubbling water. In the background are more green shrubs under blue sky.
The formal layout of the Woodland park Rose Garden blends well with the interesting contour of the circular fountain and accompanying flowers.
Fresh whiteness of Dahlia blooms in a park with trees and blue sky in the out of focus background. Several new blooms are tightly held together while an older flower is more relaxed in the foreground.

The diversity of roses lives in a tranquil balance with the framing trees, shrubs, and formal water features.

Wander towards the Northeast corner (farthest from the entrance) where the more recently developed Seattle Sensory Garden takes form; designed to be accessible, inclusive, and safe. There are a number of tactile exhibits, in addition to sound columns and wind chimes in the Cathedral of Melodies while farther down the path, the symbiotic Woodland Gardens comes alive, combing tall cedars with abundant ferns and other flowering ground covers.

Dunn Gardens are made up of an exquisite curation of grounds that include this white flower, water droplets weighing down the delicate bloom. Next to this bloom is a tight bud not yet ready to expand.

Dunn Gardens

13533 Northshire Rd NW, Seattle, WA 98177. Open hours vary, check with the website.

Talk about a showstopper! Among the best in Seattle gardens. These beautifully flowing grounds tucked within a residential neighborhood in North Seattle were designed for a private family by the esteemed Olmsted Brothers Landscape firm in 1915. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, this is the only Olmstead garden (designed for a private residence) open to the public.

A beautiful carpet of bright green moss and freshly bloomed purple flowers spice up a wooded area with a fence in the background. Dunn Gardens in Seattle.
A beautiful carpet of moss and flowers flows through a woodland scape on the ground of Dunn Gardens in Seattle.

The design offers several different zones. From the tall fir trees in Ed’s Woodland to the crocus-infused Great Lawn, there is sheer surprise and delight around each corner. Late spring is the true color spectacle from all angles, but the other seasons always serve up unique inspiration. The two private residences on the land seem to work into the landscape as if no one is watching. Explore the poignant groupings of thickets abundant around the perimeter and be transported away to a magical world.

Of all the locations on this list, these gardens require a bit more planning to visit, so check with the website to get more information. In general, only open between April and the Fall.

The back of an orange flower shows the ever thin petals that allow the sun to shine through. The stem is a reddish color and in the background is out of focus green leaves and brown dirt on the ground of the flower garden.

Other nature options in the Seattle area

I’m passionate about nature and enjoy exploring all kinds of green spaces in the Seattle area. These additional articles can help you find your own nature.

Interactive map of Gardens in Seattle

This map is a collection of my favorite Seattle gardens — including some lesser-known Seattle botanical gardens and others around the Salish Sea area. I have been to all of these locations and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

These suggestions are my own point of view — I do not receive compensation for placement on the map or written articles unless specifically noted.

Have questions or comments?

Drop me an email!

This Pinterest tile shows The Residence at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island sits regally above a large grassy lawn that surrounds a peaceful lake.
This Pinterest pin shows a large round Rhododendron bloom of white with intricate purple coloring around a thick bush of green waxy leaves.
Pinterest pin that displays four scenes of stunning Japanese gardens in the Seattle area, including red azaleas and bamboo.
Seattle botanical gardens are beautiful and this delicate purple hydrangea bloom pops open to the world atop a vibrant green leaf and next to a tight bloom waiting to expand.
A slate garden path made with flat pieces of grey rock with different geometric shapes winds behind several green shrubs, revealing a park bench on a lawn in the background. There are abundant purple and white flowers on each side of the path. Seattle has many beautiful gardens like this one.
Granite stepping stones lead across a quiet pond surrounded by low bamboo clumps. The path disappears well within the confines of a thicket of shrubbery. All this inside inspiring Kubota Gardens in Seattle.
Inside Kubota Gardens in Seattle Star Magnolia blossoms are cream white with rose colored stamen and a pollen covered pistol in the very center. The two blossoms are on a tree and vibrant green ground foliage is off focus in the background.
A bright red Japanese style bridge crosses over a creek in amongst shrubs and trees with a variety of spring foliage inside Kubota Gardens in Seattle. There are a few green tall fir trees in the distance rising up through a vibrant blue sky.
Seattle has great gardens and this formal rose garden in Woodland Park is no exception. A bright yellow, orange and red variety of rose opens up to a sunny day amongst waxy green leaves and other out of focus blooms in the background. The sky is blue and other shrubs are fuzzy in the skyline.

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    • Matthew says

      Oh wow! Consider it on my calendar. Such a special place I can only imagine the mood at Solstice. Thanks for all your other tips with Richmond Beach – I had a wonderful afternoon.