Extend your garden journey by browsing original articles on a variety of related topics.
The Seattle Japanese contains many “true” rhododendrons as well as azaleas (shrubs also in the genus Rhododendron). One of them is Rhododendron ‘Unique’, which has long been popular in the Pacific Northwest. It has very attractive evergreen foliage and charming ivory white flowers that open from pale salmon-pink buds.
Read MoreOn April 6, we opened the Shoseian Tea House at the Garden for our first Japanese Tea Ceremony Demonstration of the 2024 season. A week prior to opening, the tea house underwent its annual spring cleaning. (Two major cleanings take place at the tea house each year: one in spring, just before the tea demonstration season starts, and the other in fall, just after the season ends.) Read more…
Read MoreIn this blog post, you will find out a brief history of the instrument—including its debut on the Western symphony stage—and spotlight Kaoru Kakizakai, a master shakuhachi player from Japan. Kaoru will perform in the Garden on Friday, March 29, 2024, and we hope to inspire you to come and enjoy the music.
Read MoreOur long-time blog contributor, Corinne Kennedy, talks about her relationship with the Garden, reminiscing about its history, culture and more.
Read MoreDid you know that Japanese people tend to value south-facing rooms more than north-facing ones? Find out why on our blog, and read about how the new Japanese Garden pavilion is being designed to provide a south-facing overlook of the pond. Read More...
Read MoreThis post is the first of the Toro no Akari blog series, an oral history of the Seattle Japanese Garden as told from the perspective of those who know its every inch most intimately: the gardeners. The series reveals a little-known history of stewardship and mentoring—of alighting each other’s paths as a toro lantern would—that’s continued for over sixty years.
In this interview, Jim Thomas, former head gardener, reflects on his long-term relationship with Dick Yamasaki, who constructed the garden with designer Juki Iida in the late 1950s and upheld the garden’s vision through its maintenance for over thirty years. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Read MoreLast month, the garden crew from Seattle Parks and Recreation completed the final phase of the meadow restoration project in the Japanese Garden. This involved the planting of 11 beautiful new flowering cherry trees in the upper section of the meadow, which overlooks the Moon Viewing Platform by the Garden’s pond.
Read MoreOn Friday, December 8, the Seattle Japanese Garden hosted its annual Volunteer and Staff End-of-Season Party. Although we did not count the exact number of attendees, we received around 80 responses to the invitation, which made us realize the tremendous support the Garden received from our wonderful volunteers in 2023!
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