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 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 MoreWith their elegant late May and June flowers, Satsuki evergreen azaleas extend the blooming season of the genus Rhododendron from late winter into early summer.
Read MorePaulownia tomentosa is a fast-growing deciduous tree with showy flowers and a long history in Asian folklore, tradition, and medicine. Its common names include empress tree, princess tree, royal paulownia, and foxglove tree.
Read MorePrimula japonica is the best known and easiest to grow of the primrose species known as candelabras. Its charming red or pink mid-spring flowers are a bright spot of color in the Seattle Japanese Garden.
Read MoreSpring has so much to offer in our gardens. Have you noticed what some maples show in springtime? Acer palmatum ‘Tsuma gaki’ has beautiful spring color, its yellow-green leaves tipped in brilliant red.
Read MoreWhen spring’s vibrant flowering has come to an end, visitors to the Seattle Japanese Garden experience the subtle beauty of its many shades of green. Now the shrub dogwood Cornus alba ‘Argenteo-marginata’ draws our attention. Its gray-green leaves edged in white are a luminous presence—as is the winter brilliance of its fiery red stems.
Read MorePolygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum is a lovely spring-blooming perennial. Its delicate white flowers, tipped in green, are gracefully suspended from long arching stems. In the Seattle Japanese Garden’s records, it’s listed by an older name, Polygonatum japonicum.
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