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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 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.
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