Designing the New Pavilion Part 1: Aspect

Did 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...

A Diary of My Japan Study Tour

In November of 2022, Pete Putnicki, Seattle Japanese Garden Senior Gardener, toured Japanese gardens across Japan. The tour was hosted by the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) and was joined by garden professionals from public Japanese gardens from seven states. This is a diary of the trip by Pete himself.

‘Tsuma gaki’ Japanese Maple Has Glowing Spring Color

Spring 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.

In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Plants and Blooms, Spring, SummerCorinne KennedyMarch 24, 2022March, Maple, summer, Spring

Planted Just Past the Garden’s Entry Gate, This Weeping Laceleaf Japanese Maple is an Iconic Beauty in Every Season

This very old specimen tree is beloved by Garden Guides and visitors alike. And each year, its health and beauty are maintained and enhanced by Senior Gardener Peter Putnicki’s skillful pruning. Located prominently in Area B, brings beauty, gracefulness, movement, and dynamic change to the Garden.

The Fruits of Autumn in the Seattle Japanese Garden

With their brilliant fall colors, maples are the stars of autumn. All too often overlooked are the Garden’s lesser-known trees and shrubs—and their fall displays of attractive, charming, and unusual fruits.

Fall, In the Garden, Japanese Garden Design, Plants and BloomsCorinne KennedySeptember 27, 2021Autumn

The Seattle Japanese Garden Then and Now, Part Three: The Maple Collection

This is the third in a series of three articles about the Garden’s plant collections, and how they have changed over time. This month, Sue Clark focuses on the Maple collection.

Maple trees are placed in a Japanese garden for various purposes. Among the most important ones are to frame an attractive view or to hide an undesirable one; to filter the western sun or provide shade for a special plant; or to give a beautiful reflection in water.

Cornus alba ‘Argenteo-marginata’ is a Shrub for All Seasons

When 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.

Stars of the Summer Garden: Three 'Dancing Snow' Bigleaf Hydrangeas Now Grace the Seattle Japanese Garden

Bigleaf hydrangeas, native to and long cultivated in Japan, are one of the loveliest and most beloved of summer-blooming shrubs. Three plants now grace the Seattle Japanese Garden—a relatively new cultivar, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Dancing Snow.’ It’s also known by the trademark name Double Delights™ Wedding Gown.

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