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.
Read MoreCulturally and aesthetically significant, conifers are an integral part of the Japanese Garden. They bring a feeling of age and stability and help define areas in the garden that refer to natural landscapes of Japan, such as open woodlands, forested mountains, wooded hills and islands, and wind-swept shores.
Juki Iida included existing native conifers in his landscaping. Some remain, and he selections of conifers since the garden’s first decade have been inspired by Juki’s Iida’s design and vision for the Japanese Garden.
Read MoreThis is the first in a series of three articles about the Garden’s plant collections, and how they’ve changed over time. Here I discuss the genus Rhododendron, which includes both “true” rhododendrons and azaleas. Future articles will feature the Garden’s conifers (Part Two) and maples (Part Three).
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.
Read MoreWe are deeply saddened by the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes happening across this country and close to home. As a Japanese garden, we feel a responsibility to publicly reject this violence and racism in our country and our community. Please visit the following link to read our full statement regarding anti-Asian violence.
Read MoreSalix babylonica, weeping willow, is a deciduous tree cultivated across the globe. It’s come to represent a wide range of culturally diverse meanings.
Read MoreLearn about our new project in partnership with composer Paul Chihara, and an special opportunity to support this project as part of the Spring Forward Gala, a fundraiser for the Washington Park Arboretum and Seattle Japanese Garden.
Read MoreWith striking cinnamon-brown bark that peels in papery curls, Acer griseum is a star of the winter garden. A mature, attractive specimen near the entrance gate of the Seattle Japanese Garden was planted in November 1964 as a young tree.
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