7 Secret Botanical Gardens In Washington State

Washington State hides some amazing botanical gardens that many people don’t know about. These peaceful green spaces showcase incredible plant collections, from native Pacific Northwest species to exotic imports from around the world. Whether you’re a plant lover or just need a quiet escape from busy life, these 7 secret gardens offer beautiful landscapes to explore and enjoy.

1. Bloedel Reserve’s Enchanted Forest

Tucked away on Bainbridge Island, this 150-acre wonderland feels like stepping into a fairytale. The carefully designed landscape blends wild forest with meticulously maintained gardens in perfect harmony.

Visitors wander through a magical Japanese Garden, marvel at the velvety Moss Garden, and find peace beside the mirror-like Reflection Pool. Former home to a timber industry family, the property now serves as a living museum where nature and human artistry create breathtaking vistas around every turn.

2. Highline SeaTac’s Urban Oasis

Minutes from the roaring jets of SeaTac Airport lies a surprising 10-acre sanctuary of tranquility. The garden’s crown jewels include the whimsical Elda Behm Paradise Garden and the elegant Seike Japanese Garden, transported here to preserve it from airport expansion.

Roses bloom alongside rare fuchsias in this community-supported space. The garden’s remarkable story of preservation shows how determined gardeners saved precious landscapes from development, creating a peaceful retreat where travelers and locals alike can escape the urban hustle just steps from one of the region’s busiest transportation hubs.

3. Kruckeberg’s Wild Woodland Collection

Started by botanist Dr. Arthur Kruckeberg and his wife Mareen in 1958, this 4-acre Shoreline treasure evolved from a family garden into a living laboratory. Rare conifers tower over woodland paths while unusual perennials surprise visitors around every corner.

What makes this garden special is its naturalistic approach – plants grow in communities that mimic their native habitats. The MsK Rare Plant Nursery on-site offers visitors a chance to take home unusual specimens for their own gardens. This botanical jewel represents a lifetime of plant exploration and preservation by one of the Northwest’s most respected plant scientists.

4. Lakewold’s Historic Estate Gardens

Grand brick walls enclose this hidden 10-acre masterpiece in Lakewood, where historic garden rooms showcase the vision of renowned landscape architect Thomas Church. The elegant Georgian-style mansion provides a stately backdrop to garden scenes that unfold like chapters in a beautiful book.

Champion trees reach skyward while rare rhododendrons and vintage roses create seasonal displays of color and fragrance. Established in the early 1900s and refined throughout the century, Lakewold represents classic American estate gardening at its finest, preserved through the generosity of Eulalie Wagner who gifted the property for public enjoyment in 1987.

5. Meerkerk’s Rhododendron Paradise

Spring explodes with color at this hidden gem on Whidbey Island. Winding paths lead visitors through 53 acres of woodland gardens where hundreds of rhododendron varieties create a spectacular seasonal show.

Beyond the 10 acres of manicured display gardens, adventurous visitors can explore 43 acres of native forest trails. Founded by Ann and Max Meerkerk in the 1960s, this garden has evolved into one of the premier rhododendron sanctuaries in the Pacific Northwest, preserving rare species and cultivars for future generations.

6. Kubota’s Japanese-Northwest Fusion

Master gardener Fujitaro Kubota crafted this 20-acre masterpiece in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood as a living showcase of Japanese gardening techniques adapted to Northwest plants. Visitors cross the iconic moon bridge while koi fish swim lazily in ponds below.

Cascading waterfalls provide a soothing soundtrack throughout the garden. What began as Kubota’s personal project in 1927 grew into a beloved public space after the city purchased it in 1987, preserving his vision of cultural fusion through plants. The garden stands as a testament to immigrant creativity and the beautiful blending of Eastern design with Western landscapes.

7. Hulda Klager’s Lilac Sanctuary

Every spring, the air in Woodland fills with the sweet perfume of lilacs at this 7-acre historic homestead. Pioneering botanist Hulda Klager, a self-taught plant breeder, created over 90 unique lilac varieties in the early 1900s at this very site.

The Victorian gardens surrounding her preserved farmhouse burst with color each May during the annual Lilac Days celebration. Rescued from potential development by dedicated volunteers in 1976, the garden continues Hulda’s legacy of horticultural innovation. Visitors can purchase cuttings from her original lilac varieties, taking home living pieces of Washington’s botanical history.