Public Gardens
Cultivating plants, people, and communities since 1973
Cultivating community: Gardens that inspire
Looking for more inspiration? In addition to the learning experience you get at the WSU Extension Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens in King County, you may be looking for a little more garden inspiration. Presented below is a list of other public gardens in and around King County. Features exemplified by these gardens include native plants, the use of trees in the landscape, species rhododendrons, beautiful borders and vistas and specific gardens for niche habitats. Many offer tours, some offer seminars or activities.
More Information
King Conservation District Community Agriculture Program
The King Conservation District (KCD) has launched their Community Agriculture Map, representing 180 community gardens and farms throughout King County!
This online tool is for residents to get involved with growing spaces near them and for growers to network with one another to strengthen the bonds of our local food system. The map sorts the gardens by type of garden (from P-Patches to church to tribal gardens) and what is done at or contained in the garden (from beehives to garden classes). This is a resource for you! Check it out now (you might find your community garden on the map). Use it and share it.
Other Great Public Gardens in and around King County
WSU Extension Master Gardeners teach sustainable food gardening practices using research-backed information. In addition to our demonstration gardens, we have included a list of the public gardens in King County and the surrounding area that we encourage you to visit to inspire, inform, and excite you about the beauty of plants for your gardens and their many medicinal, cultural and edible characteristics.
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Address: 12001 Main Street, Bellevue
Phone: 425-452-2750
Comprises 53 acres of display gardens, woodlands, meadows and wetlands, including a diverse selection of native plants. Bellevue Botanical Garden displays the best plants and gardening practices for healthy, beautiful Northwest gardens. Visitors are encouraged to participate in Garden volunteerism, events and programs that are engaging, educational and inspiring. The Master Gardener Foundation of King County is proud to be a partner organization of BBG.
Phone: 425-452-2750
Comprises 53 acres of display gardens, woodlands, meadows and wetlands, including a diverse selection of native plants. Bellevue Botanical Garden displays the best plants and gardening practices for healthy, beautiful Northwest gardens. Visitors are encouraged to participate in Garden volunteerism, events and programs that are engaging, educational and inspiring. The Master Gardener Foundation of King County is proud to be a partner organization of BBG.
Bloedel Reserve
Address: 7571 NE Dolphin Drive, Bainbridge Island
Phone: 206-842-7631
The Reserve’s 150 acres are a unique blend of natural woodlands and beautifully landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden, and Reflection Pool, and the Bloedel’s former estate home.
Phone: 206-842-7631
The Reserve’s 150 acres are a unique blend of natural woodlands and beautifully landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden, and Reflection Pool, and the Bloedel’s former estate home.
Carl S. English Botanical Garden at the Ballard Locks
Address: 3015 NW 54th Street, Seattle
Phone: 206-789-2622 x375
The grounds combine the elegant lines and vistas of the romantic English landscape style with the original character of more than 570 species and 1,500 varieties from around the world, including local natives. The garden offers color, fragrance, and open spaces to awaken your senses all year long.
Phone: 206-789-2622 x375
The grounds combine the elegant lines and vistas of the romantic English landscape style with the original character of more than 570 species and 1,500 varieties from around the world, including local natives. The garden offers color, fragrance, and open spaces to awaken your senses all year long.
Covington Water District Waterwise Demonstration Garden
Address: 18631 SE 300thPlace, Covington
Phone: 253-631-0565
This garden showcases WaterWise gardening. Some areas never get water beyond what Nature provides. Come stroll, touch and smell in this beautiful water-efficient landscape while picking up ideas for your own yard. Includes drought tolerant native plants.
Phone: 253-631-0565
This garden showcases WaterWise gardening. Some areas never get water beyond what Nature provides. Come stroll, touch and smell in this beautiful water-efficient landscape while picking up ideas for your own yard. Includes drought tolerant native plants.
Ethnobotanical Garden at Daybreak Star Cultural Center
Address: 3801 West Government Way, Seattle
Phone: 206-285-4425
The Bernie Whitebear Memorial Ethnobotanical Garden is a learning garden that contains a treasure of over 60 species of native plants. These plants are key to supporting the health, welfare, and traditions of the Coast Salish and other indigenous people of the Pacific NW.
Phone: 206-285-4425
The Bernie Whitebear Memorial Ethnobotanical Garden is a learning garden that contains a treasure of over 60 species of native plants. These plants are key to supporting the health, welfare, and traditions of the Coast Salish and other indigenous people of the Pacific NW.
The Dunn Gardens
Address: 13533 Northshire Rd NW, Seattle
Phone: 206-362-0933
Email: info@dunngardens.org
This Olmsted Bros. designed garden displays plants ranging from diminutive trilliums to towering Douglas firs. New and old intermingle, as plants dating back to the 1910s coexist happily with those just set into the soil. Woodland gardens, perennial borders, and great sweeps of lawn are just a few of the elements that make up the garden. Month by month, year by year, the garden grows and changes, while its historic quality endures. Tours may be arranged April-September.
Phone: 206-362-0933
Email: info@dunngardens.org
This Olmsted Bros. designed garden displays plants ranging from diminutive trilliums to towering Douglas firs. New and old intermingle, as plants dating back to the 1910s coexist happily with those just set into the soil. Woodland gardens, perennial borders, and great sweeps of lawn are just a few of the elements that make up the garden. Month by month, year by year, the garden grows and changes, while its historic quality endures. Tours may be arranged April-September.
Eastpointe Native Plant Demonstration Garden
Address: 3600 – 136th Pl. SE, Bellevue
Phone: 425-296-6602
Part of project of NATIVE (Native Appreciation through Indigenous Vegetation at Eastpointe), this garden uses volunteers to educate the public about native plants and their environmental benefits.
Phone: 425-296-6602
Part of project of NATIVE (Native Appreciation through Indigenous Vegetation at Eastpointe), this garden uses volunteers to educate the public about native plants and their environmental benefits.
Erna Gunther Ethnobotanical Garden at the Burke Museum of Natural History
Address: Corner of 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th, Seattle
Phone: 206-543-5590
Ethnobotany is the study of the plant lore of a people. The Gunther Garden displays many of the most useful plants in the Northwest; plant labels indicate traditional uses, as well as natural habitats and suggestions for use in wildlife enhancement, land reclamation, or waterwise gardens.
Phone: 206-543-5590
Ethnobotany is the study of the plant lore of a people. The Gunther Garden displays many of the most useful plants in the Northwest; plant labels indicate traditional uses, as well as natural habitats and suggestions for use in wildlife enhancement, land reclamation, or waterwise gardens.
Highline Community College
Address: South 240th Street & Pacific Highway South, Des Moines
Phone: 206-878-3710
Their campus in Des Moines has a Washington native plant habitat garden. Divided into four regions, eastern Wash, coastal, NW forest, and subalpine, about 100 representative species.
Phone: 206-878-3710
Their campus in Des Moines has a Washington native plant habitat garden. Divided into four regions, eastern Wash, coastal, NW forest, and subalpine, about 100 representative species.
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Address: 20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline
Phone: 206-546-1281
This four-acre public garden contains a unique blend of Pacific Northwest native plants and unusual exotics set in a naturalistic wooded setting. It may take multiple visits to see the more than 2,000 species, which include native and exotic conifers, hardwoods, rhododendrons, magnolias, ferns and groundcovers. Several trees are the largest or most rare in the state. Birdwatchers have identified over 40 bird species in the garden.
Phone: 206-546-1281
This four-acre public garden contains a unique blend of Pacific Northwest native plants and unusual exotics set in a naturalistic wooded setting. It may take multiple visits to see the more than 2,000 species, which include native and exotic conifers, hardwoods, rhododendrons, magnolias, ferns and groundcovers. Several trees are the largest or most rare in the state. Birdwatchers have identified over 40 bird species in the garden.
Lake Hills Greenbelt Ranger Station Backyard Habitat Demonstration
Address: 15416 SE 16th St Bellevue
Phone: 425-452-6885
A model for creating your own backyard habitat with native plants.
Phone: 425-452-6885
A model for creating your own backyard habitat with native plants.
Lakewold Gardens
Address: 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Tacoma
Phone: 253-584-4106
Offers landscape architecture by Thomas Church surrounded by rare and native plants, State Champion trees, over 900 rhododendrons, 30 Japanese maples and stunning statuary. A Washington State historic landmark, Lakewold’s Georgian-style mansion and historic architecture complete the 10 acres. Tours available by reservation, walk-ins welcome.
Phone: 253-584-4106
Offers landscape architecture by Thomas Church surrounded by rare and native plants, State Champion trees, over 900 rhododendrons, 30 Japanese maples and stunning statuary. A Washington State historic landmark, Lakewold’s Georgian-style mansion and historic architecture complete the 10 acres. Tours available by reservation, walk-ins welcome.
Olympic Sculpture Park
Address: 2901 Western Avenue, Seattle
Phone: 206-332-1377
Transformed nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting with native plants, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission is free.
Phone: 206-332-1377
Transformed nine-acre industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This new waterfront park gives Seattle residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sculpture in an outdoor setting with native plants, while enjoying the incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission is free.
Point Defiance Park
Address: 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma
Phone: 253-305-1010
Thematic gardens, including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Dahlia Trail, Rhododendron Garden, Fuchsia Garden, Herb Garden, Iris Garden, and Northwest Native Garden provide a wide variety of horticultural experiences for visitors. Tacoma Garden Club currently maintains the Northwest Native Plant Garden that offers visitors the chance to see native plants in cultivation, including rarities that the general public rarely sees.
Phone: 253-305-1010
Thematic gardens, including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Dahlia Trail, Rhododendron Garden, Fuchsia Garden, Herb Garden, Iris Garden, and Northwest Native Garden provide a wide variety of horticultural experiences for visitors. Tacoma Garden Club currently maintains the Northwest Native Plant Garden that offers visitors the chance to see native plants in cultivation, including rarities that the general public rarely sees.
Rhododendron Species Garden at Weyerhaeuser
Address: 2525 South 336th Street, Federal Way
Phone: 253-838-4646
Home to one of the largest collections of species rhododendrons in the world, the garden displays over 600 of the more than 1,000 species found in the wilds of North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as the tropical regions of southeast Asia and northern Australia. Conservation has come to be a primary importance in recent years with the destruction of Rhododendron habitat in many areas of the world.
Phone: 253-838-4646
Home to one of the largest collections of species rhododendrons in the world, the garden displays over 600 of the more than 1,000 species found in the wilds of North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as the tropical regions of southeast Asia and northern Australia. Conservation has come to be a primary importance in recent years with the destruction of Rhododendron habitat in many areas of the world.
UW Botanic Gardens
Address: 3501 NE 41st Street, Seattle
Phone: 206-543-8616
The UW Botanic Gardens has many distinct gardens on its two main sites at the Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington Park Arboretum. The north end of the arboretum features representative native trees and shrubs and a nature walk. The Soest Herbaceous Display Garden aims to help local gardeners select plants appropriate to a variety of site conditions commonly found in Pacific Northwest urban gardens. This garden features over 280 kinds of herbaceous plants that include perennials, annuals, and bulbs. Irrigation is applied using “water-wise” techniques to avoid wasteful runoff and evaporation.
Phone: 206-543-8616
The UW Botanic Gardens has many distinct gardens on its two main sites at the Center for Urban Horticulture and the Washington Park Arboretum. The north end of the arboretum features representative native trees and shrubs and a nature walk. The Soest Herbaceous Display Garden aims to help local gardeners select plants appropriate to a variety of site conditions commonly found in Pacific Northwest urban gardens. This garden features over 280 kinds of herbaceous plants that include perennials, annuals, and bulbs. Irrigation is applied using “water-wise” techniques to avoid wasteful runoff and evaporation.
Woodinville Water District Waterwise Demonstration Garden
Address: 17328 Woodinville – Duvall Rd, Woodinville
Phone: 425-487-4102
Waterwise demonstration garden includes NW native plants, providing visitors with information and techniques to achieve a healthy, waterwise landscape. Each year a Spring Garden Fair is held, hosting seminars on waterwise gardening topics taught by local horticulture experts.
Phone: 425-487-4102
Waterwise demonstration garden includes NW native plants, providing visitors with information and techniques to achieve a healthy, waterwise landscape. Each year a Spring Garden Fair is held, hosting seminars on waterwise gardening topics taught by local horticulture experts.