Bloedel Reserve
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre forest garden on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, made by the vice-chairman of a lumber company, under the influence of the conservation movement and oriental philosophy. Mr. and Mrs. Bloedel wished to 'capture the essence of the Japanese garden - the qualities of naturalness, subtlety, reverence, tranquility - and construct a Western expression of it'. Their approach stands in contrast to that of 'Japanese gardens' which achieve their effects through the use of ornament. The Bloedel Reserve has lakes, immaculate lawns, woods, a moss garden (formerly the swimming pool where poet Theodore Roethke drowned in 1963), a rhododendron glade, and a Reflection Garden designed with the assistance of landscape architects Richard Haag and Thomas Church. The number of visitors to the Reserve is limited, to preserve its tranquility and the experience of its visitors. Reservations are required; visit the website for more information.
