Dahlia Garden at Volunteer Park
September 18, 2010
The Dahlia Garden at Volunteer Park is in full bloom. I stopped by on a gray day after early morning rain showers. What a profusion of colors and blossoms!
Playing Tourist in Seattle: The Japanese Garden
September 5, 2010
I saw signs of autumn this week at the Japanese Garden in Seattle. The edges of some maple leaves had already turned orange. And the spiders were busy building webs. I plan to return in October when the fall foliage should be at its peak.
The Japanese Garden is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It’s a lovely oasis in the city and well worth a visit.
Playing Tourist in Seattle: Pioneer Square
September 4, 2010
There’s an interesting art installation in Pioneer Square right now, suspended over the scene. The most striking parts of this art are two white objects that look like huge lace handkerchiefs, like a giant’s laundry hung up to dry. I liked the interplay of the cutouts and the dappled leaves nearby.
A block away is a wonderful mural painted on the side of a vacant building. It features graffiti, Picasso, and images from Guernica. It seems to be anticipating the Picasso exhibit opening at the Seattle Art Museum in October.
Playing Tourist in Seattle: Woodland Park Rose Garden
June 17, 2010
June is the month of roses, so I made a special effort to visit the Woodland Park Rose Garden between rain showers. I thought if I waited for a sunny day, I might miss the entire rose season. Seattle has set a new weather record. We have never before gone this far into the year without hitting 75 degrees. Looks like we won’t be hitting that mark any time soon!
The roses covered in raindrops were lovely.
Fuchsias at the Volunteer Park Conservatory
June 2, 2010
It’s been quite rainy lately, so I decided that Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory would make a good, rain-protected environment for testing the repairs to my Canon camera and lens. I’m pleased to report that my camera is working like new!
This month the Conservatory’s special displays featured fuchsias. But I was equally inspired by the plants in the permanent displays. There’s always something new in bloom.
Playing Tourist in Seattle: Washington Park Arboretum
February 27, 2010
One of the items on my “To-Do List” this year is to visit Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum when the azaleas are in bloom. In a more normal year, this might be a Mother’s Day outing. But this year I suspect that the azaleas will bloom early. I have already been seeing some rhododendrons in bloom in sunny spots around the city.
I made a visit to the Arboretum this week to see what was blooming. It’s still too early for much color on Azalea Way, but I did see one bush in bloom.
Playing Tourist in Seattle: Pike Place Market
February 23, 2010
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is open year-round, but it is an especially vibrant place on a clear, sunny day in February. I was pleased to see buckets filled with colorful tulips. . . the promise of spring in a pail.