Pacific Northwest Gardening: Taking a trip to the PNW soon, 1 by Jamesk

Jamesk wrote:
If you like fall color, late September through most of October are a beautiful time of year up here, although by October, it's beginning to be rather rainy. You might want to check out the list of public gardens here on DG. You should be able to find lots of possibilities along your route. Click on the the "Products & Sources" tab above then click on "Go Gardening". You'll find all sorts of information that you can view by location.

I've never understood why everyone wants to go to Butchart Gardens, there are so many other more interesting gardens to visit. Butchart is sort of a garden Disneyland on steroids. There's not much to see except ordinary seasonal annuals and perennials -- most arranged in rather garish color combinations. Not to mention, the entry fee is outrageous and the gardens are always overrun with bored kids.

Far better choices, in my estimation, are the Abkhazi Garden in Victoria http://www.conservancy.bc.ca/content.asp?sectionack=abkhazi or the free public garden at Government House, also in Victoria http://www.ltgov.bc.ca/gardens/default.htm

In Vancouver, check out the Van Dusen Botanical Garden http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/website/index.htm or Queen Elizabeth Park.

In Seattle, don't miss Seattle Art Museum's Sculpture Park, The Dunn Historical Gardens http://www.dunngardens.org/ , the Washington Park Arboretum, and the Glass Conservatory in Volunteer Park. There are many others.

Portland also has some wonderful gardens. The Japanese Gardens and the Portland Rose Gardens in Washington Park are "must sees" The Japanese garden is among the very best in North America. The Portland Classical Chinese Garden (pictured) is equally impressive.