Tag Archives: Bloedel Reserve

Dragonflies On the Water

There is a lake at Bloedel Reserve that sits near the main house. The grass leading down to it makes for a nice spot to rest but it also seems to have made for a good habitat for dragonflies. There were loads of them scooting around at the edge of the water and, while they were easily spooked as I got closer, if I sat for a while, they would resume their normal activities. Getting the camera to focus on them was not always reliable but modern autofocus is a wonderful thing. These were some of the results. I don’t have an image of how damp my pants were after sitting on the grass for a while, thankfully.

Summer Flowers at Bloedel

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Organized gardens can certainly look very attractive, but the wildflower look can be even better at times. There are some meadow areas at Bloedel Reserve and one of them was overloaded with poppies when we visited. There were restrictions on how close you could get at the time because they were protecting various areas from foot traffic. I had left the longer lens in the car so I was limited to what I could manage with the 24-105 but that didn’t matter too much. The reds and golds of the poppies looked fantastic and, while I would have liked to have shot a tighter crop through the flowers, I was happy to make do with the views available to me.

Bloedel on a Chilly But Sunny Day

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The last time we went to Bloedel was after restrictions started to be lifted during the pandemic. They had a timed entry system and a one-way route around the gardens to keep people spaced out at that time. The one-way system has gone but they have kept the timed reservations it seems. Not sure whether this just helps them out or if it has some other reasoning but it does stop the random decision to show up.

It was a lovely day to be out and about but, since it was winter, that also meant things were quite cold. That does make for a good combination for light although the low sun angle will mean more areas are in shade. The lakes, the woods and the run down to the house are all very appealing. We also took a walk down the river to one side of the house and then back up the other side. I am not sure whether we had taken that route previously as it didn’t seem very familiar. It did have some nice falls that I may have been shooting for the first time. A great way to spend a day out (and it includes a ferry ride to Bainbridge so a double win for me!).

Backlighting the Moss

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The Pacific Northwest can definitely be damp and the amount of moss you see in sheltered areas is impressive. What caught my eye on this occasion was that the moss was wrapped around the tree and the sun was directly behind the tree making the moss appear more like a halo around the tree than anything else. It was quite a range of exposures, so I played around with the shots a little to get the effect I was after.

Domed Spider Webs

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Anyone out there a specialist in spiders? I know plenty of people who absolutely hate spiders. They are not going to be much use to me here. Besides, a lot of them are from the UK and I never saw anything like this when I lived there. As we were walking around the grounds at Bloedel Reserve, we saw a lot of spiders’ webs that were a domed structure. They didn’t look like webs that I had seen before. They seem to have a lot of web material above them and then a dome structure to the main web itself. I think the spider sits underneath the dome awaiting its prey. Anyone know anything more about this and how it works?

Frilly Ferns

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While walking around on the grounds of Bloedel Reserve, we came across these ferns. The shape of most ferns is pretty familiar. These were unlike anything I had seen before. The ends of the ferns split out into multiple mini fronds. They looked like some sort of lace work that people would have created. Maybe this is nothing new to some of you but I was quite taken but the ornamental nature of these fronds compared to what I have seen previously.

Mossy Bench

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Wandering through the grounds at Bloedel Reserve, we came across a bench for visitors. This bench did not look too inviting and I suspect it hadn’t been used for a while. Maybe this was due to the shutdown period when no one was visiting so no one was sitting on the bench. Alternatively, maybe no one ever sits on the bench. Whatever the reason, this bench has accumulated a decent layer of moss.

The bench is located in a shady spot near water so clearly it is a moist environment. A good place for moss to grow. The bench has plenty of surfaces on which things can get established. It isn’t in the least bit remote, though, so hardly out of the way of regular traffic. Still, with that much moss now on it, I think it is probably not an appealing place for people to sit. Consequently, the moss is going to remain undisturbed. I wonder whether they will clean it off or, if we come back in a year, the bench will be encased in a cushion of moss!

Bloedel Revisited

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Not long after we first moved to the Pacific Northwest we made a trip to Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. No surprise to know that there is a previous blog post from that visit and you can see that here. As things have gradually reopened, the Reserve was open for visitors again under certain restrictions. There were timed slots only for you to reserve and the main trail had been made one way to minimize the encounters with other visitors. You didn’t need to wear a mask except when you where near to other guests. (If you have an issue with masks, please feel free to not tell me about it.)

The visit this time was really nice. Sure, it might be that we haven’t done very much in the last few months so the chance to get out and walk in pretty surroundings on a sunny day is welcome. Bloedel is still just a nice place to visit. The variety of grounds from mossy woodland to meadows to manicured lawns to Japanese gardens makes for a good visit. An advantage of the one way system is that it ensures you visit all elements of the garden and don’t miss out on parts of it. Some areas are closed off to visitors but, on the whole, you get a great experience.

The length of the walk around the main trail is not long. It is just over two miles. We were passed by a few groups of people. I’m not sure why they were in such a hurry. We wanted to enjoy the grounds at a leisurely pace to make the most of the effort to get there (the ferries are on a reduced schedule which doesn’t reflect the volume of vehicles making the trip) so took our time and savored the beauty of the location.

Bloedel Reserve is definitely a lovely location. The fact that they found a way to open up – even if only in a limited way – is a good thing. We were glad to be able to support them when things are clearly not easy for them and we obviously got the benefit of being out there on a lovely summer day in the Pacific Northwest. Now just remember it is always raining up here so you don’t need to move here.

Goslings En Masse

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Spring is the season for new life. The geese had obviously been taking the task to heart because, as we walked around Bloedel Reserve, there was a large gathering of goslings. It appeared to be that several families were mingling together. I guess strength comes in numbers. The adults were all grazing around the periphery of the group while the multitude of goslings were munching away in the middle.

When we were in Seattle a week later, we came across more goslings. A smaller group this time but the same thing with the adults keeping an eye on them. A couple were getting a bit more adventurous and heading off on their own but they were soon brought back into line. I wonder how many predators geese have. I guess hawks will be happy to take them out but the numbers might explain why there are so many geese wherever you go these days.

Fungi in the Woods

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The grounds of Bloedel Reserve included a lot of different types of growth. Meadows and woodland, organized gardens and natural growth. There is obviously a lot of moisture in some areas because the amount of fungal growth was substantial. Some of the fungi were small growths while others seemed to be substantial organisms. The majority were growing on tree trunks, whether still alive or lying dead on the ground. While I find fungus interesting, there is a lurking thought in my mind from watching too many sci-fi movies that, as I get close, spores will burst forth and I shall be infected with some terrible disease. Fortunately , this time I got away with it. Clearly, there is no harm to watching to much TV as a kid.