Tag Archives: Meerkerk gardens

Meerkerk a Little Early This Time

A couple of years ago we made a visit to Meerkerk Gardens on Whidbey Island to see the rhododendrons in bloom. We decided a return trip was in order. We were possibly a week later than our previous trip but were optimistic. The gardens were open even with the restrictions in place at that time but we did have to pay online because there weren’t any staff at the entrance.

We had a nice time wandering around. There were some of the plants in bloom and the colors were very nice. However, it appears that things are blooming a bit later this year. Presumably the spring didn’t warm up as fast. Plenty of the trees had yet to bloom. I suspect a week or two later might have resulted in a lot more color. Even so, it was still a very pretty place to walk around.

We hadn’t previously explored as much of the garden as is available. There is a woodland trail that goes around the back and over some of the steeper areas and we went through all of this. With so few people there – we did get there early – we were not encountering many other visitors. I wonder whether it would have been a lot busier a couple of weeks later as the flowers really came into their own.

Squirrel’s Nibbling Won’t Be Disturbed By Us

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Walking through the woods at Meerkerk Gardens, we came across a tree that had fallen across the trail. Sitting on the log was a squirrel. This squirrel was happily munching on its food. We weren’t going to continue down the trail so were not likely to get in the squirrel’s way but we figured our very arrival would spook it. We were wrong. While it was clearly aware we were there, it did not seem to see any need to interrupt lunch just because of us.

Log Feeding New Life

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I am regularly fascinated by the way in which a fallen tree will be the source of food for new plants. The decaying wood releases nutrients and provides a great base for the next generation. Of course, as it decays further, the base may gradually disappear from under them. In the interim, though, any number of plants will sprout and develop. I came across one such log in Meerkerk Gardens. It seemed to be home to any number of new plants (and that ignores the insect species that were, no doubt, hard at work on its surface).

Busy Bees

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The rhododendrons at Meerkerk Gardens weren’t only attracting the people to visit. It was awash with bees. The flowers were heaven for these insects and they were on so many of the plants. The sound of buzzing was a constant accompaniment. It was also interesting to see the different types of bee. Some plants had large, fuzzy bees while others had a thinner and shinier species. Clearly, the bees are very specific about which plant is their favorite.

Meerkerk Gardens

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Spring is a good time for rhododendrons and there are a number of gardens known for their flowering in the Seattle area. We decided to take a trip to Whidbey Island to visit Meerkerk Gardens. I hadn’t heard of it before but Nancy had done some research so we gave it a go. While it was not in full bloom – peak blooming was one to two weeks away – it still was a gorgeous sight.

You can get blasé about the beauty of some places as each next view is as pretty as the preceding one and you have to remind yourself that this is not normal. It is a peak of color and shape that doesn’t last long and has to be appreciated while it is there. I lack the vision to come up with a good way of conveying just how pretty it is but I will have to make do with sharing some of the shots I took while strolling around.