Bloedel Reserve - Chapter II: The Formal Grounds

Coming out of The Woods, we are suddenly plunged into a different world, with the first view of the mansion and it's formal grounds. "In some ways, the Bloedel Reserve, like Eden, is just one step away from wilderness. In others, it is highly refined. The Parts, so very different one from the other, work together to create a whole, just as the movements of a symphony, which may vary dramatically in mood, still create a single work of art." The house was built in 1930 as a summer house for a wealthy Seattle woman. The formal garden, ponds and signature trees date from this time. The Bloedels took it over in 1950, and extended the gardens into the wild areas.

The house if flanked by two English elms. They were blooming, and it was probably here that my eyes began to burn. It is disconcerting to me that, as much as I love trees, I seem to have developed allergies to many of them in my old age.

The house is open for viewing on the ground floor.

But I was quickly back outside, enjoying the terrace

with its view of the sound.

The copper beech is just leafing out.

Down these steps the path takes us into the glen, leaving the formality behind.