Bloedel Reserve
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The Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre (0.6 km²) forest garden on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, made by the vice-chairman of a lumber company, under the influence of the conservation movement and oriental philosophy. Prentice and Virginia Bloedel wished to 'capture the essence of the Japanese garden - the qualities of naturalness, subtlety, reverence, tranquility - and construct a Western expression of it'. Although the Reserve includes a traditional Japanese garden, the Bloedel's approach for the rest of the property stands in contrast to that of 'Japanese gardens' which achieve their effects through the use of ornament. The Bloedel Reserve has both natural and highly-landscaped lakes, immaculate lawns, woods, a rock and sand Zen garden (formerly the swimming pool where poet Theodore Roethke drowned in 1963), a moss garden, a rhododendron glade, and a Reflection Garden designed with the assistance of landscape architects Richard Haag and Thomas Church. The Bloedel's French Chateau-style home including many original furnishings, is preserved as a Visitor Center. The number of visitors to the Reserve is limited, to preserve its tranquility and the experience of its visitors. Reservations are required; visit the website for more information.
