Arrival Garden
Welcome
This project is funded through a generous grant from the Pendleton & Elisabeth Carey Miller
Our vision for the Gatehouse Landscape Renovation project is to create a seamless entry experience which is more reflective of the diversity and informality of the garden landscapes found within. Erin Hill, Landscape Designer & Project Manager
Project Conception & Conclusion
Conceived, funded and constructed between 2019 and early 2022, the new Front Entry Landscape Renovation project addresses many of the circulation and aesthetic issues that plagued the former landscape. Designed and constructed during a time of great change, the team at the Reserve adapted to unexpected circumstances and created a functional landscape that invites guests to pause and prepare for the rest of their journey. The mixed planting beds offer a comforting, pleasing tapestry of color and texture that bleeds into the Meadow, creating a sense of unity and transition.
Shrubs and trees will grow to further screen the Meadow, establishing the Arrival Garden as its own unique, new, contained experience within the greater Bloedel Reserve context. These intentional plantings will further enhance the “reveal” of the surrounding landscapes, particularly that of the meadow as guests turn south and survey the undulating pastoral vision.
Bloedel Reserve is a landscape of great experimentation and adaptation. Under the leadership of Prentice and Virginia Bloedel, new spaces were carved out of existing landscapes. They were innovators and risk takers, who saw in the grounds the potential for endless change, both small and large. It is our hope that the Arrival Garden fits within the context of both what came before, the current – ever changing – circumstances, and the need to be responsive to the evolution of what Bloedel Reserve is. No longer a private residential estate visited by a select few, we welcome tens of thousands of people from near and far, and hope to provide them opportunities for inspiration, reflection, and enjoyment. The Front Entry Landscape Renovation is the newest contribution to that mission.
I’m really proud of the team we have on staff who have worked so hard over the past few months. It’s exciting to provide our community, staff, and visitors with a great space, and to see people coming to enjoy it.
