The Rhododendron Glen

The Origins of the Glen

The Rhododendron Glen at Bloedel Reserve is a favorite of visitors, especially in the spring and summer when it is one of the best spots to see a large selection of flowering plants. While rhododendrons are the focus, guests will see all sorts of blooming species here, with at least some blooms present almost year-round. It is a peaceful walk through a garden in the woods.

The Glen is one of the oldest garden areas on the grounds. Its origins predate the purchase of the property by Virginia and Prentice Bloedel. In the early 1930s, Angela Collins, the land owner who preceded the Bloedels, began the creation of a garden area where the present day Glen sits (presumably soon after the construction of the residence in 1931). The Bloedels continued to develop the Glen after they purchased the property in 1951.

Falling Water

Many plants originally surrounding the Residence were moved to other parts of the property. For example, most of the large camellias on the Camellia Trail were originally planted by the Collins family but were moved to their current location by the Bloedels. At the same time, several rhododendrons were relocated to the Glen. Some of them were originally located on the Collins’ property on Minor Avenue in Seattle.

The most grandiose feature the Bloedels created in the Glen is the waterfall located just below the Swan Pond. Prior to 1954, there was no Swan Pond, just a ravine with a stream crossed by a bridge. In the 1950s, a fuel truck delivering heating oil for the Residence partially crashed through the bridge. Rather than replace the bridge, the Bloedels chose to dam the ravine and install a road over the dam. Upstream from the new road, the Swan Pond formed (so named because it was at one time home to swans, though that is no longer the case). Water from that pond flows under the road and cascades down into a waterfall. The current waterfall overlook (at the bottom of the stairs connecting the side lawn of the Residence to the trails below) was built in 2000.

A Christmas Gift

Another notable feature of the Glen is the Christmas Pond. This pond was originally built as a gift by Prentice Bloedel for his wife Virginia for Christmas 1970, hence the name “Christmas Pond.” During construction, a rock fell off a truck and into the pond. Prentice Bloedel liked its unintentional placement and opted to leave it in position. Today this rock is known as “Turtle Rock” because of its resemblance to the shelled reptile.

The footbridge located at the top of the Christmas Pond is not the original. An arched bridge without side rails was originally installed during the initial construction. Its design was inspired by the Japanese aesthetic that minimizes separation between pedestrians and the water. In 1981, the original arched bridge was replaced with a flat bridge with side rails in order to improve safety for an increasing number of visitors to the Reserve.

Not Just Rhododendrons

Upstream from the Christmas Pond, the stream meanders through a broader, rocky bed lined with Candelabra primroses (Primula pulverulenta), one of Virginia Bloedel’s favorite flowers (see in the photo of the footbridge above). A wide variety of other blooming perennials are planted throughout the Glen, including Pleiones and Omphalodes.

Hardy cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) produce white to pink flowers in the late summer and early fall, followed by leaves that persist into late spring. This cyclamen is summer-dormant, with leaves and flowers dying back by early summer.

Bloedel Reserve has many hellebores planted throughout the grounds for winter blooms, but the highest concentration is found in the Rhododendron Glen. Flower colors range from white to pink to maroon and can be viewed mostly from January into spring.

Many of the larger rhododendrons in the Glen have been around since the 1950s. On the north side of the trail not too far from the Christmas Pond is Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear,’ bearing large clusters of white flowers. Further up on the south side of the Glen is R. strigillosum with deep red flowers and fuzzy leaves. In the woods, just past where the trail curves south near the road, there is a clump of very large R. sutchuenense flaunting heavy pink blooms.

The Glen Keepers

Keeping the Glen in order and looking sharp is a lot of work. Andy Moss, Gardens East Manager, has been in charge of the Glen since 2007. Along with regular help from other Grounds & Facilities staff and regular garden volunteers the team takes care of all aspects of horticulture in the Glen. Andy has a keen eye for plants and selects new specimens to fill in spaces with help from Bloedel Reserve’s Nursery Manager, Philip Bloomquist.

On your next visit to the Reserve, be sure to spend some time in the Rhododendron Glen. There is always something new to see no matter the season.