Chance Meeting leads to a Great Outcome
Passing through Spokane, WA, last summer on a long vacation, I happened to get an excellent suggestion when stopping for coffee. Gotta love local folk with a passion for their town. I just happened to mention that I like to visit and write about Botanical Gardens, to the lovely young woman at the bakery and hey presto I was treated to one of the best suggestions of my trip. She gave an enthusiastic review of the Duncan Garden in Manito Park. Her wedding there, she said, was a gorgeous affair. Well, of course, I headed there immediately and what a treat it was.
Manito Park has 5 major garden areas (world class according to their website)- the old fashioned Rose Garden, Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden, Duncan Garden, Ferris Perennial Garden, and the Lilac Garden plus the Carver Conservatory. The Park is nationally recognized for its diverse horticulturally diverse displays.
Maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department, the overall site is 78 acres with 20 acres devoted to the gardens. There are also 2 childrens playgrounds and Mirror Pond. The park was established in 1904 and has a basalt rock office building dated 1912. The Bench Cafe offers light meals during their business hours. Admission to the park is free.
Here are some of the photos I took in the gardens on an early morning in August with the typical Washington overcast skies.
The Roses thrive despite the humid and moist conditions which can lead to powdery mildew and rust problems. The hybirds weren’t well marked – their labels probably were worn away years ago, but the garden is a beautiful stroll and has a pleasing layout and exemplary arbors. There is a very interesting sundial with astrological signs on it which well might cast a shadow on the signs for each month (?).
The Roses are arranged in color blocks which I love to see. This type of layout highlights the subtle or intense variations in a particular color and also draws the eye well from across the garden.
The grass path areas are easy on the feet but hard for folks with disabilities, so there are hard path areas around the outside of the garden as well.
The Ferris Perennial Garden is an absolute joy. Here the Washington State moisture and humidity is an advantage. Huge flowering plants line the paths with Daylilies, Asters, Lavender, Sage and varied Daisies blooming in late Summer when I visited. These are some outstanding perennial borders- well tended and nicely combined with depth and heights planned to show off each type of plant.
The Carver Conservatory is a fun stop in the outdoor tour of the gardens and has a nice interior tropical landscape in small islands plus an interesting Cacti collection. I lucked out to see some blooming Orchids as well.
It is interesting to see a potted Cacti and Succulent garden coming from L.A. where Cacti are given huge outdoor areas in Botanical Gardens. It is nice to be able to walk right up to them and observe them closely though. They have such interesting spine arrangements and textures!
The water falls and rockeries with tropicals are also a pleasant surprise here. The lush leaves and patterns gives the feel of a well maintained jungle. Philodendrons, Equisetum, Ferns, Banana Trees, Papyrus and Agapanthus are verdant in the low light of the day.
Views in the Duncan Garden
Central to the park is this elaborate formal area with show stopping beds of annuals. Zinnias being the stars! Since it was Summer, the Summer annuals were in full bloom. Salvia, Petunias, Zinnias, Fiberous Begonias, and Dahlias in every color fill the beds. Statuary urns, fountains and planters add height and interest in the center area and in different beds. Sheared hedges enclose the area and their deep green color sets off the flower colors as well as the green of the lawns. Huge Conifers, in the Vista, show the transition from the formal and maintained garden to the native forests of Washington State. The first picture in this blog shows an archway made from hedges. The arch leads out into the park and other garden areas from this center garden.
The Japanese Garden is a very old and well established part of Manito Park. It is a bit trampled along the path areas, but has quite a few memorable Japanese Lanterns, Japanese Maples and a “vintage” bridge. I have to say I have an issue with the common use of vintage for relics from my childhood and other old stuff! I am not over a hundred years old after all! The bridge in this garden has probably been rebuilt- maybe even several times due to moisture damage and termites etc……….
Set apart from the flower gardens, the Japanese Garden has its own private space set adjacent to the forest and hiking trails of the park. This is intentional planning giving a peaceful solitude to an area that is devoted to reflection and the admiration of nature.
The lanterns were gifts to the Spokane Park from their sister city in Japan.
In the photos you see some of the Bonsai Conifers- Pines mostly that surround the center pond areas. The Parks and Recreation Department has done a good job maintaining them.
Wasn’t this a great stop on my trip!? I was so grateful for the suggestion and it happened in the best way. A surprise suggestion given with warmth and kindness. In these times of strife and unrest in the United States, it is easy to forget the multitudes of kind individuals who are helpful and well meaning. My 5,000 mile driving trip was full of such people in the U.S. and British Columbia making my trip easy and gratifying.
If you are up in Spokane, stop by the gardens and enjoy all they have to offer.
This post is representative of the garden write ups I do for my Travelogue of Botanical Gardens in the U.S. and abroad. Check out the the course page on this website to join the Travelogue. I have visited some beauties including LOngwood Gardens, Winterthur, Butchart Gardens, Huntington Library and Gardens plus many, many more! Here’s a link:
