Fall Colors in the Seattle Japanese Garden (Seattle, WA)

The Seattle Japanese Garden, nestled in the Washington Park Arboretum near the University of Washington, is beautiful at any time of year, but never more so than in the autumn, when brilliant fall colors run riot among the Japanese maples. In the past, we never managed to visit the garden at the right moment when the trees are at their colorful peak. This year, the Pacific Northwest was blessed with an extended summer of clear skies and warm daytime temperatures that lasted into the middle of October, coupled with cold evenings, those together the recipe for a potentially brilliant display. It did not disappoint. We had no intention today of visiting as the forecast was for showers and thundershowers throughout the day. But when we noticed after breakfast that there were sun breaks through the cloud cover and no precipitation, we jumped in the car and headed for the garden.

Almost immediately past the entrance, there was a beautifully pruned, magnificent laceleaf maple, with brilliant orange foliage. At 15 feet tall, it is a mature shrub, almost regal in its splendor.

The footpaths around the garden are packed down with gravel with some stepping stones over water and a small bridge. The main path makes a loop around a lake stocked with large numbers of koi, which are more visible in warmer months. Most of the maples are found in the northern part of the garden.

The teahouse is generally not open to the public, though there are tea demonstrations (chado) on certain dates of the year. When surrounded by fall colors, the teahouse and surrounding garden take on a most serene atmosphere (top image).

Throughout the garden, we admired the temporal beauty provided by fallen leaves on moss-covered ground.

The weather, though cold and crisp, stayed dry and mostly sunny during our short visit before the crowds began appearing in earnest.