The Bloedel Reserve announced that it has received a grant of $20,000 from the Seattle Garden Club. The grant will be used to begin much needed restoration of the Reserve’s Japanese Garden. The Japanese Garden was originally installed in 1961 under the personal supervision of Seattle landscape designer and nurseryman Fujitaro Kubota.
“This significant grant provides our garden staff with the materials and plant life which will make important visual and physical access improvements for our visitors,” said C. David Hughbanks, interim executive director. “We want to restore this important element of The Bloedel Reserve’s 150 acres to its rightful position as one of the great examples of Japanese horticultural design.” In 2004, the Reserve’s Japanese Garden was named the fifth highest quality Japanese Garden in the United States by the prestigious Journal of Japanese Gardening.
“To maintain the original intent of founder Prentice Bloedel’s vision, it is necessary for us to begin serious enhancements to all of the Reserve’s gardens, blending the native and domestic collections of plants, trees and ground covers that have been such a signature of The Bloedel Reserve,” said Debbi Brainerd, president of the board of trustees. “The Seattle Garden Club’s generous gift is an indication of the importance of The Bloedel Reserve as a highly regarded community asset which deserves public support.”
“The grant will allow us to revitalize and expand the Japanese Garden with new plants and rockwork, increase accessibility for visitors through trail resurfacing, and make improvements to the irrigation system,” said Hughbanks. The Japanese Garden restoration improvements are targeted for completion by late summer.
In addition to the Seattle Garden Club grant, the Reserve received an award of $8,000 from Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust in November 2009 to purchase plants for other landscape restoration projects which will be completed in early summer.
The Reserve also was recently notified by the Internal Revenue Service that its tax exempt status as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization has been changed from a private foundation to a public charity. The new designation will allow The Reserve to receive broader community support in the form of corporate matching grants from employees and retirees, grants from private foundations, and donor-directed funds from community and family foundations.
To allow more visitors to visit The Bloedel Reserve, the management has relaxed its admission policies so spontaneous visits are now possible. The Reserve is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Beginning June 1 through Labor Day, it will be open 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, Sundays until 4 p.m., and on summer Federal holidays: Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.
