Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Seattle’s Best Kept Secret – Kubota Garden
Today is sunny, the sky a heavy blue, the temperature a frigid 26 degrees; a great day to visit Seattle’s relatively unknown Kubota Garden.
Kubota Garden was the dream of master landscaper, Fujitaro Kubota who wanted to display the beauty of the Northwest in a Japanese style. Mr. Kubota, who immigrated to America in 1907, acquired the land to build his garden in 1927.
It was already a designated historical landmark when the City of Seattle purchased it from the Kubota family in 1987. According to the City’s website, “The Gardens are a spectacular setting of hills and valleys, interlaced with streams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, and rock out-croppings with a rich array of plant material.”
Indeed. We wander alone through the park, save for one friendly walker who wishes us a happy new year, savoring the quiet and beauty of the trees and ponds and bridges and even the boulders left from the last glacier 12,000 years ago.
My favorite spot is Heart Bridge crossing Mapes Creek, which feeds many ponds in the area.
There are many other ponds in the park, this one frozen over….
After our short, invigorating walk we head to the car but not without one more picture for the road…
Then on to the nearby bookstore where over lattes, hot chocolate and pastries we plan our return this spring to see the garden in bloom and in color .
Happy New Year! 🙂
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
In the total of 17 years that we lived in Tacoma and Vashon Island, we missed a lot of enchanting places in the Seattle area, probably because Vic practiced there, and I associated it with traffic and crowds. Thank you for filling in so many gaps in my Seattle-area experience!
Thank you Lauren. This one really is unknown to many. A hidden treasure in south Seattle this is only my second ever visit but I will definitely return! Glad you can join me online. 🙂
A fascinating slice of Japan in Seattle, Susanne.Maybe you should have had Sake instead of coffee? 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
Hmmmm.. maybe when it’s a bit warmer. That steaming frothy latte tasted pretty good! 🙂
I have always liked the Japanese style, probably why we ended up building a pogoda styled house!
I wonder if there is any link between this Kubota and the well know mini tractor manufacturer?!
Hmmm.. This Kubota had a landscape design business and did some other well known gardens in this area. Don’t know if there’s any connection to mini tractors but I dont think so..