Amid the trees at Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden and Pacific Bonsai Museum

The Puget Sound Fling past period started its 2nd afloat time of touring successful a wood of towering trees.

Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

At the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden successful Federal Way, Washington, I sought retired the Victorian Stumpery, “the world’s largest nationalist stumpery, with ferns spilling implicit 140 stumps and logs successful a magical half-acre crossed the way from the Pond Garden. This creator statement of woody worldly is planted alongside an astonishing postulation of ferns and unsocial plants from astir the world.”

Having conscionable visited Olympic National Park the week earlier the Fling, I could admit however earthy the stumpery with its twisted trunks and roots and rampant ferns looked nether that straight-trunked canopy.

Ferns and moss colonize the rotting logs and stumps artfully placed passim this garden. Everything present is truthful green.

Although there’s cinnamon excessively connected the undersides of rhododendron leaves and connected histrion bark.

A flowering colonizer

Heading back, I spotted a spot of inula flowers, wherever a bumblebee was inactive slumbering connected the fringy petals.

How cute is that?

I ran into a fewer Flingers on the way, including Gerhard Bock of Succulents and More, who was sporting a chill cactus shirt.

Jane Finch-Howell of @MulchMaid too, wearing a beauteous fern shirt

Seattle plot columnist Erica Browne Grivas was here.

As was Barbara Wise, a longtime Flinger from Tennessee and a typical of Fling sponsor Crescent Garden

A horticulturist astatine the RSBG, Emily Joseph was besides wearing a amusive cactus shirt.

And caller Flinger Jerry Weiland of Botanica Chaotica was colorful successful his floral shirt. Fling fashion!

Pacific Bonsai Museum

The Pacific Bonsai Museum is adjacent to the RSBG, and I popped implicit to respect their beauteous bonsai collection. Here are a fewer of my favorites.

The trees successful Puget Sound are stunning, whether gangly oregon small.

Up next: The formal Italian-style Andersen Garden. For a look backmost astatine the dramatic hillside plot and patio astatine the Gray Garden, click here.

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