12 Secret Gardens for Seattle-Area Kids and Families A unique bee garden, a hidden Japanese garden and other unique nature paradises to explore By Jennifer Kakutani Want a new spot for enjoying some nature renewal with your family? We’ve unearthed 12 wonderful, lesser-known gardens around Puget Sound, each of which has something special to offer kids and families. There’s a garden designed to teach lessons about honeybees, a pocket park that’s also a cosmological adventure, and a garden where community gardeners keep their traditions alive.
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden, Shoreline. Credit: Jennifer Kakutani
West Seattle Bee Garden ● westseattlebeegarden.com The West Seattle Bee Garden is a must-visit destination if your kids are curious about honeybees, especially if you want to observe the buzzers from a safe distance. The centerpiece of the park is two hives nestled within an enclosure. The enclosure is covered in hexagonal panels that display fascinating bee facts. This honeycomb-style structure is located in a community P-Patch garden, adjacent to a playground and a large community green space. Be sure to take the short walk a few blocks away to Southwest Raymond Street and 31st Avenue Southwest, where Viewpoint Park affords an amazing panorama of the Seattle skyline. Location: High Point Commons Park, 3201 S.W. Graham St., Seattle
West Seattle Bee Garden
Fremont Peak Park, Seattle ● seattle.gov When I’m working in my garden in the summer, there’s a big old mystery that I have always wanted to understand: Exactly how far south and north does the angle of the sun change as it moves across the sky seasonally? To my surprise, I found the answer perfectly presented in a visual format at Fremont Peak Park, a small park located in North Seattle about 10 blocks from Woodland Park Zoo. There it was, a sculptural Y embedded in the view terrace, with legs pointing to the locations of the sunset at the winter and summer solstices. Entering the park sets visitors on a mythological and cosmological adventure. You will be encouraged to travel through a labyrinth, and, by its end, blooming roses, tall trees and a view of the Olympic Fremont Peak Park. Credit: Seattle Parks and Recreation INSIDERS’ GUIDE 2023 / 25
P