Photo by Deborah Stone
Trumpeter swans at Bird Marsh

Photo by Deborah Stone
Weeping willow in all its glory at Mid Pond

What’s great about this place we live in is that it doesn’t take long to get away and really feel that you’ve left urban existence behind. There are numerous ways to escape city life, but I’ve found that the most expedient and also the most relaxing method is via the ferry. The moment I drive my car onto the boat, I know my getaway has begun and as the Seattle skyline slowly starts to fade, my shoulders sink down from their vice grip position next to my ears and I begin to breathe easy.

I’m headed to Bainbridge Island, a short 35-minute trip across the Sound, to visit the Bloedel Nature Reserve. It’s winter, yet it’s one of those picture postcard days full of sunshine and blue sky. Bundled up, skin bracing from the brisk wind, I watch from the deck as the boat nears the island. Although I’ve been to Bainbridge before, I’ve never made a stop at the Bloedel Reserve, always passing it on my way to the Scandinavian hamlet of Poulsbo where my out-of-town guests clamor to be taken when they visit.

As I was a bit early for the Reserve to open, I opted to get a warm start to the morning with a stop at the Blackbird Bakery, just a few blocks from the ferry terminal. The bakery is a fixture in downtown Winslow and a hub of early morning activity. I stood drooling in front of the counter, trying to decide what breakfast goodie to sample, when the man behind me said, “Try the pumpkin pecan bread. You won’t be sorry.”

I wasn’t sure if he was sincere or not, or whether he was just trying to hurry me along, but I like living on the edge, so I gave my order for a slice of the pumpkin bread and something called a “Winter Elixir” (hot cranberry, apple cider and herbal tea, spiced with ginger) to go. As I bit into the bread, I looked up and made eye contact with the man. I made the thumbs up sign and nodded my head in appreciation of his tasty recommendation.

Refueled and ready to commune with nature, I returned to my car and made the approximate six mile drive to the Bloedel Reserve.

To give some sense of perspective about the Reserve, it’s useful to understand a bit of the history and background about the people that affected this property. In 1856, President James Buchanan gave the land on which the Reserve is located as well as most of Agate Point to officials representing the Washington Territories for the purposes of developing a territorial university. The property was logged and the money from the sale of the timber paid for some of the buildings for the new campus.

In 1906, Angela Collins, widow of John Collins, the sixth mayor of Seattle, purchased the land and built a beach cottage on it. She later had another house constructed on the upper part of the property, which now serves as the Visitor Center. This house, done in the style of a French manor home, along with the grounds, became known as Collinswood.

The next owners of the property were Prentice and Virginia Bloedel. The couple discovered Collinswood and Virginia fell in love with the house, while Prentice was taken with the land and open space. They purchased the place and lived there for over 30 years. Over time, they created a nature reserve to allow people to find tranquility in the presence of natural beauty.

The Reserve now comprises approximately 150 acres, of which roughly half have been developed. The remaining 80 acres are second growth forests and will not be developed except for the addition of a few trails.

Kate Gromley, program director and volunteer coordinator for the Bloedel, met me at the Gatehouse, the main entry to the Reserve, to begin my guided tour. I told her that some people I had talked to prior to my visit had scoffed at my plans to go to a nature reserve this time of year because they couldn’t believe there would be anything worthwhile to see in winter. Kate quickly put my concerns to rest by telling me that winter was her favorite season at Bloedel because of the angle of the sun, which makes for interesting light.

She also commented on the fact that because the leaves are off of the deciduous trees, you can see more depth in the landscape. Then she said, “And you’ll find lots of little surprises along the way.” Before we had even made it out to the path, Kate pointed out a witch hazel bush in all its rust-orange regalia and an empress tree with its beautifully structured branches and large seed pods. At the Reserve, there is no signage or labels on any of the plants or trees so as not to distract or interfere with one’s experience. We passed through an expansive meadow and down a bark covered trail through a densely wooded area to the Bird Marsh.

Along the way, Kate pointed out some artist’s conk, a tough, massive mushroom that grows on dead wood and has the ability to be used as a “canvass” for any wandering artiste with a ready twig or sharp fingernail. The Bird Marsh contains two ponds with several islands and decorative plant materials, selected for their ability to provide food and cover for birds attracted to the area. The highlight of the refuge is a pair of trumpeter swans who make their home in the ponds. These majestic creatures were gliding silently through the water as we walked by, but then just as we were leaving the area, they trumpeted in unison, as if thanking us for visiting them.

From the Bird Marsh, the trail led to the trestle footbridge, a unique landscape feature made entirely by hand which allows visitors to obtain a special view of a small forest wetland or bog. As we walked on the bridge, Kate pointed out some interesting plants including skunk cabbage and cobra lily. The latter fascinated me, as it is a carnivorous plant with a head shaped exactly like that of a cobra snake.

The Mid Pond area located right before the Visitor Center is most dramatic for its sweeping view of the stately Visitor Center building in the background and for the magnificent weeping willow perched at water’s edge. There’s also a Persian parrot tree, which comes from Iran, and in winter, without its leaves, you can see its exfoliating bark. This bark peels off in flakes, revealing layers of colorful patterns.

As I approached the Visitor Center, I could easily see how Virginia Bloedel became enamored with the structure. High on a bluff, with views of Puget Sound, the house is stately and handsome, with a French flair. The ground floor of the building is open for public use, providing restrooms, use of the library and an opportunity to see some of the furnishings enjoyed by the Bloedels.

There are pictures of the Bloedels and their daughter Virginia, as well as a scrapbook of photos of the construction of the house and how it appeared years ago. If you walk around to the rear of the house, you look out toward the Sound and over a space that once served as a sheep pasture and as an orchard for the original owner, Mrs. Collins.

A knotted and gnarly camperdown elm stands at the northeast corner of the property, almost like an elderly statesman overseeing his property.

Further down through the reserve, we came to the Christmas Pool, an area that Prentice Bloedel created for his wife as a holiday present in 1970. As we strolled around the pond, Kate pointed out one of the “surprises” she had mentioned at the beginning of the tour.

Peeking out from the ground was a group of primroses all abloom in their lavender fancy. Further on, we came to the Japanese Garden with its guest house and Zen or stone garden. The guest house was designed to combine a Japanese style with a northwest Native American structure. It is now used by private groups for retreats, meetings and workshops.

The Zen or meditation garden is fairly monochromatic and kept simple in its design in order to allow the visitor to take an active role in interpreting its features. There’s a beautiful old lace leaf maple below the deck of the guest house in the stroll garden, as well as several Japanese red, black and white pines. The black pines represent the male element of the garden, while the red ones symbolize the female element. Everything is heavily pruned using a technique called, “cloud pruning.” The result is the appearance of layers of fluffy clouds that envelop the area. One of my favorite areas or “garden rooms” (as Kate referred to them) of the Reserve is the Moss Garden. This beautiful cover of moss looks like luxurious carpet and feels velvety soft to the touch.

To create the moss cover, 2200 flats of Irish moss were brought in and then cut into little cubes, amounting to 275,000 flats. These were then planted about six inches apart to create a temporary floor for the garden. Over time, native true mosses invaded the Irish moss and crowded most of it, resulting in the exquisite display now seen.

Finally, we arrived at the Reflection Pool, a place of stark simplicity where the beauty of nature is reflected in the water. This was said to be a much-favored spot for quiet contemplation of the Bloedels. Upon their deaths and at their request, their remains were placed in this garden at a site indicated by a slate marker.

Upon leaving the Reflection Garden, we followed a path known as the Camellia Walk. Another one of Kate’s surprises materialized before our eyes. It was a blushing rose camellia, a vivid reminder that although it was winter, not everything was dormant.

What I enjoyed about my time at the Reserve was its atmosphere of serenity amid Mother Nature’s splendorous gifts. It’s a magical place to interact with the landscape, evoking emotions that range from peaceful bliss to sheer exhilaration at the small treasures one can discover along