Happy people, great views: Seattle’s Bellevue Botanical Garden, Pike Place Market and Mt. Rainier
Crocosmia (Seattle’s signature plant during the Fling) and Helenium at the Bellevue Botanic Gardens
During the last month’s Garden Bloggers Fling in Seattle I witnessed a lot of happy bloggers and a lot of beautiful views. We 70+ garden bloggers would be delighted to visit with each other anywhere; reading and commenting on someone’s blog for months or even years can make you feel that you already know that person when you finally meet. And even those you don’t know, you share a love of gardening, writing, and perhaps photography, so you already have a lot in common and plenty to talk about. However, gorgeous scenery is an added draw for the Fling, and Seattle offers plenty of it.
I always wish I’d taken more people pics at the Flings. But I did get a couple of good ones at Bellevue Botanical Garden, which we visited on Day Two. Here are well-known bloggers Kylee of Our Little Acre, Theresa Loe of Living Homegrown Fresh and Growing a Greener World TV, and Susan Harris of Garden Rant. Look at those smiles!
Japanese teahouse
Pat Leuchtman of Commonweeder, who has just published her book The Roses at the End of the Road, also looks happy to be here.
Later that afternoon, I skipped out on the Fling’s official visit to Olympic Sculpture Park with a few others who were eager to sample the wares at famous Pike Place Market.
A crab seller engages the crowd to work up interest.
The Austin garden bloggers have found something amusing! From left to right, Vicki of Playin’ Outside, Diana of Sharing Nature’s Garden, and Caroline of The Shovel-Ready Garden. Check out Caroline’s post about our visit to Pike Place Market for some good photos of the vendors and their wares.
Outside, a sunny vision of sunflowers and other colorful flowers lining the edge of a long balcony
For dinner we acted on Danger Garden Loree’s recommendation and enjoyed a delicious dinner—and the eclectic decor—of The Pink Door, not far from the market. We got there early in order to secure a table; soon after, the place filled up and was buzzing with energy. I loved The Pink Door!
But the thrill of the afternoon was a crystal-clear reveal of Mt. Rainier, which showed itself plainly, towering above the city, as we stopped outside Pike Place Market among the throngs sunning themselves in the warm afternoon rays.
Can you imagine looking out on scenery like this? When the clouds and mists roll away and the mountain “comes out,” what a sight it is.
Up next: Urban hillbilly chic, as Lorene Edwards Forkner, one of the Fling’s organizers, describes her garden. For a look back at my visit to the woodland fantasy of the Lane Garden, click here.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I can Pam and remind myself that it’s often hiding behind gray clouds; otherwise, I might pack up my household and move. Pike Place Market was a lot of fun~several of us visited Thursday afternoon. Your photos are a treat to see….fantastic people shots!
For the life of me, I can’t remember what I was so excited about! Very nice photos of Mt. Rainier, and of Loree at the Pink Door. And thanks for the link!
Wasn’t Pike Place Market great? Mom and I visited it on Tuesday with a high school friend that lives in Seattle. You have some great photos from there. I’m still wading through mine…. Yes, look at our smiles, indeed! What a fun time we all had!
Wonderful posts, Pam. That’s some fine-looking city you happy bloggers visited.
You’re making our fair city look good! Great shot of the mountain, and of the happy Flingers. But of course, it rains here so often and is so gray all the time, surely none of our recent visitors would want to move here and add to the….happy,err….dreary throng! (The fact that it does not actually rain here all the time is Seattle’s little secret….so shhhh)
I can see you ladies had a grand time. The mountain is awesome.
What a silly picture of moi! (but I love it)…and wow, you really captured that mountain. I’m enjoying your Seattle posts…you’re really cruising right though them!
I wish I was there! I was seriously considering it but family issues came up. 🙁 I did have the honor of meeting some friends at an Atlanta event and I’m hooked! Maybe next year…
My husband, son, and I are plotting our move to Seattle…thanks for fueling the flame. Gorgeous.
Seattle must really be a wonderful place to live. It looks like you women had an incredible time.
Oh my, you get the gold medal for that shot of Mt. Rainier. We were lucky to see it but you captured it perfectly…and the garden, public market and fun in Seattle.
Great photos Pam, especially of our fellow Flingers and the mountain 🙂
I can report that the mountain came out to play most of the rest of our vacation and we spent a couple of days inn the National Park area too. The alpine meadows were breathtaking.
BTW I’m still posting too, but for some reason the Fling website is putting my comments into Moderation instead of showing them straight away like they used to 🙁