Since my last visit to the Rhododendron Garden in Federal Way, I've been keen in visiting other gardens in bloom. Now is a good time for most flowers.
This week, I visited these 4 locations, on my way up to and back from Canada.
WSU Master Gardener's Demo Garden in west Mount Vernon.
Right by the parking lot is a large area of roses, now in a rainbow of colors.
Many sections, each with a theme (ground cover, good for polinator, heather family, ...).
Many plants have tags (thanks), but still quite a lot don't.

Their website offers
plant lists.
In the garden, there are QR codes in various spots to link to the plant list.
There's also an area for vegetable garden, and compost process.

I definitely enjoyed seeing the bright Siskiyou Lewisia (maybe some day, I'll see them in the wild).

Some very funny looking flowers are
Turkey Sage,
Love-in-a-mist,
Gold Cotula, all non-native.
Pitcher plants are always cool to see.
Fragrance Garden next to
Tennant Lake in Ferndale (north of Bellingham).
The garden is very small, but is nice with benches and an educaton center (closed).
I like the observation tower.

Its ground floor has a display with photos and illustration of the reconstruction of this new tower and the demolition of the original (build in 1978).
From the top, great view of the lake (otherwise, you don't see the lake at all), and how small the garden is.
Should come at dusk or dawn and bring a binocular to view wildlife, dusk for a better color of Mt. Baker.
Now at 2:30pm, sun is beating on us, all animals are in hiding.

There're boardwalks leading to the lake, now choked with waterlilies.
Flowers are big, but few and far between.
The right-most one ends in rotten board that needs repair. The left-most one is the best.

The next door is
Hovander Homestead Park.
Different parking lot, about 0.5 mile east.
It has a nice cottage (old home, closed this day), and a lovely small garden.
The interesting one is the small display area of "native weed", with description of each one.
So many of them I would happily (and regret later) to plant in my garden if I had a garden.
There's a self-service plant sale here this week.

On this large property, there's a barn with old farming equipment, an area with some animals (I only saw ducks and geese), a small maze, many picnic tables.
A lookout, with very very steep stairs, where I took this photo. Too bad, you cannot see Mt. Baker from here.
I saw quite a few families here with little kids.
Evergreen Arboretum and Garden is a small garden in Everett, next to a baseball field and a golf course.
Narrow property. Very well designed with some sculptures. The planting extends to the parking lot, so making your walk to the garden more pleasant.
Maybe half of the plants have labels. Many flowering nicely.
On this day, there was a game going on, so I parked below on Alverson Blvd.
A neighborhood gem.

The west of Alberson Blvd is a large green area with picnic tables, named Hibolt Lookout.
View of Snohomish River going to the Sound.
Can see Mt Baker. Too industrial-looking.
Rhody Ridge Arboretum in Bothel, is a too late now.
Most flowers are gone.
Very obscured entrance. Yes, with a sign. Parking in front of neighboring homes.
It connects seamlessly (going slowly downhill) to a community park.
It's very small, but pleasant. On this early evening (~6pm), I saw 2 people.