HORTICULTURE

The Horticulture Program has a long history in Seattle Parks and Recreation. Its heritage goes back to the beginning of 20th century when the Park Commission invited the Olmsted Brothers to plan and design the framework for the park system for the City of Seattle.

At present, within the 2,300 acres of developed landscapes in Seattle Parks, there are more than 250 acres of Specialty Gardens, 130 acres of plant beds and more than 1,800 acres of turf area. There is a wide variety of horticulture programs and displays within the Department, from large specialty gardens like the Japanese Garden and Rose Garden to smaller displays of summer annuals beneath park entry signs.

The department has its own greenhouse and nursery facilities where more than 250,000 annual and woody plants are propagated and grown each year for use in Parks' and city landscapes. The Department has also undertaken a number of horticultural renovation projects that have successfully restored natural ecosystems

From the very cultural to the very natural, we have horticultural programs to meet everyone's taste.