Vista Gardens

A few weeks ago, a group of friends and I made the drive up to Bremerton, Washington, to visit Vista Gardens, a remarkable garden created by John Albers. Albers, a retired Research Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, has clearly channeled his scientific curiosity into a deep passion for horticulture and environmental sustainability. He’s written several books on gardening in the Pacific Northwest, with another on the way later this year.

Vista Gardens began in 1998, when Albers and his wife Santica started developing what was then a 2-acre property. Over time, it has grown into a 4-acre nonprofit botanical garden featuring more than 1,200 plant species and cultivars. The collections are especially strong in conifers, heaths, heathers, and Japanese maples.

The garden sits on a steep hillside overlooking Phinney Bay, and the views alone would be worth the trip. But what really caught my attention right away were the rocks—huge ones, scattered and stacked throughout the landscape. It’s hard to imagine how they managed to haul them up that slope, let alone position them so artfully.

We arrived on a warm, sunny day, expecting crowds, but were surprised to find few people there. As we tried to get our bearings, we were greeted by Baqi Kopelman, the garden’s Executive Director. He suggested we start at the top and work our way down—a simple tip that made a big difference, especially as the temperature climbed.

In addition to plants, there is garden art strategically placed along the trails, like these beautiful glass structures.

The higher we climbed, the more expansive the views became, with glimpses of the bay opening up between the trees.

One highlight was “Sam’s Conifer Reserve,” named after Sam Pratt, who began volunteering in the garden at just fourteen. His connection to the space continues through his work with Conifer Kingdom, which now collaborates with Albers—an exchange of cuttings for plants that keeps the collection evolving.

Nearby is “Santica’s Perfect Solitude,” a peaceful area featuring a gazebo, a rose garden, and a particularly stunning crabapple tree.

Heading back down the slope toward the front of the house -

Heading away from the house and back towards the entrance gate is the "John Lentz Garden", a shady glen of ferns, rhododendrons, camellias, and Japanese maples.

This is a very special garden and one that I would like to see again in the autumn. As a bonus, we even had the chance to meet John Albers himself, who came out to greet us as we were getting ready to leave.

It was well worth the three-hour drive. And if you can’t make the trip yourself, there’s a wonderful video on YouTube that offers a virtual visit—

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy