Meerkerk Gardens offers year-round quiet walks in Greenbank

In Greenbank, Meerkerk Gardens pairs 10 acres of display gardens with 43 acres of woodland nature trails. The quiet loop through bloom and forest works without needing a full-day plan, especially when the sky stays low and the wind turns cool.

A year-round walk, not just a spring stop

Meerkerk Gardens works year-round for local use. You can come for the formal plantings near the Gatehouse, then drift into the woodland trails when you want something calmer and more shaded. You do not need to become a member to visit.

The front side has the display gardens most people picture first, while the woodlands stretch the visit into a longer, quieter outing. That mix makes the place useful in different weather patterns, from a sunny shoulder-season walk to a rainy-day reset when the trails are still manageable and the garden feels hushed.

What changes with the seasons

The strongest reason to go now depends on the month. In early spring, the front lawn fills with thousands of narcissus, Cherry Tree Alley comes into view in late March and early April, and the Loderi King George rhododendron near the Gatehouse reaches peak bloom in April and May. The broader plantings also build toward a cascade of blooms into late summer, so the show does not end with the first flush.

Even outside peak bloom, the garden offers enough structure to make a visit worthwhile. Mature rhododendrons and companion plants keep the display garden from feeling bare, and the woodland setting shifts the emphasis toward texture, evergreens and shade. That makes Meerkerk especially useful for couples looking for an unhurried walk, families who want space without a long drive, solo walkers who want a safe and contained loop, and visitors who need a quiet outing that still feels intentional.

• Best months for color: late March through May
• Best months for longer bloom interest: into late summer
• Best months for the quietest walk: winter and the wet shoulder seasons, when the trails and woodlands do most of the work

The history behind the setting

Ann and Max Meerkerk moved to Whidbey Island in 1961 and began creating the main display garden in the early 1960s, shaping the property as a Pacific Northwest-style woodland garden inspired by Rothschild’s Exbury Gardens in England. Washington’s native Rhododendron macrophyllum also influenced the design, which helps explain why the garden feels rooted in the island rather than imported onto it.

Ann Meerkerk bequeathed the property to the Seattle Rhododendron Society in 1979, and the garden has since grown into a public asset with volunteer support, docent training and a transparency record reflected in its 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid/GuideStar.

What makes it stand out on Whidbey

One of Meerkerk’s most distinctive features is the rain garden system. The over-600-foot installation was designed and built from 2009 to 2012 by Barton Cole and the Whidbey Island County Conservation District, and Meerkerk calls it one of the longest on the West Coast.

Meerkerk also has a more intimate wildlife side. By 2025, it had roughly 2,000 rhododendrons and more than a few azaleas, along with reflecting ponds that support newts and attract owls.

How to plan the visit

Meerkerk is open 365 days a year, except during significant wind, snow or other extreme weather, with seasonal hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from March through October and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November through February. Public tours run from early spring into mid-autumn, last 1.5 to 2 hours and begin at the Welcome Center at the Gatehouse, which was dedicated in 2007.

The nursery is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Monday and Tuesday appointments available by phone. Private adult group tours are also available year-round, which makes the garden useful for club outings, senior groups and other organizations that want a planned visit instead of a casual wander.