the 6 best flower gardens in Washington for photoshoots
Spring is my favorite season. The feeling of crisp air, seeing green growth in once frosted over soil, and watching colors bloom against light blue skies are all things I look forward to every year. I feel most myself frolicking through flower fields, so anywhere with flowers is my favorite place to take photos.
I’m always looking for flower gardens to take photos at, and over the years I’ve found my top few favorites. I am sure there are so many gardens that deserve to be on this list that I haven’t discovered yet, but here are my top 6 favorite flower-filled locations near Seattle and Bellingham that make great locations for engagement or couples sessions.
My Favorite Flower-Filled Locations
Christianson’s Nursery
Roozengaarde (April)
Hovander Homestead Park
JB Family Growers
Washington Park Arboretum
Pine Creek Nursery
Christianson’s Nursery
Christianson’s Nursery & Greenhouse is located in Mount Vernon, WA, just 30 minutes from Bellingham and a little over an hour from Seattle. Every time I drive here and turn on Best Road, I think to myself, “it’s fitting the best venue is on Best Road.” There’s a gorgeous greenhouse that was built in the 40s, a historic schoolhouse from 1888, and beauty in every direction you turn. It’s my favorite place to take photos, and my favorite place to spend an afternoon.
Roozengaarde (Seasonal - april only)
The Tulip Festival happens every year in Skagit County for the month of April. There are so many fields to choose from and they are all great. I like going to Roozengaarde because of its beautiful display garden. You walk into the garden through an arch to see just about every color and variety of tulip. A hedge surrounds the garden and there are large trees, making it feel like you just walked into a whole new world compared to the wide open tulip fields. It’s a magical place to be. The best time to go is a weekday evening — and even then it can be so busy. When I took my dad, he noted how cute it was to see how many people came from all over to admire flowers.
Tickets this year (2024) were $17 at the gate, or $15 online. I bought a season pass for $50 and went 7 times. I cried the drive home on May 1st when it was over.
Hovander Homestead park
Hovander has it all — a large field, beautiful trees, arbors, and a stunning flower garden. Hovander Homestead Park is located about 15-20 minutes from Downtown Bellingham in Ferndale, Washington. I have a whole blog post dedicated to this beautiful location if you want to see more photos!!
JB Family Growers
JB Family Growers in Woodinville is my very favorite flower field. Tickets are $10, which includes a basket to pick flowers while you are there. The field is located right next to Chateau Ste. Michelle and has “sunflowers, roses, dinner plate dahlias, zinnias, snapdragons, lupine, poppies and huge patches of native PNW wildflowers” as stated on their website. The dream would be to go wine tasting first and end the evening frolicking at sunset through the field. The field opens for their 2024 season on June 21st!
Washington Park arboretum
Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle is lush & has many beautiful spring flowers—cherry blossoms in March, magnolias in April, and rhododendrons in May. I haven’t made it more than halfway down the trail during an hour-long session because it’s beautiful from the moment you enter.
Pine Creek Nursery
Pine Creek Nursery in Monroe has a greenhouse, a whimsical flower garden, a gorgeous pond and wooden swing, and many little pockets of beauty throughout the property. We have to reserve our timeslot in advance, but if it does rain, it’s nice to have the indoor greenhouse option. It’s $75 to rent for an hour and $40 for 30 minutes. There’s also the option to add on a bouquet when reserving our time slot, which makes for a sweet prop for photos.
Me with my Season Pass for the Tulips :)
If you love flowers as much as I do & wanna frolic through flower fields with me, I’M SO DOWN.
