NatureScaping of SW Washington's Wildlife Botanical Gardens

NatureScaping of SW Washington's Wildlife Botanical Gardens occupies a specific niche that most Seattle-area botanical gardens don't: it's explicitly designed as an educational resource for Pacific Northwest native plants and the wildlife they attract.

Note first: this garden is located in Brush Prairie, Washington — which is near Vancouver, WA and roughly 3-3.5 hours south of Seattle. If you're in the Vancouver/Portland metro area, or passing through on a trip, it's worth the visit. It's not a day trip from Seattle.

For families in the area, the garden offers something genuinely different from ornamental botanical gardens. The plantings focus on native Pacific Northwest species — Oregon grape, red flowering currant, camas, and dozens of others — specifically chosen to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and native bees. Visiting functions as a real-world field guide: kids can look for the wildlife each plant attracts and connect what they're seeing to the educational signage throughout.

The scale is small and manageable — easily covered in 90 minutes — and the educational approach is calibrated for families rather than advanced horticulturalists. Staff are knowledgeable and welcoming to curious kids with questions.

For families who garden at home or are interested in planting for wildlife, there's an additional angle: the garden demonstrates what Pacific Northwest native plants actually look like in a landscape setting, which is useful for home landscaping decisions.

Practical note: call ahead before visiting to confirm hours (+1 360-737-1160). This is a smaller educational organization whose hours may shift seasonally.