New Places to Pause at Meerkerk Gardens
an island in bloom
By Sharon Heiber • Photos by Jamie Conners
With new gathering spaces and a refreshed nursery, Whidbey Island’s woodland garden invites visitors to linger.
If you want to experience the beauty of nature, Meerkerk Gardens has it in spades: The largest collection of rhododendrons on Whidbey Island, a second-growth forest with two miles of trails, and stunning views of Holmes Harbor. But now there’s even more to discover. In 2026, Meerkerk is adding new gathering spaces where visitors can enjoy their surroundings a little longer. If you’ve never been to Meerkerk—or haven’t visited recently—now is the time.
Meerkerk opened its gates to the public after Ann Meerkerk donated her home and 53-acre property to the Seattle Rhododendron Society in 1979. Her vision: to create “a peaceful woodland garden.”
