A fall fling at Kubota Garden Park

Autumn's colors of yellow, orange and red enliven nature's greenery among the hills, streams, waterfalls and ponds this month at Seattle's Kubota Garden Park, making it a prime destination for a half-day outing.

The garden is one of the city's newer parks, a 1987 gift to the city from the estate of master landscaper Fujito Kubota, who dedicated his life's work to pioneering the merger of Japanese garden design with North American materials in his 40-acre garden. Friends of Kubota Garden help maintain the park's landscape and welcome volunteers to their work parties, the next is Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. to noon. They also conduct monthly public tours, the next is Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. Group tours are also available by appointment.

The Japanese Garden at Washington Park Arboretum, a long-time local favorite, is already closed for the year for a renovation project on its ponds, making this a good time to discover the less-visited beauty and tranquility of Kubota Garden.

Kubota Garden Park is open dawn to dusk daily at 55th Avenue South and Renton Avenue South, Seattle. Information and directions are available at 206-684-4584.

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