Any avid gardener should be sure to make a trip across one of Seattle's two floating bridges to the city of Bellevue and the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Although this 36-acre garden only opened in 1992, it has matured very quickly to become one of the Northwest's most-talked-about perennial gardens. The summertime displays of flowers, in expansive mixed borders, are absolutely gorgeous. There is also a Japanese garden, a shade border, and a water-wise garden (designed to conserve water).