It really is a shame that the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island doesn’t allow weddings. There is certainly no more romantic setting in Kitsap County. Willow trees drape languorously over a still pond. White swans drift on another, more secluded pond. The view from the lawn of the elegant mansion sweeps across Puget Sound, and there are flowers of some sort in bloom year round along trails winding through the woods.

Kate Gormley, the Reserve’s program and volunteer director, said wedding parties would have too much of a negative impact on the tranquil location.

Oh well. It’s also a very nice place to spend an afternoon.

The Reserve is the former home of Prentice and Virginia Bloedel who lived there from 1951 until 1970, when they donated it to the University of Washington, who then passed it on to the non-profit Arbor Fund. It is located on nearly 150 acres at the northeast tip of Bainbridge Island.

There is a poetic irony in the fact that Bloedel made his fortune in the timber industry, clearcutting vast tracts of land in the Northwest and British Columbia. Virginia Bloedel also came from a timber family, the Merrills.

Perhaps the estate was Bloedel’s attempt at karmic restoration. He spent many years designing and building both formal gardens and native representations of the Northwest forest. Thousands of exotic plants were imported. Native plants were nurtured.

He is quoted as having said, “Nature does not need us to survive, but we need nature in order to connect with a sense of creation.”

It takes about two hours to do the self-guided tour justice, and the Reserve staff works to assure the trails are not overcrowded. There is an admission fee, visitors must make reservations to visit, and only 20 people per half hour are allowed in.

The walk starts in a meadow adjacent to the gatehouse, where visitors pick up tour booklets which explain the grounds in detail.

The former sheep pasture sets the peaceful mood, but is not of particular interest. Continue on into the woods to the man-made bird marsh. The pond was dredged, then allowed to develop naturally. A pair of trumpeter swans was brought in and now produce several cygnets (baby swans) a year, which are donated to a university for rebuilding native swan populations in the Midwest.

Past the pond the “trestle bridge and boardwalk” cross a delicate wetland area, which is particularly pungent in the spring when the abundant and appropriately named skunk cabbage are in bloom. The zig-zagging boardwalk is a Japanese pattern, said to shake off evil spirits who can only travel in straight lines. Look for the non-native carnivorous Darlingtonia californica on the right side of the boardwalk.

While the reserve is in many ways a botanical garden, plants are not labeled. Gormley said this is to preserve a more natural feel.

After winding through the woods the trail comes out on the main drive, at what Gormley calls the “Kodak moment” view: the large pond in the center of the circular drive leads the eye to the estate’s gray Georgian-style mansion, now the visitors’ center, and its meticulous landscaping. This is a more formal part of the estate, with weeping willow and birch, English elm, a Persian parrot tree and a Himalayan fir, just to name a few of the larger features.

The large back lawn of the visitors’ center is used for outdoor concerts in the summer. Gormley said this season’s series was the most popular yet, with music ranging from folk to classical.

One may not be able to exchange vows on the property, but a beautiful spot to propose would be down the path on the left side of the visitors’ center lawn, at the waterfall overlook. Pick spring, when rhododendrons bloom profusely over the musical waterfall and the forest floor is carpeted with blooming oxalis and fragrant paperbush, an import from China.

From here the path winds around to a lovely glen, which boasts the largest flower assortment on the Reserve. Cyclamens were a particular favorite of Virgina Bloedel, and the area contains what may be the largest planting of them in the United States.

A highlight of the tour is the Japanese garden and guest house. The guest house was built in 1964 in a style that blends the simplicity and craftsmanship of Japanese carpentry with elements from coastal Native American longhouse design. Off the deck is a Zen garden consisting of a bed or white rocks, raked into careful concentric circles around larger dark stone “islands.” It’s a look but don’t touch feature.

The guest house was often used by artists in the 1960s, as the Bloedels were great patrons of the arts. Now it can be reserved for day use by non-profit groups.

The Reserve is a restful place, and in fact is the final resting place for the Bloedels. Their ashes are inurned under a small brass plaque at the end of the 200 foot-long reflection pool, said to be one of their favorite places on the estate.

Choosing a favorite place now would be difficult; each location has its own beauty, which changes with the seasons. There is no bad time to visit the Bloedel Reserve.

Know before you go:

• Reservations are required, and can be made by calling (206) 842-7631 or online at www.bloedelreserve.org. Online reservations must be made at least one day in advance.

• Admission is $10 adults, $8 age 65 and older, $6 youth age 5-12 and free under age 5.

• Pets are not allowed anywhere on the grounds. Leave them at home.

• There are no food services available and picnicking is not permitted.

• Visitors are encouraged to stay off the lawns, but crossing them is allowed to more closely examine plants.

• Tour guides are available for groups of 10 or more with prior arrangement.

• Accessibility accommodations provided upon request.

• The Bloedel Reserve is located at 7571 NE Dolphin Dr., Bainbridge Island. It is reached from Agatewood Drive, just south of the Agate Pass bridge on SR 305.