About Us

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The Lim Garden is a private 1-acre residential garden and specialty nursery located in the Cottage Lake area of Woodinville.  Collectible rare and uncommonly seen plants are a specialty, along with plants that thrive in woodland shade and understory.

This is my childhood home. Creating a garden here (or anywhere) was never on my radar until the summer of 2017 when the random idea to dig a BBQ fire pit in the backyard escalated into a full-speed ascent into the world of gardening. 

The land had been left as wild woodland since logging came through in the 1890s, and remained relatively untouched over the 40 years my family lived there.  With no gardening experience, but an intense newfound fascination with plants and a drive to create a personally inspiring space, things quickly escalated as I set out to transform the land. Before I knew it I had selectively felled dozens of trees to open up light (don’t worry there are many more), built a network of beds, paths, and structure, loaded in ton after ton of rockery, built a flagstone terrace, a goldfish pond and more.  A greenhouse was built in 2020 and a nursery area was added in 2021. 

The property is on a slope and quite varied topographically, which when combined with the mature cedars and firs, creates a multitude of microclimates.  Most of the garden is characterized as ‘woodland’, but I’ve tried to blend a variety of garden styles together.   The pond area has some lush tropical flare, the beds around the veg garden are inspired by cottage/meadow themes, while other areas combine healthy native flora with decidedly non-native plants.

The garden currently supports about 2500 species and cultivars, including many rare or first introduction plants. I gravitate towards foliage and form over prioritizing flowering and prefer to see it as a brief seasonal surprise or highlight in a bed rather than the overall effect. Notable collections include Aucuba, Ligularia, Farfugium, Aspidistra, Polygonatum, Disporum, Disporopsis, and ferns.  I borrow the neighboring forest land to extend and surround the space, making it feel larger and more secluded.

The garden is still very young and will need several years for the 'mid' levels to mature and bed plantings to bulk up.  It’s all an experiment and a personal expression that I've decided to open to the public in hopes of contributing to the community of passionate gardeners and sharing the joy it has brought me.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you in the garden!

best,

Alex Lim