Nature is at it's best in and around the Pacific Northwest. We are truly blessed, the climate of Seattle
coupled with the presence of great natural beauty makes visiting nature a must see. We have an abundance of fantastic
Gourmet Garden Walk tour options, and some great people to guide you on these personalized tours, through
some of most beautiful gardens of Pacific Northwest.
Travel Garden
Tours
From the tranquil majesty of The Bloedel Reserve, to the Withy & Price-designed double borders of the Bellevue Botanical
Garden, to the stunning new tropical Virea House under construction down at
the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, the
ongoing development of Washington Park Arboretum's Pacific Connections Garden, and the magnificent private
gardens of the Garden Conservancy we are blessed to have so many choices to visit. These guided
tours are a means of introducing you to gardening and to providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticulture
practices.
From April to September you can explore first-hand and enjoy the wealth of natural beauty
that the Puget Sound Region has to offer. Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the garden tours
and tips.We can be reached at (425) 260-6213.
Travel
Tip 
Think about packing clothes and footwear for the weather, notebook, sketch book, camera, rainhat or umbrella if desired.
You'll find people in the Pacific North West typically don't really wear raincoats.
All of our tours are walking tours, and include a lovely hand prepared "Pret A Porter" lunch from the
Auberge de Seattle cuisine. We'll set up a picnic lunch for you on a wood foldout picnic
table with chairs.
Tours typically depart from L'Auberge de Seattle Inn at 10:00 am. These tours are for our guests and vary
from 4 to 7 hours. Your tour guides have an unquenchable passion for the beauty of the garden, revealed through innovative
designs and cutting edge plants. Both are graduates of the Landscape Horticulture School of South Seattle
Community College. One is an instructor and the other a landscape designer. You either will be hosted
by Miss Claire in the picture to your right or Instructor Peter. Some of these
gardens require an advance phone reservation and allow only a limited number of visitors per day. With the busy
summer season fast approaching, we suggest you make your reservation for the Gourmet Garden Walks way in advance.
 
We also feature what is believed
to be the only “ramp patch” in the Western United States. Also know as wild leeks, these legendary relatives of onions and
garlic are native to the Eastern woodlands ranging from Nova Scotia and Quebec through the central Appalachian states, and are renowned for their pungent flavor
and curative powers.
Traditionally they are the first edible plant to arrive in the spring. They have been celebrated
for generations with community suppers and many tall tales in small towns throughout the hill country, but in recent years
they have also been celebrated by some of our finest chefs for their richness and flavor. The ramp patch at L’Auberge
came from deep in the Appalachian hills, from the same source as the annual community supper in Helvetia, West Virginia, a bucolic village settled by Swiss
immigrants that like L’Auberge celebrates its heritage and good food! Strong, garlicky ramps/wild leeks
are considered a tonic for whatever ails yu, including cabin fever. Use them raw like scallions, or cook them for a
milder, sweeter flavor and use as you would leeks. Ramp season usually starts in late March or April. Look forward
to our patch being used in some of our cooking classes.
RAMP RECIPE
Clean and cut into two parts
Place in frying pan, add butter or olive oil...cook till they start to golden
Cover the ramps with cream and fresh grated nutmeg.
Add some sea salt (optional)
Bon Appetite
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