Dogwood tree near Ferris Garden
Every Spokane tourism brochure worth its salt includes Manito Park as a must-see destination. When I first read about the park, I – fresh off the plane from San Juan, Puerto Rico – thought, ‘how nice, the Park of the Little Hand,’ mano meaning ‘hand’ in Spanish. I was soon corrected – manito, with the accent on the third syllable, not the second, is a Native American word meaning ‘spirit in nature.’ Ironically, the word pertains to the Algonquins, not the local Spokane tribe. It was chosen by the park’s developers.
That happened in 1904. Ninety-five acres were donated to the city, a commission was formed, and the firm of the Olmsted Brothers, sons of the famous Central Park landscaper, made suggestions for the park’s design. Manito soon became known for its exhibition gardens, including a sunken garden, conservatory, and small zoo. The zoo closed during the Depression (1932) for lack of funding. The park was spruced up for the 2004 centennial. Today, it is Spokane’s premier garden setting and one of the nicest small parks in the U.S., with over 150,000 visitors annually.
Mirror Pond
Though I don’t live near Manito, I’m often in the area and make an effort to walk through its grounds at different times of the year. Parking near Grand Boulevard, I usually cross a tree-shaded grassy field and pass Mirror Pond. A place for watching ducks swim and children frolic, the pond, though in a lovely setting, suffers from a murkiness most of the year. Beyond is the Lilac Garden. Lilacs grow throughout Spokane, thus its nickname, The Lilac City. In late spring, the bushes flower and give off a perfumed scent. With more than 20 distinct species, this is considered one of the best lilac gardens in western U.S.
Japanese Garden
My next stop is a favorite – the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden. Named for one of Spokane’s sister cities and the person who championed the designation, the garden features a koi pond, waterfall, shelters, benches and statues set amid graceful trees and shrubs that bloom in a riot of color in the spring. The traditional asymmetrical design creates a delicate and soothing beauty. It is closed November through March. Nearby Rose Hill features 150 varieties of roses in a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors, sizes, and petal arrangements, and then it’s on to what I consider the heart of the park.
Centered in the heart is Gaiser Conservatory, a traditional glass building which serves as both a greenhouse and small botanical garden. Tropical species are found on one side, desert species on the other, and a central dome showcases lofty rain forest greenery. For Gaiser’s holiday light show before Christmas, the plants turn magical with the addition of tens of thousands of tiny lights.
Duncan Garden
The conservatory overlooks Duncan Garden, Manito’s best-known feature – three acres designed to reflect a formal European Renaissance-style garden, with symmetrical plant beds and a central fountain. Planted in late May, when Jack Frost can no longer destroy the annual plants, the garden reaches its most colorful exuberance in the hot days of August. Behind the conservatory, the informal Ferris Garden celebrates grasses, plants and flowering perennials in semi-circular beds separated by grassy walkways.
Spring flowers
Manito Park is more than a series of celebrated gardens. People also come here to walk and jog, to sit on shady benches or under a picnic shelter, to get a bite to eat at the Park Bench Café. Children run around at two separate playground facilities. There are occasional concerts and recreational events. In winter, families snowshoe along paths, sled down hills, or skate on Mirror Pond. In the spring they delight in nature’s rebirth, and in the summer they come here to escape the heat and enjoy nature.
It is a park for all seasons.