Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening. Show all posts

Spring Preview Stroll at Dunn Gardens March 16, 2024

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Mushie felt - artwork by Heather Talbot
Spring Preview Stroll at Dunn Gardens 13533 Northshire Rd NW, Seattle, WA 98177

Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 12pm - 3pm

Cost: 
Members- $5, 
Not-Yet-Members & Friends of Members- $10

Maybe you’ve noticed? Blooms are bursting on the scene, days are a little longer, and it seems like everyone is out in their yards. Perfect timing for the annual Spring Preview Stroll! 

This year special guest artist, Heather Talbot, will have several of her intricate works of needle felt on display – you will be blown away by the painstaking accuracy of the felted fungi.
  • Mini-tours by our fabulous volunteer docents
  • Plant sale including ornamental spring containers
  • Cards and artwork for sale by Robin Maynard Dobbs
  • Wine and hot tea
  • The Horticulturist Is In advice booth
  • Renew your membership at the stroll and be entered into a raffle with fabulous prizes!
We will be conducting timed entries for this event. Please pick the time you would like to attend the event. Once you choose, you are able to arrive within that 90-minute window but stay as long as you would like!"

Register here


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Community Work Party at Twin Ponds North Saturday, March 9, 2024

Sunday, March 3, 2024


You Are Invited To Join Us

Community Work Party at Twin Ponds North

Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 9:30am - 12:30pm

On March 9th, from 9:30-12:30, the Washington Native Plant Urban Forest Stewards will be hosting a community work party at Twin Ponds North.

We meet on the far NW side of the park, along 155th street, west of the parking lot.
Bring water, and a snack, and if you have them, gloves and hand pruners. We will have gloves and other tools, if you do not have them.

Please share this invitation with others, and if you have any questions, please contact us at northtwinpondsrestoration@gmail.com

We Welcome Everyone!


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Meet the osoberries of Hamlin Park and become a forest steward

Friday, March 1, 2024

Osoberry twigs in winter have prominent buds
ready to be the first to bloom at the Hamlin Park
restoration site - photo by Oliver Moffat
By Oliver Moffat

If you took a walk in Hamlin Park in February, you may have been surprised to see little white flowers blooming.

Although the climate has changed, osoberries have been blooming in early February in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.

The Lushootseed name is c’É™x̌Ę·É™dac, and is one of the earliest native plants to bloom flowers in our region - providing a vital source of nectar to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators after a long winter.

Also sometimes called indian-plum, osoberries can be identified by their red bark and prominent buds ready to bloom in the winter.

Osoberry shrubs (Oemleria cerasiformis) are remarkably hardy and form dense thickets that make it one of our native plants that can compete with noxious weeds at the Hamlin Park restoration site. It likes disturbed, dry areas with sunlight which makes it particularly good for habitat restoration.

Osoberries fruiting in June in the Hamlin Park Forest Restoration Site are technically edible but not particularly palatable to humans - photo by Oliver Moffat

Although mammals such as foxes, coyotes, deer, and bear eat the berries, the berries have large pits and are not widely regarded as particularly palatable for humans.

Stewards with the Green Shoreline Partnership host work parties in parks across the city where volunteers can help expand and protect our public forests. Work parties are a great way to meet your human neighbors while also getting to know the flora who live in your neighborhood.

The Green Shoreline Partnership is training new stewards now. Neighbors can attend a training on Friday, March 29, 2024 from 3pm to 6:30pm at Shoreline Community College. More information and details are available at the Green Shoreline Partnership website.

The Hamlin Park stewardship team hosts work parties most Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.


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Diggin' Shoreline Tool Sharpening and Tree Pruning event March 2, 2024

Monday, February 26, 2024

Grab those rusty pruners, loppers, shovels, and hoes, and head to Diggin’s perennially popular Tool Sharpening and Tree Pruning event led by Diggin’ board member and landscape professional John Ruby.

Saturday, March 2, 2024, 10am to noon. Location information will be sent to participants. 

Be sure to dress warmly and bring gloves as we’ll be sharpening tools outdoors, rain, snow, or shine!

Tour the homeowner’s garden where dwarf fruit trees and berries are artistically nestled among the perennial beds, see how easily you can incorporate fruits into your landscape.

Take part in the tree pruning demonstration and learn how to make selective cuts to maintain manageable trees and maximize fruit production.

Limited street parking available. Carpooling is encouraged. Please RSVP by Friday, March 1, so that we will be sure to have enough sharpening supplies and hot beverages on hand.

To let us know you’re coming, email info@digginshoreline.org, or call 206‑437‑9118. You may also use the convenient RSVP form on the Diggin’ Shoreline homepage at https://www.digginshoreline.org

Confirmations will be sent by email or phone.


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Can't we all just get along? - Annual meeting of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden February 28, 2024

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D 
mixes native and non-native plants
The Annual Meeting of the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is Wednesday February 28, 2024 from 6:30-8:30pm (doors open at 5:30) at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133.

Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., local gardening guru, scientist, and author, will give a presentation "Can’t we all just get along? Integrating native plants with our favorite non-native plants." 

Books and plants will be available for sale along with complimentary refreshments.

Registration and event information found on the Kruckeberg events page.


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2024 Seattle Home & Garden Show, February 22-25 at Seattle’s Lumen Field Event Center

Thursday, February 22, 2024


2024 Seattle Home & Garden Show, February 22-25, 2024 at Seattle’s Lumen Field Event Center, 800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134

The Seattle Home & Garden Show returns to Lumen Field Event Center February 22-25 featuring hundreds of exhibitors and experts sharing fresh ideas for home décor, design and remodeling, landscaping trends and more.

The four-day show is the Northwest’s largest combined home and garden consumer event showcasing a distinctive landscaped model home, free seminars by national and regional speakers, including celebrity antiques appraiser Dr. Lori and gardening guru Ciscoe Morris; the new “Shop & Adopt Dog Corral” with products and services for canine lovers, including on-the-spot dog adoption through Project Freedom Ride; the popular “Yard-to-Table” exhibit spotlighting products and how-to education for urban farming and hobby gardening, a major display of video games to explore and play for the entire family, and much more.

The new Shoreline Tool Library wil have a booth there.

The Seattle Home & Garden Show runs Thursday, February 22 through Sunday, February 25; Hours are 10am to 6pm daily at Seattle’s Lumen Field Event Center. Ticket prices are adults, $15; seniors (60+), $10; military ($9), and juniors (ages 7-15), $3. Children under 7 are admitted free.

Purchase tickets in advance at SeattleHomeShow.com and receive $5 for nearby designated parking areas. And with Too Much to See – Come Back for Free™, the show invites attendees to return for a second day with free admission by simply registering while at the show (I.D. required).

For more information visit SeattleHomeShow.com


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Snowdrop Stroll at Dunn Gardens February 24, 2024

Tuesday, February 20, 2024


Snowdrop Stroll, February 24, 2024 from Noon - 3pm at Dunn Gardens 13533 Northshire Rd NW, Seattle, WA 98177

Cost: 
  • Members $5
  • Not-Yet-Members $10

When most of Seattle is celebrating the 50 shades of Seattle gray, Dunn Gardens is alive with color. 

Come walk the paths and discover the beauty of vibrant blooms hidden amongst a winter backdrop.

There will be live music by Third Harbour, our knowledgeable docents available to answer questions, beverages, a fire, and light snacks. Snowdrops and other plants will be for sale.

To ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves at the stroll, we will be conducting timed entries.


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Final weekend of the Flower & Garden Festival

Saturday, February 17, 2024

 
A sampling of the gardens. Photos by Lee Lageschulte

It's the final weekend of the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival!
The show runs through Sunday, February 18 at the Seattle Convention Center. 

There are 20 gardens this year. The event has come back with a flourish after the COVID years.


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Planting parties at North City Park this week

Forest Steward Judy MacCully installs native plants in North City Park alongside her daughter, Kristina. You can volunteer to help them and other Forest Stewards throughout the City!
Photo courtesy Green Shoreline Partnership

We are still planting at parks in the City of Shoreline! 

Come help us out at North City Park just north of the North City Elementary building.

 You can find more information about these specific work parties at these links:

Updated with location of North City Park.

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You know Spring is almost here when ….. the Flower & Garden Show arrives

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

You know Spring is almost here when …..

By Bruce Bennett
Photos by Steven H. Robinson

Well, ….. when the country’s best garden show again rises from the concrete floors of the Seattle Convention Center Summit (900 Pine Street) beginning Wednesday, February 14, and running through Sunday, February 18, 2024.

February 14-18, 2024
  • Wednesday - Saturday: 9am - 8pm
  • Sunday:  9am - 6pm
Half a dozen varieties of fern
Whether you are a horticulturalist, a home gardener or an apartment dweller with a couple of containers on your deck, the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival will provide you with information and ideas about all aspects of ornamental and edible gardening.

The sheer size and diversity of the show can take your breath away. It not only offers an opportunity to experience the beauty and diversity of the natural and cultured worlds in a spectacular setting, the show is also designed to teach gardeners how to develop their ideas and turn them into practical landscapes.


Some 120 seminars, held in three lecture halls, allow you to listen to local, national and international experts in the horticultural world discuss design and growing issues from civilizing the back five acres of your land to developing an indoor herb garden. 

Also, look for talks dealing with climate issues, pollinator gardens, drought-resistant design and plants, etc. These programs blend excellent visual images showcasing cutting-edge advice as well as practical demonstrations of tools and pruning, creating garden art, tips for successful gardening and planting, and floral arranging from the garden — there’s something for everyone. See one seminar or see dozens! 


They’re all included in the cost of a ticket. Drop in every day and discover something new. Check out the seminars being presented over five days 

After all those seminars, see much of the advice used in the various display gardens. This year will have twenty gardens, covering some three acres of floor space. 


Each garden was developed with a different theme ranging from very wild and woodsy to life around a manicured backyard lawn (as well as lawns that are drought-tolerant where nary a blade of grass can be found). Think of the water savings on your utility bills! 

Reimagined uses for repurposed trees
Some of the noted trends in the display gardens include many reimagined uses for repurposed trees, a reuse of metal I-beams and cortan (weathered) steel and slow moving water features (versus traditional stream and fountains).

Slow-moving stream

With these types of events, you can’t forget the marketplaces and Seattle has the largest Marketplace in the country! With over fifty nurseries, garden centers and growers, this year’s plant market will be the largest one ever and will offer more trees, shrubs and perennials than ever before. 


Whether you are looking for indoor plants or outdoors, you’ll find something to tickle your fantasy and provide a color spot for you. After all, there will be thousands of and thousands of plants from which to choose. 

New and unusual plant offerings

Save some time to look at new plant offerings. If you have questions concerning growing conditions, plant sizes, etc., not only are the growers’ representatives able to answer many questions, Washington State University will be staffing a double-sized booth filled with Master Gardeners to discuss immediate-need questions as well as general horticultural education.


Then, you can expect to traverse the marketplace aisles to view another 300 gardening-related vendors, including diverse items such as jewelry, art, tools, seed/bulbs/tubers, equipment and the ever-present and much loved ‘tchotchke.’ If you can’t find the right gardening item, it probably doesn’t exist.

Plants, windows, and a round fountain

Whether gardener or not, most find the Flower Show to be quite the stimulating experience, with fragrant and colorful blooms in every direction. Walk through the main entrances to the show and you're bound to pull out your iPhone or camera to record the colors and designs that appeal to you. 


Take home a new plant, learn about rain gardens, or chat with experts on how to grow the perfect orchid. 

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting to dig in the dirt, there’s something for everyone at the 2024 NW Flower and Garden Show. Make the commitment to make the time to look and listen. 

ADMISSION

Two Day Pass (valid any two days of the show, one per person): $40
Adult:  $27
Student (ages 13-23 or with valid student ID): $13
Children (ages 12 & under): FREE
Five Day Pass (valid every day of the show, one per person): $80
Half Day Pass (entry after 3pm on Wed. - Sat. and 2pm on Sun.): $14
Group (minimum purchase quantity of 20): $18 each


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In the Garden Now: It's Witch Hazel Time

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Hamamelis Arnold Promise
Photo by Victoria Gilleland
By Victoria Gilleland

In fact it's been that time for many weeks. Before the end of December witch hazel shrubs in our area were full of plump flower buds and even open flowers. The deep freeze we experienced in January did not faze these winter blooming beauties.

The 'Diane' variety is red
Photo by Victoria Gilleland
Flowers that had already opened held their own during the freeze and unopened buds began to unfurl when temperatures climbed. This is one resilient shrub!

Not only are the bright yellow flowers of 'Arnold Promise' and the copper red flowers of 'Diane' a colorful addition to the winter garden, but they're fragrant and attractive to pollinators. 

Grown next to each other the flowers of the two plants compliment each other color wise. Growing Diane next to Arnold's yellow flowers makes Diane's red flowers show up much more in the winter landscape.

I'll have to admit that one of the reasons I love witch hazels is because of their flowers. I can't help but see each blossom as a colorful crinkly spider. 

They're so much fun! Ready to add a little Witch Hazel mischief to your garden?


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Miyawaki Forest Program events in May, June, and September


The Shoreline Historical Museum has many exciting events coming up around the Miyawaki Urban Forest History Project that they would love to share with the community.

Save these dates and keep updated on events and other information through the "Miyawaki Forest Page".

The Shoreline Historical Museum and the adjoining Miyawaki Forest are located at 18501 Linden Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133.


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Join neighbors to help care for South Woods Park on Saturday February 10, 2024

Thursday, February 8, 2024

Work to be done at South Woods. Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Caring for South Woods Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 10am - 2pm

Come lend a hand on February 10th and connect with the natural world and to each other as neighbors resume the work to remove the invasive underbrush. 

The site was full of concrete and pipes.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

The neighborhood volunteers worked for all of 2022 and found that this project was beyond their capabilities.

This kind of clean-up was beyond the capability of the neighborhood volunteers.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

They successfully applied for a Shoreline Environmental mini-grant for the city to remove the metal and concrete pieces left on the site from long-ago Navy occupancy.

Last November they planted native western sword ferns. This month they plan to continue working along that same path. 

There is an island in the pathway where Oregon grape and native Sword fern are surrounded by two Douglas fir trees. 

All that remains. Photo by Steven H. Robinson

They will start there and work westward through an open area where a square concrete form remains from Navy days. 

We need your help to accomplish that task! To find us follow the signage from the main path that bisects the woods. 

The trash left from the major clean up has been removed
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Our community has cause to celebrate. The trash mound is gone! Woodland Industries did a fantastic job clearing the debris. 

As a beloved part of our community, South Woods has the potential to become a cornerstone in Shoreline Schools curriculum. Let's hold that vision. 

In the meantime, Shorecrest students are enthused and ready to get involved in the care of the forestland.

Concrete and metal gone. Now it's time to plant.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

When we meet again on March 2nd be prepared to do some planting in this open space. Bring a friend and a digging fork, lopper, or hand clipper and gloves.

2210 NE 150th St, Shoreline, WA 98155 bordering Shorecrest High School on 25th NE.


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Community Work Party at Twin Ponds North February 10, 2024

Wednesday, February 7, 2024


Community Work Party at Twin Ponds North
Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 9:30am - 12:30pm
 
On February 10th, from 9:30-12:30, the Washington Native Plant Urban Forest Stewards will be hosting a community work party, at Twin Ponds North.
 
We meet on the far NW side of the park, along 155th street, west of the parking lot.
 
Bring water, and a snack, and if you have them, gloves and hand pruners.  We will have gloves and other tools, if you do not have them.
 
Please share this invitation with others, and if you have any questions, please contact us at northtwinpondsrestoration@gmail.com
 
We Welcome Everyone!


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The Ching Community Gardens begins

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

After the sale of the property closed, volunteers met at the garden to discuss plans - but couldn't keep their hands off the weeds. (L-R) John Darrow, Jim Walseth, Sarah Garrard, Kathleen Lumiere, and Pam Ching-Bunge. Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens

By Kathleen Lumiere

After nearly three years, GROW, a P-Patch land trust organization, has successfully purchased the former home of the Ching family in Shoreline. This achievement marks the end of a long process filled with doubts and setbacks, and it is the joyous beginning for what will become the Ching Community Gardens: an Asian American heritage site, food forest, and P-Patch (1)

The idea originated during the pandemic when, like many people, I went for a lot of walks. This exploration led to an ardent appreciation of the plants and animals in the forests and tidelands of Shoreline. Particularly, I fell in love with a neglected property north of my home close to Shoreline College.

Initially, an abundance of ripe plums near the property line drew my attention. On closer inspection, I discovered a hidden orchard of fruit trees, including heirloom apples, Asian pears, figs, grapes, and persimmons, tangled in thick layers of prickly blackberries and holly. The rich dark earth seemed to invite any seed to grow.

In what’s known as a food forest, fruit trees provide structure. Other plants that work well together are folded into the design, making a productive ecosystem with multiple layers. These layers often flower and fruit at different times, providing beauty, pollinator habitat, and food throughout much of the year. In addition to perennial food plantings, annual/vegetable gardening is also possible in a food forest or permaculture system (2).

(L-R) Sarah Garrard, Maryn Wynne, Pam Ching-Bunge.
Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens
This abandoned, overgrown property on Greenwood Avenue North had ideal elements for a food forest: established heirloom fruit trees, grape vines, and phenomenal soil.

During this time, neighbors told me about the property's previous owners, Joe and Jennie Ching. They had created remarkable gardens and shared their bounty. 

An obituary for Joe Ching revealed his and his family's extraordinary story, how, as a Chinese American, he joined up to serve in the army right after Pearl Harbor and how Jennie, working as a nanny in California, had been sent to a Japanese concentration camp in Arizona. After the war, they met and married in their home state, Hawaii. 

Having learned to cook in the army, Joe worked in a restaurant where he met Peter Canlis. This connection led the young Ching family to Seattle to help establish the flagship Canlis restaurant.

Seeking a safe home to raise their children, the Chings looked to Shoreline, but they encountered the barriers of redlining and racially restrictive covenants. 

So Joe's employer, Peter Canlis, bought the property after finding out if the neighbors would welcome an Asian family. Peter sold it in turn to Joe and Jennie.

Steve Lindjord, a middle school student in 1957, remembers the day the Chings moved in next door. He said he was instantly struck by what wonderful people they were. "They were so sweet and so warm and so welcoming." And, in the twelve years he lived there, "that impression never faded."

The family's daughter, Pam Ching-Bunge, distinctly remembers many weekends with everyone digging rocks out of the ground before Joe and Jennie transformed the land from a hard, stony lot to a lush "garden of Eden." They would be featured multiple times in Ed Hume's long-running television program, Gardening in America. 

Joe spent nearly every morning tending to his vegetables and experimenting with new organic gardening methods before heading to work as head chef at Canlis. Jennie cultivated the flowers she then used in ikebana (traditional Japanese floral arrangements). Pam described the rows and rows of canned vegetables Jennie would put up throughout harvest season.

Jim Walseth pitted his strength against a vine wrapped in the little tree.
He won. The vine looked to be about 15' long
Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens

People in the neighborhood still talk about the Chings’ hospitality. Steve Lindjord said a few years after they moved in, the Chings "had a huge party, a luau because they had come from Hawaii. They invited all the neighbors, and everybody had a great time. They dug a big pit in the backyard and filled it with hot rocks and banana leaves for cooking." He said, "Every time I went to the Chings’, they fed me."

Motivated by Chings' warm and inclusive legacy, the area's history of redlining, and the possibilities hidden in the overgrown property, I proposed a community garden in a letter to the Shoreline City Council in the spring of 2021. The goal was to honor the Chings and the many contributions of Asian Americans to our communities, especially during a time of increased racism and anti-Asian violence. The garden seemed like a way for us all to acknowledge the past and grow something beautiful together.

The proposal gained immediate support from Diane Hettrick at the Shoreline Area News, who suggested writing an op-ed piece. Before that article came out in April 2021, I contacted Pam Ching-Bunge. On the phone, she said she was moved to tears by the idea. From then on, Pam was present in many ways at every stage of the process. Shoreline Area News (SAN) readers, neighbors, Shoreline College, and Sky Nursery expressed strong interest. A group formed to make the community gardens a reality.

One SAN reader reached out to the Canlis family, and Brian Canlis called to learn more about the project and the history of the Ching family. After the Canlis brothers decided to help make the garden happen, Mark Canlis stepped forward as their family member on the team. One of the first things he did was to reach out to Shoreline College, opening up many opportunities for partnership, which are now underway.

Michael McNutt from GROW arranged fiscal sponsorship and much more. Board members Maryn Wynne, Londa Jacques, and John Ruby agreed that Diggin’ Shoreline be our "boots on the ground" sponsor; both sponsoring organizations already had non-profit status. P-Patch organizers Glenn Herlihy from Beacon Food Forest and Cindy Krueger from Ballard P-Patch gave invaluable advice ranging from how to grow wapato (a native tuber) to how to write a grant proposal.

(L-R) King county councilmember Rod Dembowski; Kathleen Lumiere; Chief of Staff to Councilmember Dembowski Kristina Logsdon; and core supporter Mark Canlis.
Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens

With the kind and expert guidance of Conservation Futures director Ingrid Lundin, the folks above, and others, the group navigated the grant process, requesting $1,200,000 from a public fund to preserve open spaces. We got the grant! Cori Whitaker, a real estate agent who knows and loves Shoreline, helped us make an offer in the summer of 2022.

Negotiations with the property's owners, Adair Enterprises in Lynnwood, stalled. They did not wish to sell for less than they would have made from their plan to develop the property and carry on their family business and livelihood.

At this point, King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski, a pillar of support throughout, stepped in to help find the necessary funds. Again, we thought we had enough and then were told sorry, but no. Advised to get a comprehensive fair market appraisal, we did so with the capable assistance of Lori King, an acquisitions agent for the county. In April 2023, the appraisal came in at $1,860,000 – more than we had.

Treasures continue to grow amongst the weeds
Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens

At this point, rather than waiting another year through a grant cycle and likely seeing the property's value go up again, the Canlis family stepped in with a bridge loan from WaFd to make up the difference between the total from previous grants and the fair market value. Coming full circle, the generosity and willingness of the Canlis family to extend themselves brought to life in the present what their grandfather had done in the past.

Once the bridge loan was in place, Lori King led negotiations culminating in a formal offer from GROW to Adair Enterprises. In September of 2023, it was accepted. The sale was finalized on December 29, 2023. And on December 31, 2023, people from this first phase of the gardens met on the property to celebrate and ended up doing an enormous amount of weeding.

A quote by Rod Dembowski sums it up:

 "The Ching Garden is a symbol of resilience and triumph over obstacles. Were it not for the openness of neighbors, a racially restrictive covenant would have prevented the Ching family from establishing their home and garden and sharing it with community. 
"Now community, led by Kathleen Lumiere with the support of the Canlis family and others and backed by King County's Conservation Futures levy, is making it possible for this culturally important legacy to be preserved and brought to life again to provide a place of reflection and learning for future generations. 
"I'm so thrilled to have helped secure funding for this important project and look forward to seeing this important garden restored."


Photo courtesy Ching Community Gardens

Now, work parties organized through Diggin' Shoreline will make it possible to set foot on the property legally. A team of people involved in the acquisition phase of the project is moving ahead to formulate a clear mission and vision, preserve historically valuable plants and artifacts, get rid of the invasive blackberries (a perennial project), and design and build the food forest and raised beds. 

If any of this interests you, please let us know through the Ching Community Gardens Interest Form or contact Diggin' Shoreline. Like the Chings, we welcome you to the garden!

Financial contributions for projects and maintenance are needed and welcome. To donate, please visit our fiscal sponsor, GROW. Specify that it's for Ching Gardens in the "Apply My Donation To" box.

_______________

(1) A "P-Patch" is a term commonly used in this area to refer to a community garden or urban gardening plot. The "P" in P-Patch stands for "Picardo," the name of the first community garden established in Seattle in the 1970s. Over time, the term "P-Patch" became a term for any community-managed garden space where individuals or groups can rent or maintain small plots of land to grow vegetables, fruit, or flowers.

(2) The Beacon Food Forest is a great example of this mixed food forest and raised bed method.


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Invasion of the bunnies at the Miyawaki Forest

Saturday, February 3, 2024

THE RABBITS ARE COMING! 


MFF volunteers putting up de-fences

By Bruce Scholten & Martha Young-Scholten
Photos by Shoreline Miyawaki Forest Friends (MFF)

Ground Hog Day? Forget it. Top concern at Shoreline Heritage Museum’s Miyawaki Forest is not the desultory ground hog. It’s rabbits! Any gardener who’s had the horror of seeing bright red tulips gnawed to sad green stalks can empathize.

On December 9, 2023, hundreds of volunteers braved rain on Planting Day, on the ca. 3200 square foot Miyawaki Forest (MF) adjacent to the Museum. Passersby on 185th Street near Fred Meyer saw new paths twisting through replanted indigenous flora and fauna.

Hoping that fences will keep the bunnies out
Now the Forest faces an existential threat. Bunnies! 

Solution? The Fence!

Marla Tullio is a hard-working Miyawaki Forest Friend (MFF).

She described a veritable rabbit horde: ‘We've had rabbits feasting on the forest, snacking on young sapling bark and severing delicate shoots, bark and branches.’

At first it seemed individual tree guards made from hardware cloth might offer protection, but said Marla, 

Girdling
‘We soon realized the damage required a 3 foot high chicken wire or poultry fence, zip tied along the bottom and tied at posts…’

Protecting a few saplings was insufficient. They needed, ‘A fence around the entire forest! But we did create a few “gates” for access.’

Marla explained, ‘Rabbits chew the outer layer of sapling bark.

"Usually, the plant survives as long as chewing hasn’t completely encircled the trunk (girdling), cutting the flow of water and nutrients to the upper plant.


Angled cut was made by a bunny
"Photos show how rabbits also chomp the stem off with an angled cut that looks like the plant was cut with pruners!

"Most of the red cedar saplings (a bunny favorite) took the hardest chomps with branches completely cut off.

"So, we’ll watch for new shoots, but these might need replacing.

The evidence: Bunny poop!
"The photos from the last few days indicate clear evidence of bunny poop!’

Shoreline Historical Museum and Miyawaki Forest organizers and friends invite the public to witness the Bunny War.

Fast growth is expected in Spring 2024.

Come to see for yourself!

Miyawaki Forest is adjacent to Shoreline Historical Museum, N 185th and Linden Ave N, Shoreline.




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In the Garden Now: Hardy Cyclamen Coum

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Photo by Victoria Gilleland

By Victoria Gilleland

Hardy Cyclamen Coum is heading towards full bloom after sailing through our deep freeze weather! The hot pink flowers and silver green foliage are a standout in the winter garden.  

These 4" high perennials are drought tolerant and flourish in shade. They're seldom bothered by pests and come in an array of vibrant flower colors with equally interesting leaf colors and patterns.   

When many plants are dormant these cyclamen are putting on an amazing display. What's not to like?  



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Tickets now available for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival: A Spectacular Celebration of Spring and Gardening

Monday, January 22, 2024

Tickets for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival at the Seattle Convention Center, running from February 14 - 18, 2024, are officially on sale.

For over three decades, this spectacular showcase has been a source of inspiration for both seasoned gardeners and eager novices, a place where ideas bloom, knowledge flourishes, and the quest for beautiful living spaces begins, marking the start of Spring in the PNW.

This year’s show, themed “I Heart Spring” will feature a sensory feast with 20+ full garden displays, overflowing with vibrant colors and interactive experiences like never before, 96+ seminars featuring a plethora of garden luminaries from around the globe, an expanded Market Place including the hit Vintage Market, a new “Plant People Panels” series for beginners and houseplant lovers and thousands of treasures in the marketplace – with shopping recommendations from gardening stars so your beloved botanicals can thrive as theirs do.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events

The Plant Market is set to outshine last year's record-breaking offering, with both new and returning vendors ready to cater to the surging demand in plant sales and tap into the burgeoning enthusiasm of new generations’ growing interest in greenery.

Offering visitors an exclusive first look, First Editions® Shrubs & Trees is debuting a new Hydrangea to the world! Visitors will explore the beauty of the elusive new Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea and immerse themselves in a selection of 500 Hydrangeas including the Eclipse® Bigleaf Hydrangea, Endless Summer® BloomStruck® Hydrangea, Endless Summer® Summer Crush® Hydrangea and Endless Summer® Pop Star® Hydrangea.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events

Adding to the excitement, a series of brand-new special events, both during and leading up to the Festival, provide a unique opportunity for fans to get closer than ever to renowned flower and garden experts and tastemakers, including the illustrious Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht and Jo Thompson. Outside events require additional tickets.

Located outside the City Living entrance, the inaugural Plant Academy series will provide deep dives into your favorite plants - or the plants you want to be your favorite. Show admission is not required, granting anyone access to the best in the industry, the chance to ask questions, and the opportunity to learn how to excel in their gardening endeavors in 2024 and beyond.

The stellar lineup at the festival also includes stars of the gardening world, ready to engage with visitors, offer expert advice and share exclusive tips. Notable speakers and judges include:

Tickets are now available at early bird rates at www.gardenshow.com. Visitors are encouraged to explore exclusive hotel rates and packages with our lodging partners, available here.

Photo courtesy Marketplace Events
Festival Dates & Hours


February 14 - 18, 2024
Wednesday - Saturday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Festival Location

Seattle Convention Center
705 Pike Street - on the corner of 7th and Pike Street
Seattle, Washington 98101

About the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival

The Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is one of the world’s leading garden shows, ranked the second largest in the U.S. 

The show is renowned for its size and quality of display gardens, seminars, and commercial exhibits, drawing visitors and participants from across the globe. 

The Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is owned and produced by Marketplace Events, the largest producer of home shows in North America. Learn more at www.gardenshow.com.

About Marketplace Events

MARKETPLACE EVENTS creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services in dynamic face-to-face environments. 


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