Gardening for Change: Cool Plants, Hot Topics 2026 - September 13, 2026

Join the WSU Extension Master Gardeners at Bellevue Botanical Garden on Sunday, September 13, 2026 (10am to 2pm) at 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005.

Explore how our backyards can actively protect and enhance PNW biodiversity.

This year’s inspiring education event features practical strategies for growing a resilient garden in a changing climate. 

Learn from expert speakers Cassie Knavel (WSDA), Alma Cardenas (EMG), and Molly van der Burch (EMG).

Photo courtesy Master Gardeners

Enjoy curated speakers, door prizes, vendors, and the colors of the Bellevue Botanical Garden as it transitions into fall. Arrange a beautiful bouquet at our Bloom Bar and shop unique boutique vendors. 

Arrangements are being made for The Copper Kettle Coffee Bar at the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s Shorts House to offer coffee, pastries, and light lunch items for purchase.

All proceeds enable the Master Gardener Foundation to support the WSU Extension King County Master Gardener Program. Together, we can ensure healthy, biodiverse gardens for the PNW.

Learn, shop, and get connected. Stay informed.

Our mission is to help gardeners strengthen local ecosystems by growing plants that support birds, insects, soil life, and the wider PNW food web.

Speaker Timeline

• 10:00–11:00am — Alma Cardenas
• 11:15am–12:15pm — Molly van der Burch
• 12:30–1:30pm — Cassie Knavel

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Master Gardeners: The Lessons of Patience

By Marie Kurka-Brown

In the realm of gardening, patience is not merely a virtue; it is a fundamental lesson that unfolds over time. Each seed planted in the rich soil is a promise of potential, requiring nurturing and care to blossom into its true form. 

Just as in life, we often find ourselves eager for immediate results, yet the garden teaches us that growth is a gradual process, one that cannot be rushed. The quiet moments spent tending to plants become an invitation to reflect on our own journeys and the importance of allowing time to work its magic.

Photo by Marie Kurka-Brown

As we cultivate our gardens, we learn to embrace the cycles of nature. The changing seasons remind us that everything has its time: spring brings new beginnings, while autumn invites us to reap the fruits of our labor. 

This cyclical rhythm encourages us to slow down and appreciate the present moment, fostering a sense of mindfulness. 

In doing so, we discover that patience not only enriches our gardening experience but also nourishes our souls, helping us to find peace amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Mindfulness practices in the garden further enhance our understanding of patience. By engaging fully in the act of gardening, we cultivate a deeper connection with the earth and ourselves. 

Whether it's the simple act of watering or the meditative practice of pruning, these moments of awareness allow us to center our thoughts and feelings. 

They teach us that patience is not just about waiting but being present and attentive to the processes around us, celebrating each small victory along the way.

 
Sustainable gardening embodies the essence of patience, as it requires a commitment to nurturing the earth for future generations. Implementing eco-friendly practices may take longer to yield results, but the rewards are profound. 

As we witness the flourishing of our gardens, we realize that sustainable methods not only benefit our plants but also contribute to our mental wellbeing. 

This holistic approach helps us appreciate the interconnectedness of all living things and reinforces the value of patience in nurturing both our gardens and our lives.

 

Photo by Marie Kurka-Brown

Lastly, the culinary herb garden serves as a beautiful metaphor for the lessons of patience. Each herb, from basil to rosemary, requires time to grow and develop its unique flavors. 

As we wait for these plants to mature, we learn to savor the anticipation of using them in our cooking. 

The act of harvesting becomes a celebration of patience, transforming our meals into experiences that nourish not only our bodies but also our spirits. 

Through this journey, we discover that the essence of gardening lies in the lessons we learn along the way, ultimately guiding us towards a more fulfilling and mindful existence.

 
Understanding the Cycle of Life

 
Understanding the cycle of life is fundamental for anyone engaged in gardening or seeking a deeper connection with the world around them. Each season brings distinct changes, not only to the garden but also to our lives. 

As gardeners, we learn that growth is not a linear process; it is filled with ebbs and flows, much like the seasons that govern our planting and harvesting. Embracing this cycle allows us to appreciate beauty in both our successes and our failures, nurturing a mindset that values resilience and adaptability.

 
The act of planting seeds is symbolic of new beginnings, and waiting for them to sprout embodies patience and hope. Just as we tend to our seedlings, we must also nurture our own dreams and aspirations. 

This parallel teaches us that growth requires care, attention, and time. By observing the transformations in our gardens, we can reflect on our personal journeys, recognizing that each phase has its purpose, whether it be the excitement of budding growth or the solemnity of a dormant winter.

Photo credit: Pixel

Mindfulness practices in the garden can enhance our understanding of life cycles. By immersing ourselves in the present moment, we learn to observe the subtle shifts that occur with each passing day. 

The gentle rustle of leaves, the vibrant colors of blooming flowers, and the quiet rhythm of nature serve as reminders that life unfolds at its own pace. 

This awareness enables us to cultivate gratitude and acceptance, enriching our souls as we connect with the earth around us.

 
Sustainable gardening is not just about growing food; it is about nurturing our mental wellbeing through a harmonious relationship with nature. 

By choosing to cultivate our gardens in eco-friendly ways, we honor the interconnectedness of all living things. 

This relationship teaches us to respect the cycles of life, from composting kitchen scraps to creating habitats for local wildlife. 

Engaging in sustainable practices allows us to contribute positively to the environment while fostering a sense of peace and purpose in our own lives. 

Until next time, may your hands stay busy, your heart stay soft, and your feet carry you somewhere beautiful.

Marie Kurka-Brown, WSU Extension Master Gardener, Class of 2020, Foundation Director Member elected 2025 

Help Support King County Master Gardener Donate Support WSU King County Extension | King County | Washington State University

To learn more about becoming a Master Gardener How to Become WSU Master Gardener MG Home | King County | Washington State University

To learn more about the Japanese Beetle Spread the Word Japanese Beetle | Washington State Department of Agriculture

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The Art of Living / Pollinators

The pollinators who keep our world fed
Photo from Pexel

As a young child, I would garden with my father, and our conversations always revolved around “The Art of Living” as he called it. 

Creating a destination where you want to stay and spend quality time. Something beautiful and full of wonder. A place to be safe and heal from all that has hurt you. 

And I’m not sure if I took my father’s advice or if gardening was always to be my beautiful, safe place.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that “The Art of Living” wasn’t just about beauty; it was about responsibility. 

The places we tend become the places that sustain us. Pollinators taught me that first: tiny, tireless workers who ask for so little yet give us so much. 

And now, as fresh water becomes more fragile in a changing climate, I’m learning the same lesson again. Every drop, every bloom, every living thing in our gardens is connected.

This year, as WSU Extension Master Gardeners, we’re being asked to lift up both stories, the pollinators who keep our world fed and the clean water that keeps our world alive. To me, they’re not separate priorities. They’re two halves of the same promise: that tending to a garden is also tending for our future.

When I hit the pause button for a moment and give thought, it really isn’t that difficult to carefully care for the pollinators who spend their life living their life with just one purpose. And their purpose is to pollinate the plants that feed the world. Pretty cool when on pause for a moment and think about it.

Pollinator watering station
Photo by Marie Brown

All honeybees pass through only four stages in life which consist of egg, larva, pupa and adult. This is referred to as metamorphosis. And it takes 16 days for queens to mature and 21 days for worker bees and 24 days for drones. 

What I find interesting about queen bees include the fact that they mature faster than other bees. The worker bees are female and generally sterile. While the drone bees are male bees with just one thing on their mind ... find the queen and mate to ensure the genetics of the hive. 

The workers can survive anywhere from six weeks up to six months and the queen bee can survive 2-3 years.

Something fun for the young at heart is to create a pollinator spa or watering hole. It’s easy to do and can be created with what you have at home. You need a bowl that isn’t too deep for water. Then add some small, clean rocks or marbles for the pollinators to land on for their drink. This will help them keep their wings dry.

Marie Kurka-Brown
Master Gardener Foundation of King County

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Get to Know your WSU King County Extension Master Gardeners

Q&A: Get to Know your WSU King County Extension Master Gardeners

By Extension Master Gardener Emeritus Nancy Gardner

Ever wonder who your fellow WSU Extension Master Gardeners are? So do we! We like to periodically profile ourselves, so whether you’re intern or emeritus status, just let us know and we’ll do our best to feature you in a future column.

Michele Ohge in her garden

In this issue, we catch up with Michele Ohge, one of our newest interns, and at age 69, is proud to finally be part of the WSU Extension Master Gardener program. 

She says she has wanted to be a master gardener for about 25 years and finally had “all my plants in a row” to be able to take the course.

Question: Perhaps most importantly, for the icebreaker, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate chip mint!

Question: What’s your go-to tool? The Hori Hori knife.

Question: What is your number 1 invasive nemesis? 

Rubus armeniacus, the Himalayan Blackberry, although English Ivy, Hedera helix, is a close runner-up (pun intended).

Question: Why did you first get into gardening and how long have you been at it?

My grandfather loved gardening and when I was 4 years old, I remember going out with him to his dahlia garden to deadhead the flowers. He used a cane to steady himself and with his other hand, picked off the dead flowers. He was taller than my dad and the dahlias were much taller than me. 

At our house, my dad was the gardener, and I was always following him around. He taught me so much about plants and gardening and helping him with the gardening chores. I always felt so special and then accomplished when he would let me water his roses and I had to be very careful about how high I turned on the bubble or oscillating sprinklers so as not to get the rose plants and petals wet.

Daphne odora is a favorite winter-blooming plant for its pop of color and intoxicating scent.

Question: What do you like to grow in your own garden now?

In my front yard, I designed it to have at least one plant emitting fragrance every day of the year, to have flowers blooming every day of the year, and to have color. All of these features come from leaves turning in the fall, to unique trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals providing leaf color, to unique textures and structure visible every day of the year.

Herbs in blue pots populate Michele’s front walkway, where she can see them
from her living room window.

I love using pots to also provide color in the beds along with whatever plant is in them. I use herbs and vegetables throughout the front garden. 

People are surprised that I do that, but there are areas in the front where some of the herbs and vegetables get more sun and do better.

The nectar of Sweet William, a species of Dianthus, attracts birds, bees, and butterflies. Michele keeps hers in a pot in her front yard.

Question: Other favorite plants in your garden? 

Star Magnolia, heaths, heathers, quince and heucheras.

Question: What are some of your other passions?

I do all sorts of crafts, enjoy photography, and dabble in woodworking. I’m going to learn to play the piano soon. I love to take long walks and day hikes and especially love to read with my two cats (Felis catus) stretched out on my legs.

--Nancy Gardner is an Extension Master Gardener Emeritus who enjoys cultivating her own annual and perennial seeds.
--Photos by Michele Ohge

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King County Master Gardener Foundation Plant Sales

Plant sale at Bellevue Demonstration Garden

Shop the King County Master Gardener Foundation spring plant sales on May 9 and 10: Eastside and North Seattle. 

The Bellevue Demonstration Garden's Spring Plant Sale is Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10am to 2pm at the Demonstration Garden, 15500 SE 16th Street, Bellevue 98007. 

You'll find a wide selection of vegetable starts and landscape plants, a Plant Answer clinic, and our Marketplace with gently used books, tools, and pottery.

The WSU Extension Master Gardeners will be at the Tilth Alliance Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, 9am to 3pm at the Meridian Playground, 4920 Meridian Ave N, Seattle 98103. 

Plant selections include perennials, ferns, natives, and more.

Proceeds from both sales fund the activities and outreach of the Extension Master Gardener Program in King County. Visit our Plant Sale page, click on the calendar dates for all the details about both sales.
Bellevue Demonstration Garden Spring Plant Sale

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Master Gardeners: A Gentle Invitation to Begin Again

Pixaby

By Marie Kurka-Brown

Master Gardener Foundation

There’s something quietly magical about stepping into a garden. 

Before anything grows, before a single seed is tucked into the soil, there’s a sense of possibility in the air — a feeling that this small patch of earth could become something beautiful. 

Life often feels the same way.

We’re handed moments, seasons, and opportunities that invite us to begin again, to stretch, to root, to bloom.

Imagine standing at the edge of your garden-to-be. The soil is cool and dark, waiting for your hands. Maybe you already know what you want to plant — tomatoes warm from the sun, herbs that release their scent with the slightest touch, flowers that open like little celebrations.

Or maybe you’re simply curious, ready to see what might happen if you give yourself permission to try.

That’s the quiet invitation gardening offers: start where you are, with what you have, and see what grows. 

As a WSU Extension Master Gardener, I'm personally inviting you to visit one of our demonstration gardens in 2026, Most of our demonstration gardens welcome visitors from April through November, though each site follows its own seasonal rhythm. 

Cabbage photo courtesy Couleur

It’s always wise to confirm current hours and details online before you head out. 

If you’d like to explore what’s growing in your own community, these King County Master Gardener demonstration gardens offer inspiration, education, and a chance to see sustainable gardening practices in action:

King County Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens

Animal Acres Demonstration Garden A peaceful neighborhood space showcasing sustainable practices and plants that thrive in our local climate.

Bellevue Demonstration Garden A vibrant teaching garden where visitors can explore vegetable beds, ornamentals, and hands‑on gardening techniques.

Carkeek Park Demonstration Gardens A collection of coastal‑inspired beds highlighting native plants and environmentally friendly gardening near Puget Sound.

Cesar Chavez Demonstration Garden A community‑centered garden celebrating food, culture, and accessible growing practices for all ages.

Magnuson Children’s Garden A whimsical, interactive space designed to spark curiosity and help young gardeners discover the joy of plants.

Neely Soames Homestead Demonstronstration Garden A historic riverside garden blending heritage plantings with modern sustainable gardening methods.

Ronald McDonald House Outreach Garden A healing, supportive space where families can enjoy fresh produce and the comfort of a living, growing landscape.

Shorewood High School Culinary Arts Garden A student‑driven garden where edible plants support culinary education and inspire future gardeners.

Soos Creek Demonstration Garden A serene, expansive garden featuring themed beds, native plants, and examples of water‑wise gardening.

Thyme Patch Park Demonstration Garden A charming pocket garden filled with herbs, pollinator plants, and ideas for small‑space gardening.

Tribal Life Trail Demonstration Garden A culturally rich garden honoring Indigenous plant knowledge and the traditional uses of native species.

Vashon Demonstration Garden at Mukai Farm and Garden A beautifully restored island garden blending history, community, and practical gardening inspiration.

You can learn more about each site — including locations, seasonal hours, and volunteer opportunities — at the King County Master Gardener demonstration gardens page

As you press seeds into the earth, you’re doing more than beginning a garden. You’re giving yourself a reason to step outside, breathe fresh air, and move your body in a way that feels grounding. 

You’re creating a space that asks nothing of you except presence — a few minutes of watering, a moment to check on new sprouts, a pause to appreciate how much can change in a week.

And those early sprouts? They’re a reminder that growth doesn’t need to be rushed. Seedlings take their time. They lean toward the sun, strengthen slowly, and surprise you when you least expect it. There’s
comfort in that rhythm. It’s a gentle nudge to be patient with yourself, too.

Carrots photo courtesy Couleur

Of course, every garden has its challenges. Weeds appear, sometimes overnight, and you find yourself kneeling in the dirt, pulling them up one by one. 

But even this can feel strangely satisfying. Clearing space around your plants gives them room to breathe and thrive. It’s a small act of care that makes a big difference — and it mirrors the way we sometimes need to clear space in our own lives, letting go of what no longer supports us.

Then come the seasons. Spring’s excitement, summer’s abundance, autumn’s quiet harvest, winter’s rest. 

A garden teaches you to move with these cycles instead of against them. Some days are for planting, others for pruning, and some are simply for sitting back and enjoying what you’ve created. There’s no rush, no pressure, no perfect way to do it. Just the steady rhythm of tending and noticing.

And that’s the heart of gardening — not perfection, but participation.

When you plan your garden, you’re really planning moments of joy for your future self. The scent of basil on your fingers. The first ripe strawberry. The sound of bees drifting lazily from bloom to bloom. The
satisfaction of a meal made with something you grew. These small pleasures add up, reminding you that life’s beauty often comes from the simplest places.

So consider this your invitation. Step outside. Feel the sun on your shoulders. Turn over a patch of soil and imagine what it could become.

Whether you plant a single pot on a balcony or transform your whole backyard, you’re creating more than a garden — you’re creating space for yourself to breathe, to move, to hope, and to enjoy the world a little more.

Gardening doesn’t demand expertise. It asks only for curiosity, a bit of patience, and a willingness to get your hands dirty. And in return, it offers fresh air, gentle exercise, a sense of accomplishment, and
the quiet joy of watching something grow because you cared for it.

This season, let your garden — whatever shape it takes — be a reminder that life is full of beginnings. All you have to do is plant the first seed.

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Master Gardeners: Seeds of Intention: Planning a Garden in the Quiet of Winter

By Jill Hall

As the dark days of winter settle in, my garden has tucked itself into its seasonal slumber. I am spending more time indoors while the frost outside leaves its sparkly trail on branches and leaves. 

A quick walk to the mailbox for the daily snail mail delivers one of the great joys of winter for gardeners everywhere, a seed catalog. 

I clutch it like a prized manuscript and prepare for a cozy evening with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a generous amount of daydreaming about what I might grow in the coming year.

There is always a dash of urgency while flipping through the catalog pages, knowing that the prized exotic heirloom seeds could sell out before I have the chance to secure them. 

However, this is no longer the frantic ordering spree of past years. Finishing my internship as a master gardener this past year has given me a curious mixture of clarity and ambition. I now recognize that gardening is part desire and part discernment. I am learning to pause before tossing every tempting seed packet into my cart (or the ground).

This pause is difficult when presented with photos of gorgeous purple and gold ‘Black Strawberry’ heirloom tomatoes or the peculiar charm of ‘Mexican Sour Gherkin’ cucumbers that promise enormous yields. Yet my enthusiasm flickers as memories of the summer of 2025 resurface. 

My small vegetable garden became an all-you-can-eat buffet for every creature with a pulse. I planted cucumbers twice. They were destroyed twice. Me zero. Creatures two. My green beans grew valiantly only to be snipped clean at the stems while I slept. What goes on in those mysterious hours between watering and wilt remains one of nature’s less endearing riddles.

As I indulged in this lament, a chorus of garden thoughts reemerged from late summer: raise the height of the vegetable beds, add netting, install irrigation, become a better pruner, and while you are at it, figure out slugs. Then came the more existential questions. Should I give up vegetables altogether? Are native plants better suited to coexist with the cedar tree that rules my backyard. Will I ever mulch before the bulbs sprout? Where exactly is my hand trowel and why am I buying a third one? 

These thoughts tumbled about until I turned the page and was rescued by the bright, citrusy promise of ‘Dwarf Lemon Cilantro’ accompanied by an Audrey Hepburn quote, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

This line snapped everything into focus. Gardening, at its core, is not just about survival of the fittest against the critters or to outsmarting slugs. It is a hopeful act. With that in mind, I am officially declaring 2026 the year of the garden. 

My first step is to have a plan. I will do more of what worked well last year. I will better understand what I already have and develop feeding and pruning cycles that nurture growth. I will prioritize projects based not only on cost but on joy and long-term reward.

To bring order to this ambition I am writing down my gardening goals and sorting them into categories:

1. Problem areas in the yard and solutions.
2. What succeeded in 2025 and should be repeated?
3. Ways to make gardening easier.
4. New projects to explore.
5. Budget considerations.
6. Time management.

With this framework in mind, I have drawn a diagram of my yard, complete with compass directions and areas of sun, shade, and everything in between. Living near a wooded area with towering cedars, I have been at the mercy of their influence on soil and light. I am reviewing the placement of perennials, evergreen shrubs, and raised beds, considering which of them deserve to stay and which are merely stubborn experiments. There is no shame in admitting defeat if the defeat comes with wisdom.

Once the evaluation is finished, the real planning begins. For me, this means soil testing multiple areas, removing raised beds to make space for shrubs, creating a pruning schedule for roses, shrubs, and berry bushes, and researching soil amendments for my problem areas. 

This year I will choose annual seeds more thoughtfully, leaning into herbs and flowers and fewer vegetables. I will compare seed requirements against the realities of my garden’s light and soil conditions before placing any order, resisting the urge to chase every plant that whispers my name.

Finally, I am committing to using a calendar. I want to work intentionally rather than madly, to leave space not just for chores but for enjoyment. A garden is not merely something to tend. It is something to love.

And so, in the quiet heart of winter, I begin. My plans are neatly stacked beside me, the catalog is dog eared, and the year ahead feels ripe with possibility. Spring will test my resolve, but for now, the future rests in seed form, waiting patiently for the sun and warmer temperatures to return.

Jill Hall

Jill Hall is a 2025 Master Gardener intern who graduated on January 10, 2026. 

She enjoys growing herbs, flowers, and vegetables. 

She supported the Shorewood Culinary Garden this past year. Jill is a watercolor artist and enjoys painting birds, flowers, and plants.

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Master Gardeners classes: Growing Groceries and PNW Garden Savvy

Already thinking about next season’s garden? 

The WSU Extension Master Gardeners return in 2026 with their popular online classes to enhance your gardening education.

Growing Groceries: The WSU Extension Master Gardeners of King County present 2026 Growing Groceries: The Basics and Beyond series subscriptions. 

Classes are divided into two separate series that provide six (6) basic and four (4) more advanced presentations. 

Sign up for one or both series!

• The Basics series is pre-recorded with six (6) video links delivered immediately upon registration to allow for self-paced viewing. Cost for The Basics is $20 (state taxes included). 
• The Beyond the Basics series is designed for the "seasoned gardener." Beyond the Basics series are held "live on Zoom" on selected Wednesdays between January and July 2026. Beyond the Basics series is $40 (tax included).  Get all the details for both series and register here

PNW Garden Savvy: PNW Garden Savvy classes are your online Saturday morning go-to while you enjoy your morning coffee or tea. 

Classes are presented on Zoom at 9:30am on selected Saturdays. 

Series 1 starts on January 10, 2026. Cost for the series is $42 (tax included); individual classes are $9 (tax included).  Get all the details and registration information here

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Seeds of Hope: Growing Community through the Master Gardener Program

Master Gardener sites: Farmers Markets, Shorewood Culinary Arts Garden, Animal Acres Garden See interactive map here

By Marie Kurka-Brown

Fall is a time of reflection. As we clear the remnants of summer’s bounty and tuck compost into the soil, we also prepare ourselves—for rest, renewal, and the next season of growth. In the garden, as in life, this rhythm is sacred. It reminds us that every ending is also a beginning.

I first stepped into this rhythm more formally in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, as part of the WSU Master Gardener Program—the “Pandemic Class.” For many, it was a season of uncertainty and isolation. But for me, it was also a time of deep connection. Volunteering at Soos Creek Botanical Garden in the Propagation Department helped me complete my certification requirements despite the challenges. Becoming a Certified Master Gardener is something I treasure deeply. It’s not just a title—it’s a commitment to lifelong learning, stewardship, and service.

After a 30-year career in marketing and communications, I found myself drawn to a different kind of outreach—one rooted in soil, science, and soul. Encouraged by peers, I ran for a board position with the King County Master Gardener Foundation and was honored to be elected. This role allows me to blend my professional strengths—relationship-building, storytelling, and problem-solving—with my passion for gardening and community impact.

Our Master Gardener program, like many volunteer organizations, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We serve King County as educators, environmental stewards, and advocates for healing gardens. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with local businesses, clinics, and community groups to bring horticultural knowledge and hope to the people we serve.

One of my favorite roles is helping solve garden problems at Renton’s McLendon Hardware, where I am one of 22 volunteers every Tuesday and Saturday from April through September. Customers bring their questions, their frustrations, and their dreams—and together, we dig into solutions. These interactions have taught me as much as any textbook ever could.

Earlier this year, I was encouraged to run for a board position—and I won. With that comes great responsibility and even greater opportunity. As I look ahead to 2026, I’m focused on cultivating impact across four key areas:

Clinic Support

We’re building funding to strengthen our Plant Clinics—ensuring each location has the tools, signage, and infrastructure to serve with confidence. These clinics are often the first point of contact for curious gardeners and concerned community members. By investing in their visibility and functionality, we’re investing in education, access, and trust.

Garden Enhancements

Our gardens are living classrooms and healing spaces. To help them thrive, we’re securing resources like soil amendments, seeds, garden tools, and irrigation supplies. These essentials allow our volunteers to grow more food, teach more techniques, and create more beauty. Every trowel and drip line is a step toward deeper impact.

Food Bank Partnerships

Thanks to generous donors and seed companies, we’ve begun supplying fresh, organic produce to local food banks. It’s a powerful reminder that gardens don’t just feed—they empower.

Cultivating Community Together

We’re committed to building upon existing relationships while developing new ones. Our donors are the lifeblood of our mission, and their contributions provide soil, seeds, and inspiration for our 2026 gardens—gardens that will grow into healthy meals, vibrant learning spaces, and moments of healing across King County. These gifts nourish our bodies, sustain our gardens, and yes, they nourish our spirits too.

The Extension Master Gardener Program doesn’t just teach gardening—it can help you define your future and discover which path you want to grow in. For me, the opportunity to keep learning while growing organic produce for my community fuels my soul. It’s a way to give back in ways I never imagined—through education, service, and connection. If you’re seeking a new challenge, a deeper purpose, or simply a place to grow, come walk this journey with us.

There’s something magical about watching a garden bloom. The colors, the textures, the scents—they awaken something in us. They remind us of beauty, resilience, and possibility. In a world that often feels chaotic, gardens offer a quiet kind of healing. They invite us to slow down, to notice, to connect.

If you’ve ever felt that pull—toward the soil, toward service, toward something greater—I invite you to join us. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, there’s a place for you in our community. Whether you're ready to volunteer, curious about our impact, or looking for ways to help us grow, we invite you to learn more at MGFKC.org. Together, we’re cultivating a stronger, greener King County.

Marie Kurka-Brown is a WSU Extension Master Gardener and Board Member of the Master Gardener Foundation of King County. 

To learn more about our mission, programs, or ways to get involved, visit www.MGFKC.org

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Master Gardeners help train Shorewood special needs students

Hands-on learning 
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

By Lee Keim

Work Experience Training for Shorewood High School Special Needs Students

An innovative team of King County Master Gardeners working with Shorewood Special Education teacher Carlotta Han and about ten staff specialists have launched an exceptional, inclusive training program for Shorewood High School students with diverse special needs. 

Classroom learning experiences
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schoole

This new program, developed for Life Skills/Work Experience students, has been taking the students out of the classroom and into the Culinary Arts demonstration garden for the past two semesters. 

Customized class plans developed for the students offer a spectrum of hands-on projects for student teams: planting, weeding, composting, harvesting, painting, and repairs. 

Ms Han highlights how the class also develops social and emotional strengths: working with a team, taking turns, asking for help, and being proud of themselves and others.

Friday afternoon in the garden
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Everyone looks forward to Friday afternoons when Ms Han and several Master Gardeners bring the energetic class into the garden. Recently the students decorated two large orange garden pots with Halloween images and planted various bulbs into them “lasagna style” after which we all said goodbye for the 2025 season and celebrated with pumpkin pie.

This Master Gardeners program was spotlighted at the annual 2025 King County Master Gardener Recognition Event: We Grow More Than Gardens!

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October: Five ways to move toward a zero-waste garden

DIY newspaper pots for your zero waste garden

By Kayah Swanson

Forget about pristine landscapes and perfect lawns. I’m here to make the case for a messy garden.

Before you panic, I’m not advocating that you let noxious weeds run amok, leave plants to wither, or keep a yard that makes all your neighbors grumble under their breath.

But I am advocating for using what you already have to work toward a zero-waste garden. It may well result in a mismatched or slightly unpolished look, but I think you should embrace the imperfections.

It doesn’t take an expert to know that the gardening and landscaping industries are overflowing with plastic. Soil comes in plastic bags. Plant starts come in plastic pots. Seed starting trays are almost always plastic. The little plant tags you stick in the ground next to your burgeoning seedlings: plastic.

And that, my friends, is a big problem.

The United Nations’ Plastic Programme goes as far as to say that “our planet is choking on plastic” while estimating that between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic are floating around our oceans. 

You’re eating a credit card’s worth of plastic every week. Even new part-plastic sedimentary rocks (are they really rocks?), dubbed ‘plastistones,’ are forming and have been found all over the world.

As people who love to see the beauty of our natural world unfold in our own yards, we should care enough about this problem to actively find ways to eliminate plastic from our garden, even if it’s an inconvenience. 

We should celebrate a whimsical patchwork of growing things rather than a pristine collection of symmetrical pots and plants if the latter necessitates more plastic.

This approach means storing old things and foraging for new ones in a slower fashion, rather than writing up a big shopping list and getting it all done in a single trip. It entails getting to know your neighbors and occasionally MacGyver-ing a situation.

You can’t accomplish it all in one day, but the payoff is helping the wildlife in your yard, growing edibles that are less plasticky, and not adding to our gargantuan plastic problem.

Before I get to my list, I’ll leave you with a quote I saw on a teabag recently (I’m working through all my tea bags before switching to loose leaf, since tea bags release microplastics into your brew): nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Take a page out of Earth’s book; she’s been doing this for billions of years.

1. Share with your neighbors.

We’re talking systemic change here, and you can’t buck the system without a good community around you. You need to know the people in your neighborhood to make this work. Talk to each other in real life (I know, but you can do it, I believe in you!) or check your local BuyNothing group, NextDoor, Craigslist, and/or Facebook Marketplace forums to see who got a too-big chip drop and is offloading mulch, who’s giving away plant starts and containers, and where you might be able to donate something, too.

You can also use your neighborhood’s tool library. Then you don’t have to carve out storage space for a tool you use once a year (or even worse, just once). 

2. Change how you’re getting your garden soil.

Did you know that soil can come in bulk instead of a plastic bag? Soil is often cheaper by volume when purchased in bulk, and it doesn’t come in a plastic bag that bakes all day in the sun, which is definitely a bonus because we know heated plastic releases harmful chemicals. 

You can usually have it delivered or pick some up yourself. Check with your local landscaping materials supplier to see what your options are. And please go peat-free, as peat harvesting is very bad for the environment.

You can also create compost right at home, which benefits your garden and the planet. For tips on how to get started, turn to the excellent folks at Tilth Alliance.

3. Start your plants from seed.

Do not be afraid of growing plants from seed—it’s fun! I often like to say that a true gardener is someone who has accidentally killed one of everything, so please don’t be afraid to fail. 

Use soil blocks (learn how to make them here) in old casserole dishes with a wire cooling rack inside, or some other configuration that allows you to slightly elevate the blocks so they don’t get too soggy. Or you can use cans, toilet paper tubes, newspaper pots, or egg cartons filled with potting soil. The Washington State University Extension has a helpful publication on starting seeds.

You can buy seeds, of course, but you can also use a seed library near you for free. You’d be surprised how many seed libraries there are! You can also harvest seeds from existing plants or grow food from your kitchen scraps.

4. Use what you already have. When you need something you don’t have, get creative.

This is where storage space helps. Instead of recycling old salsa and jam jars, save them to use for plant cloches on cold days. Grow plants in burlap bags from your local coffee roaster. Forage for containers at garage sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. Save your cans, toilet paper tubes, and egg cartons. Think about what you’re discarding and whether it could play a role in your garden before you toss it to the landfill.

5. Grow the right edible plants in the right quantities.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the annual greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. food loss and waste are equal to the emissions from 42 coal-fired power plants. Let’s not pile on by growing edible things that won’t be consumed. 

Choose vegetables and fruits for your garden that you know you love to eat, rather than growing an exotic plant that you’ll use for a single recipe and will otherwise go to waste. Also think about the quantity of food you’re growing—will you have too much for your family to go through? How much can you reasonably give away? Different plants produce in different quantities, so incorporate that consideration into your garden plans.

Kayah Swanson, certified
King County Extension Master Gardener

What did I miss? Do you have zero-waste gardening tips? I’d love for you to share them with me so I can keep improving my own practices. By creating a knowledge- and resource-sharing community around us, we can keep our plastic problem from becoming even more severe while embracing the wild beauty of a foraged garden.

Kayah Swanson is a certified King County Extension Master Gardener, a communications director, and a staunch advocate for growing groceries in a landlord’s yard. When she’s not rooting around in the dirt, you’ll find her behind the pages of a good book or gallivanting around the wilderness with her husband, Conrad and trusty pup, Frida Pawlo.

Garden Guy Bruce Bennett has retired from writing his monthly column but has turned it over to a diverse team from the Master Gardener Foundation of King County.

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Q&A: Get to Know your WSU King County Extension Master Gardeners

Bill Kesel and Steve Beatty

By Extension Master Gardener Emeritus Nancy Gardner

You’ve seen your peers around Puget Sound at farmers markets, holding work parties to clean up invasive weeds, at pop-up plant clinics, and at other flora-focused fêtes. 

But who are some of the many WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers in King County, and why do they do what they do?

I caught up with four Extension Master Gardener colleagues, including Bruce Bennett, Carolyn Bowie Cohen, Bill Kesel, and Steve Beatty, and asked them to share their wisdom and reasons for being in the program.

Question: Why did you first get into gardening and how long have you been at it?

Bruce: I first started gardening in my mother's flower and veggie patches. A hiatus of some thirty years and ownership my own place got me back into the horticultural swing. So, I've been doing gardening of one sort or another for 35 years now.

Carolyn: My love of gardening first germinated as a kid while watching my parent’s garden! My dad tended to the vegetable garden and fruit trees, and my mom nurtured flowering rhododendrons, bulbs, and countless other flowering plants across the garden. I started tending my own garden when I left home while attending college in Bellingham.

Bill: My mom made me weed some 50 years ago. And as I got older, I rented a place in Seattle that had not been lived in for several years. Part of my rent was paid through weeding labor.

Steve: Mom was a (mostly veggie) gardener and inspired me. As I got older and got married, my father-in-law became an Extension Master Gardener. When we moved from Seattle to Shoreline into a house that had space for gardening, I developed a taste for the rewards of perennial ornamental gardening and have been hooked on gardening for the past 16 years.

Q: What's your favorite gardening tool and why?

Bill and Steve answering questions at LFP event

Bruce: While it’s not my most used tool, my favorite gadget is a reciprocating saw or Sawzall. 

I use it for general tree and shrub pruning. It’s also handy when dividing tall ornamental grasses like Miscanthus sinensis, and when needing to transplant many types of shrubs.

Carolyn: Definitely the Hori Hori knife. 

It's such a great small, multi-purpose tool to remove weeds, dig little holes, and slash back last year's growth.

Bill: My favorite tool is a garden fork. 

You can dig and rake with it and do all sorts of other things. I also swear by FELCO #2 pruners.

Steve: Definitely my bypass pruners. In our enthusiastic growing climate, they (almost) always make a plant or shrub look better.

Q: Have you any tips for newbies and/or green thumb experts?

Bruce: A good gardener is a good researcher! Even if someone thinks they know about a new plant's environmental needs, research it before putting it in the ground.

Carolyn: Grow what makes you excited! Whether it's a fruit, vegetable, evergreen shrub, or annual flower, planting things that bring you joy will inspire you to research the conditions in which it grows best and nurture it.

Bill: Buy good tools if you want to garden.

Steve: It’s a fabulously rewarding hobby. And the more you learn, the more your plants will succeed. Try lots of things, ask lots of questions, and don’t be afraid of new plants and techniques. There is a great gardening community around you who will support you.

Q: Outside of digging in the dirt, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Master Gardeners at LFP Green Fair

Bruce: Spare time? What's that? I'm retired and have less free time now than when I worked full-time. In addition to my time with the Extension Master Gardener Program, I'm also a volunteer at the Woodland Park Zoo, my local Elks Lodge and the State and National Parks Systems.

Carolyn: I love hiking, going out dancing, and doing house projects! I'm currently pregnant and expecting my first child in the fall, so my husband and I are enthusiastically preparing to embark on a new adventure as parents.

Bill: Boating, restoring old paddles and doing fancy and decorative knot work used in the yachting world.

Steve: Spending time doing just about anything with my two kids. They are perennially wonderful.

Nancy Gardner is an WSU Extension Master Gardener Emeritus who enjoys cultivating her own annual and perennial seeds. You can reach her at nancylou@uw.edu.

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Annual 2025 Master Gardener Plant Sale in Bellevue September 14, 2025

The WSU Extension King County Master Gardeners present "Cool Plants, Hot Topics," the annual 2025 Master Gardener Plant Sale in partnership with the Bellevue Botanical Garden. 

This year's theme is "Become a Pollinator Protector," offering gardeners an opportunity to learn about the importance of pollinators while stocking up on plants for autumn and beyond and enjoying the beauty of the botanical garden. 

The sale is Sunday, September 14, 2025 from 9:30am to 3pm at Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main Street, Bellevue.

The Plant Sale will feature local vendors offering a variety of plants. Confirmed vendors include Celestial Dream Gardens, Lee Farms, Fancy Fronds, Botanica, and Earth Grown Creations. The Washington Native Plant Society and the Eastside Fuchsia Society will also be there. 

Our cut-flower bouquet table will return, with bouquets of colorful blooms for that spontaneous purchase. There will also be a table for seed sharing.

Join us for the grand opening of the new Habitat at Home exhibit, hosted by a panel of Extension Master Gardeners.

Three local experts will offer talks about native plants, pollinators, and their place in PNW gardens.

• Daniel Mount will present "From Far and Near: Native Plants for Northwest Gardens," explaining what makes a plant native or not, sharing which native species perform best in a garden situation, and telling you why you should – or shouldn’t – plant them. Daniel is a retired professional gardener and designer and past board member of the Northwest Horticultural Society.
• Sue Melgaard is passionate about pollinators. She will talk about our amazing pollinator insects & birds and how we can create essential habitat for them. Sue is a WSU Extension King County Master Gardener.
• Molly van der Burch will explore how natives, cultivars, and perennials vary in attracting pollinators, adding biodiversity, and demonstrating climate readiness for a drier PNW region. Molly is a WSU Extension King County Master Gardener.

The Bellevue Botanical Garden and the Plant Sale are free and open to all. 

The three talks will require registration and a small fee. The Master Gardener Foundation of King County uses the funds raised from the sale of plants, bouquets, and talks to support the activities of the King County Master Gardeners. 

Please check back frequently, as more information will be available soon on the website  Join us on September 14!

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The Little Demonstration Garden That Could

Demonstration garden in LFP
Photo by Marty Byrne

By Marty Byrne

The Animal Acres Demonstration Garden is tucked away in south Lake Forest Park's Pfingst Animal Acres behind Town Center (and across from LFP Presbyterian). 

The garden is approximately 1200 square feet, situated along a split rail fence that borders the street. 

WSU Extension Master Gardeners and community volunteers plan, plant, and maintain the 10 raised beds, arbor, and containers to show how vegetables, herbs, fruit, and ornamentals can co-exist and enhance a garden space. 

The park features a popular walking path, so WSU Master Gardeners get quite a few questions from residents.

During the 2022 season, the garden yielded beyond our expectations, despite the periods of heavy rain, drought, and the other weather oddities we experienced. 

Here is a sample of the produce we harvested:

• Apples (2 varieties): 20 lb
• Grapes: 60 lb
• Blueberries: 3 lb
• Carrots (2 containers): 2.5 lb
• Chard: 2 lb
• Collards: 4 lb
• Lettuce: 10 lb
• Tomatoes (cherry): 3.5 lb
• Herbs: approximately 3 lb

• Total (includes yields not listed): 133 lb

All produce is donated to local food banks.

The apple "trees" are espaliered along the split rail fence, as is the grapevine. Plant choices for nine of the beds change each year, to try new varieties and adjust for rotation and changing conditions. 

Bed #10 is a well-established herb bed. The Master Gardeners and community volunteers installed a drip irrigation system in 2014 that greatly simplified watering chores at the garden.

In 2023, astrological spring is March 23. Meteorological spring arrives March 1, and Celtic spring on February 1. 

We are looking forward to planning and planting in the new season as early as possible! You can find the garden on our website at https://mgfkc.org/resources/map-of-mg-clinics-and-gardens

Marty Byrne is a WSU Extension Master Gardener

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Help for Gardeners: Ask a Master Gardener video and email clinics

The King County Master Gardeners continue to answer home gardeners' questions in their live Video Clinics twice each week.

Gardeners can speak live with a Master Gardener and share images of problems or concerns. 

Video Clinics operate every Tuesday, from 7pm to 8:30pm, and Saturday, from 11:30am to 1pm, through October 16, 2021. (All times Pacific Daylight Time.)

Our Email Clinic is open year-round. Gardeners can send email messages with questions and photos to ask-a-mastergardener@live.com.

Information for both Clinics, including the video link, is at https://extension.wsu.edu/king/ask-a-master-gardener/

The Master Gardener Foundation is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit, supporting the work and activities of the Master Gardener Program

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Master Gardener 2021 online plant sale

Master Gardener 2021 Online Plant Sale! 

Opens noon, Wednesday, April 21, and closes Tuesday, April 27, at 6:00pm. 

Curbside pickup Friday, April 30 to Sunday, May 2, by appointment. 

All plant sale details found at https://www.mgfkc.org/events/plant-sale. 

Rain or shine, we hope to see you online and help you start the best garden ever this year, finding plants and garden accessories.

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