West Seattle, Washington
02 Wednesday
Amanda from SOMA Bodywork (WSB sponsor) also mentioned this in the WSB Forums, but in case you are or know a beekeeper and haven’t seen this yet:
I was gone for a week and a swarm of honeybees has moved into my worm bin. Real honeybees like we had when I was a kid. I hardly thought they existed anymore! I actually wondered if someone had lost their swarm. Anyway, I’d love to have access to my worm bin again, so if any beekeepers out there are interested in capturing them, call me! 206-979-6106. Between Juneau and Findlay on 46th Ave SW.
On video, that’s helga hizer and Matthew Ellis of Mess Kit performing at West Seattle Nursery a short time ago – during the first-ever beer/art/gardening event that’s teaming WSN with Twilight Artist Collective and Prost West Seattle. $2 beer:
$1 pretzels:
Art – priceless. Well, not really. Prices vary.
West Seattle Nursery is at California/Brandon (map). Part of the sale proceeds during today’s event will go to West Seattle Helpline.
Update on the adoptable dogs and cats at the Furry Faces Foundation plant sale/pet adoption event running through 4 pm today (3809 46th SW; map) – Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor)’s Lora Lewis is there and sends pix of some of the pets who just might be looking for YOU – that’s Rambo in the photo above – and following the nameless but cute kittens, it’s Griswold:
Griswold’s a Rottweiler mix, 18 months old, available through King County Animal Services – Lora says the fees are $75 dogs, $35 for cats, $75 kittens. And as she adds, “Lots of plants too, of course!”
That’s a photo from last year’s West Seattle Sportsmen’s Club Hi-Yu Kids’ Fishing Derby; this year’s edition happens this morning at Seacrest, 8 am-11 am. Kids through age 12 are welcome – it’s free – and you get to keep your catch. Or — perhaps you and your family are in the market for a pet?
That’s Riley, a “senior dog” who needs a new home. Animals First Foundation is scheduled to bring Riley to the Furry Faces Foundation plant sale today (raising money for animal rescue), 10 am-4 pm (tomorrow too) along with info about other pets AFF has available (more into cats? they’ll be at the plant sale tomorrow). Lots of info about the sale and the pets can be found here (and the book-signing!). That’s one of THREE big plant sales today, by the way, along with the sale at Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor) to benefit the American Cancer Society and the sale at Tibbetts United Methodist Church. Not interested in plants, pets, or fishing? LOTS more happening – including state legislators’ Town Hall in White Center (which has a big community cleanup today too) at 10 am, The Kenney‘s big brunch fundraiser at 11 am, and many entertainment options … click here to go directly to the Saturday section of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
Since Furry Faces Foundation‘s big plant sale this weekend is all about raising money to help animals, a bonus event on Saturday fits right in: West Seattle author Val Mallinson will be signing and selling copies of her books “The Dog Lover’s Guide to the Pacific Northwest” and “The Dog Lover’s Guide to Seattle” for the first four hours of the first sale day, donating $1 from each book sale to F3. As F3’s announcement puts it, “Together with her faithful companions Cooper and Isis—also known as “The Wonder Wieners”—Val reveals the best dog-friendly romps, digs, and eats in the Pacific Northwest in these two new guidebooks.” She’ll be there 10 am-2 pm tomorrow (Saturday); the plant sale is 10 am-4 pm Saturday and Sunday; the location both days is 3809 46th Ave SW (map). And did we mention the plant sale also will offer pet-adoption opportunties? in addition to the “1,200+ healthy, nursery quality plants at reasonable prices, beautifully suited for Pacific NW gardens” – even more details here.
(April photo of Genesee P-Patch site courtesy Aaron Hernandez)
Also discussed at last night’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting, the plan for the new Genesee P-Patch (photo above) to be spotlighted as headquarters for a June 20th city Clean and Green event. As Aaron Hernandez from the P-Patch recently told WSB, “There will be some fun events capped off by a day filled with volunteers putting the final touches on the garden. Mayor Nickels will be present and will be introduced by Minh Chau Le, P-Patch Program West Seattle Coordinator, and Pastor Dan Jacobs from West Seattle Christian Church.” (WSCC provided the land for the P-Patch.) You can read more about the Clean and Green program here; last September’s Gateway cleanup along the Fauntleroy Way end of The Bridge was described as the biggest C&G ever!
Read on for the official announcement:Read More
By Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
In northern West Seattle, just north of South Seattle Community College on a 4.6-acre plot of land, a project is under development that upon completion will house a unique Chinese garden, the only one of its kind outside of China, and tomorrow is your next chance for one of its monthly guided tours, so we visited recently to see how it’s progressing.
The project is a collaborative work in progress between Seattle and its sister city in China, Chongqing and this site was chosen for its commanding views of the Cascades, Olympics and downtown.
The idea was first started in 1986 while then-Mayor Charles Royer was on a trade mission to Chongqing and 23 years later, the Seattle Chinese Garden — now a nonprofit organization—is slowly helping to bring this project into fruition.
What’s taking so long?
We first told you two months ago about the impending West Seattle Edible Garden Fair (WSB story here), with subsequent mentions and reminders along the way as the food-gardening movement continues to grow in West Seattle … now, with two weeks till the May 23 event, Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle is looking for additional volunteer help. The Edible Garden Fair is 9:30 am-4 pm May 23 at South Seattle Community College, tackling topics such as: Growing Gourmet Vegetables, Building Safe and Healthy Soils, Gardening in Small Spaces, Cooking with Northwest Greens, and a Panel on Victory Gardens, Then and Now (full list of presentations here). The soon-to-open West Seattle restaurant Fresh Bistro (in the Mural Apartments [WSB sponsor] building) will provide food samples, and you’ll even get the chance to recycle used garden books and tools. If you can volunteer some time to help with the fair, e-mail Aviva: aviva@duwamish.net
This is one of the oddest cases we’ve heard about lately, and J & A – who e-mailed to tell the story – fully acknowledge it pales in comparison to some of what we’ve had to report on recently. Nonetheless, they do want to put out the alert about someone who came into their yard and did work without permission – damaging work at that – read on:Read More
This ongoing volunteer campaign aimed at helping get more fresh food for sale in Delridge has sent a few updates this morning – including Delridge Produce Cooperative‘s upcoming participation in the next two weekend’s biggest West Seattle events, the Sustainable West Seattle Festival (Sunday 5/3) and West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day (Saturday 5/9), as well as one more chance to enter a contest — read on!Read More
We first told you last year about Longfellow Creek Garden, an “urban farm” in the Delridge area — with volunteers tending it and reaping the benefit. All day today, its first major work party of the year is under way – getting the rows ready, composting the herb-garden area, tackling a list of tasks that even includes “who brought the beer?” That part of the plan, of course, will be skipped by the youngest members of the team:
And alumni of Minnesota’s St. Olaf College are even pitching in for their day of service – here’s their official check-in station along the nearest road:
The tool table has a pair of guards, brought along by Shannon and Jason from the newly formed Longfellow Creek Garden Board of Stewards:
To get involved with Longfellow Creek Garden, e-mail lazylocavores@me.com – you too can help with this adventure in “urban farming” – LFCG is on Facebook, too. Today’s work party continues till 4 pm.
(The Stonehedge Tree Experts team: From left, Matt Kuebler, Jim LeBlanc, Lincoln Erbeck and owner Mark Harman)
Today we welcome a new sponsor – Stonehedge Tree Experts. Stonehedge is West Seattle’s oldest tree-care company. Its owner Mark Harman says his business is built on repeat customers who appreciate the care and attention to detail that his crew brings to each and every job. He says the comments he gets about his crew usually include the words “careful,” “efficient,” and “clean.” Mark says he thinks that this care and attention are why he’s been able to build so many long-term relationships with customers. Mark is a member of the International Society of Arboriculture and Plant Amnesty. He has three ISA Certified Arborists on the crew who are members of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Mark is a West Seattle native – his family lived in Fauntleroy when he was born and that’s where he grew up; he currently resides in Gatewood. He’s also a member of the Fauntleroy Community Association. You can reach Stonehedge Tree Experts at 937-7428 or at their website, stonehedgetree.com.
Thanks to Stonehedge Tree Experts for choosing to grow their business while supporting 24/7 community news/information/discussion by sponsoring WSB; our full sponsor lineup, and info on how to become part of it, is on our Advertise! page.
You may have noticed yellow tape cordoning off some areas along the sidewalk in The Junction’s business district: Liz at the West Seattle Junction Association tells WSB that landscaping work is happening along California between Edmunds and Oregon, through next week, and the tape will come down as the new plants go in. West Seattle-based Artego’s is donating their services.
From the WSB inbox, an update on the P-Patch plan in The Junction, and the above photo, with a call for action RIGHT NOW, if you are interested:
Friends of West Seattle Genesee P-Patch
Urgent! We need your help now! West Seattle has been an under-served community for p-patches, and in recent years has lost two of them. There are currently more than 100 West Seattle residents on a wait list for a p-patch plot. There are also no city-run p-patches north of SW Edmunds St. Here is a great opportunity for West Seattlites to come together and volunteer to help local residents in need of a plot. Currently, West Seattle p-patchers must seek sites outside of our area. We are looking for volunteers for the following tasks, especially if you already have the tools and know-how:
Demo a small section of concrete sidewalk and reclaim a few more square feet of garden space.
Build a hogwire fence (we will secure the materials).Haul away shrubs and brush in your truck.General labor such as digging, tilling, and taking out shrubs, brush, and 3 trees.
If you have a group of young ones that you can lead in making garden stepping stones or would like to build short sections of picket fence panels, I want to hear from you!
This is the final weekend before the opportunity for you to contribute to your community through this project closes. Please contact me as soon as possible at wscc.grounds@hotmail.com or call me at 206-280-5015. Aaron, Genesee P-Patch coordinator.
Let no potential garden go ungardened! Gatewood gardener Sandy from Urban Land Army sends word of the new project Land Link, which is looking for YOU:
www.urbanlandarmy.com. To contact us with questions: hq@urbanlandarmy.com
Sandy adds, “I will also be starting a series on the Urban Land Army blog next week called ‘Grow It Yourself: The First Season.’ From my Gatewood test garden, I’ll walk people through how to grow 5 vegetables and 5 herbs – from ripping out the lawn to seeding and harvesting and preserving. Complete with photos, video, and fun reading!”
Very belatedly finishing the West Seattle Weekend Lineup – if you see this before 8 pm, it’s not too late to catch night one of the West Seattle Lions‘ annual Plant Sale, happening at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon St), tonight till 8. It continues tomorrow 9 am – 3 pm. Dahlias, rhodies, scented geraniums, tomatoes, and much more. West Seattle Master Gardeners on hand to answer your questions. Cash/check only. Proceeds benefit Lions philanthropic work (including eyeglasses and hearing aids for low-income WS residents, and scholarships for college-bound WS teens).
WSB contributing reporter Keri DeTore asked us the seemingly harmless question: “What do you think about featuring some of West Seattle’s ‘shop cats’?” We almost fell all over ourselves yelling YES! Here’s Keri’s introduction, followed by the first profile:
Keeping the books warm and the mice away; drinking from fountains, greeting customers and saving other cat lives by being blood donors. West Seattle has a number of businesses featuring these furry co-workers who help with rodent control and even have their own fan clubs. We’ll be sharing the stories of these feline friends from time to time.
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
West Seattle Nursery’s shop cat is Seth: “Everything’s for sale but the cat.”
(photo courtesy West Seattle Nursery)
As he lounges in his nest at the West Seattle Nursery counter, you’d be forgiven for questioning the “feisty” description many of the folks who work with Seth have given him; but reach out a hand and look what happens — you might be delicately hooked by a slender claw and brought closer for inspection:
GOT PLANTS? Local animal-helping nonprofit Furry Faces Foundation is getting ready for another season of fundraising plant sales (photo above is from one of its 2008 events) and has this request for you:
Donate Your Extra Garden Plants & Save Lives!
Furry Faces Foundation’s 9th Annual Plant Sale Season is in full swing. Funds raised from our plant sales support our ‘It’s Hip To Be Snipped’ program and ‘Oliver’s Fund,’ which assists companion animals whose humans are on a fixed income.
Do you have healthy plants that require division? Never made it out of the pot and into the ground? Are you (re)- landscaping & have extra plants? Looking for a good home for these plants? Please donate them to the animals.
Thank you for thinking of Furry Faces Foundation! For more information, please e-mail furryfaces@hotmail.com
F3 will start the selling with the Mother’s Day Hanging Basket Sale 10 am-4 pm May 2 and 3 in the courtyard outside Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – for $20, pick out your own plants and build your own basket – “soil, hanging baskets, and caring coaching are all included,” Teri says. Then two weekends of even-bigger plant sales happen May 16-17 and June 6-7; more on those later. Now, our second note:
SUNSET SHOWCASE: West Seattle gardener and writer Willi Galloway is featured in the latest edition of Sunset magazine — you can see the pages on Willi’s site, DigginFood.com (one of the 100 West Seattle-based websites whose latest posts are linked from our Blogs page). Willi tells WSB, “We were super excited to represent Seattle — and West Seattle in particular — in Sunset!” Keep an eye on Willi’s site – she’s promising a series of reports on other West Seattle food gardens later this year. (Besides gardening and writing her own site, Willi also is West Coast editor for Organic Gardening magazine and a regular panelist for the Greendays gardening discussions on KUOW, 10 am Tuesdays.)
(Saturday evening photo by David Hutchinson, taken near Don Armeni)
VIADUCT REMINDER: The second of the Alaskan Way Viaduct‘s two 12-hour inspection shutdowns is scheduled 6 am-6 pm (note that they often end “early” on the 2nd day) today, while the Battery Street Tunnel is to remain closed till 5 am tomorrow; go behind the scenes during shutdown day 1 in this WSB report.
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Daffodils and goat-meat sausage are among the items on today’s “fresh list” for the market (see the complete list here), 10 am-2 pm in The Junction, 44th/Alaska – while you’re there, look for the Junction Plaza Park volunteers, who continue to gather pledges of volunteer help to get the park done.
WEST SEATTLE EDIBLE GARDEN FAIR PLANNING MEETING: 1:30 pm, Duwamish Cohousing – join the group that’s getting ready for an event to show the whole peninsula how to get involved in growing food. (More info in this preview we published Friday.)
Also today – World Water Day at Alki, a free concert at Hope Lutheran, the Hi-Yu Spring Tea, and more – full list in the Sunday section of our West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
Not only will there be a West Seattle Edible Garden Tour again this year, there’ll also be a West Seattle Edible Garden Fair too. And you can help it grow – by spending an hour and half with organizers this Sunday afternoon. The Edible Garden Fair, involving Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle and the city Department of Neighborhoods, is set for May 23rd at South Seattle Community College, a day of “presentations and panel discussions about growing food,” according to the CHoSS website. But before it comes to fruition, it’s time for planning and strategizing – and that’ll happen at 1:30 this Sunday in the Common House at Duwamish Cohousing (6000 17th SW; here’s a map).
On this rainy night – think of how great the rain is for all those West Seattle gardens-in-waiting, with the official start of spring just a week away. We have several garden-related notes to share:
P-PATCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: An update from Aaron Hernandez, who’s helping coordinate the creation of a new P-Patch on a plot provided by West Seattle Christian Church in The Junction:
We’ve finally got a name, Friends of West Seattle Genesee P-Patch. We’re shooting to meet the April 6 grant deadline, and I am still in search of potential volunteers. I am also interested in hearing from any local businesses able and willing to contribute to our project. The items we need vary, so if anyone is interested they should contact me. I’d also like to encourage businesses and other organizations to consider volunteering as teams, as it is a great way not only to contribute to our community, but also build and strengthen employee teams and relationships. My e-mail is wscc.grounds@hotmail.com.
LONGFELLOW CREEK GARDEN: We followed the development of this organic garden/mini-farm last year, and its volunteers are getting ready for a new growing season:
Another organizing meeting is planned tonight (Sunday) not far from the garden site in Delridge. If you’re interested in being part of it, send a note to longfellowcreekgarden@earthlink.net — you can also become a “friend” of Longfellow Creek Garden on Facebook – start here.
ARBOR HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY PLANT SALE: Orders are being taken now for plants that’ll be delivered in early May. All the info you need starts here. (And if anyone else has a fundraising plant sale under way, let us know – all our contact info is here.)
Don’t just have a garden – much less a yard – how about a “backyard wildlife habitat”? A unique four-part workshop to show you how is just days away, so here are the details one more time:
Backyard Habitat Workshop at Camp Long
Join Woodland Park Zoo, National Wildlife Federation, Seattle Audubon, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Native Plant Society at Camp Long for this informative workshop on creating a backyard wildlife habitat. Meet experts and get hands-on experience that will show how to attract birds and other wildlife to your backyard, select and care for native plants, recognize and remove invasive plants species, conserve water, manage your backyard without the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides, place feeders and bird houses, get your backyard, schoolyard or community garden certified as a Backyard Habitat.
This is a four-part workshop:
– Tuesday, March 10, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
– Tuesday, March 17, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
– Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
– Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Cost: $75 (or $140 for couples); scholarships available for members of West Seattle Garden Club and local neighborhood associations
To register, please see the zoo’s website:
http://www.zoo.org/educate/adult/workshops.html
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