West Seattle, Washington
15 Wednesday
11:50 AM: It’s a mellow open house happening at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW; WSB sponsor) right now, as proprietor Marcia Bruno describes it, but full of highlights. Want to learn about bees? Washington Bee Atlas volunteers are there:
WBA is working to identify and map our state’s wild bees, and the plants that they favor.
You can find out how to volunteer! Also at the open house, West Seattle author Lori Kothe and her picture book “Birds Near My Home in the City by the Sea“:
(If you can’t get there today, WSN is selling Lori’s book and should have some signed copies too.) After noon, a special highlight – WSN’s own Chelsea Ginnis launching Nosegay Gardens, and will be there to talk about it and the plants she’ll be selling. The open house is on until 2 pm.
1:59 PM: We went back to catch up with Chelsea, who is a fulltime WS Nursery employee and now a wholesale plant grower/seller. She’s focusing on roses and perennials, telling us that if she grows annuals, they’d mostly be “edibles.” She’s also excited about helping educate gardeners and plans to post about rose care this coming week on her website. (She’s actually been in business as a landscaper under the Nosegay Gardens name since 2022, but now she’s no longer taking new clients in that business and focusing on plants – which you of course can buy at WSN, which is open 9 am-7 pm this time of year.)
(File photo from recent compost giveaway in Highland Park)
Tomorrow’s the day that GROW will be sponsoring a compost giveaway at Westcrest Garden P-Patch (9000 8th SW) – 10 am to 2 pm Saturday or while the free compost lasts. It’s in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities and the Department of Neighborhoods as well as the Westcrest P-Patch community team. Bring your own bucket and shovel
(Photo from Westcrest compost giveaway last year)
Another chance to pick up free compost in West Seattle! Here’s the announcement sent to us to share with you:
GROW will be sponsoring a FREE compost event at Westcrest Garden P-Patch (9000 8th SW) on Saturday, April 11, from 10 AM to 2 PM or until compost runs out. Seattle Public Utilities and the Department of Neighborhoods have worked together with us and the Westcrest P-Patch community team to supply the neighborhood with up to 60 yards of compost. Bring a bucket and a shovel if you have one.
“
Today we welcome our newest sponsor, Fruits to Fronds Garden Design. New sponsors get the chance to tell you what they’re all about – so here’s what Fruits to Fronds Garden Design wants you to know:
Fruits to Fronds is a full-service gardening and landscape design business that has been located in West Seattle for over 28 years. Owner Shannon Toal has been providing the greater Seattle area with beautiful outdoor spaces that are as ecologically beneficial as they are attractive. Her experience and expertise can be found in the many types of gardens she has designed and installed. From native plants to zen gardens, pollinator to bird and butterfly friendly gardens, Shannon and the Fruits to Fronds crew are committed to developing environmentally sustainable gardens that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
What sets Fruits to Fronds apart is their commitment to blend environmental thinking with garden design. They are committed to creating landscapes that can help support Western Washington’s native flora and fauna. This is exemplified by their Backyard Bee Project, which seeks to support native pollinator Mason Bees with shelter and food as they pollinate your garden. The best part – Mason Bees don’t sting or bite! The Fruits to Fronds team is proud to offer bee shelter installation.
They will introduce bee cocoons and provide annual care as the insects progress through their life cycle.
Fruits to Fronds offers a suite of gardening services from initial design and installation to ongoing maintenance. From recurring monthly visit to keep your garden looking its best or just a seasonal visit, the Fruits to Fronds team can accommodate any level of work.
General Services Include:
-Garden design and installation
-Garden renovations and clean up
-Regular maintenance and weeding
-Fruit tree and specialty pruning
-Bee house installation and care
-Rock work and hardscaping
Whether you’re looking to just maintain your existing garden, or completely rethink your personal landscape, Shannon and her team at Fruits to Fronds are happy to discuss how to bring out the best in your garden and yard.
Fruits to Fronds, LLC
Website fruitstofronds.com
Email fruitstofronds@gmail.com
Phone 206-355-7600
We thank Fruits to Fronds Garden Design for choosing to advertise their services by sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB. Interested in joining our sponsor team? Please email WSBAdvertising@wsbsales.com for information – thank you!
12:09 PM: Thanks to Kay from Highland Park Improvement Club for the photo and update:
We have lots of excited gardeners getting free SPU compost plus free seeds and plants to swap- and complimentary coffee and cookies from the Highland Park Corner Store.
We are also kicking of a really fun fundraising auction. One of our board members acquired an amazing donation of 70 architectural ceramic planters which we will be offering via online auction starting today through March 12.
Find the bidding site here:
The compost giveaway is at 1116 SW Holden, on until 2 pm or until they run out.
1:05 PM: Just stopped by. Compost left! Some plants and seeds too. We’ll have a separate story later with more on the planter auction.
(Photos courtesy West Seattle Nursery)
That’s the newest thing flowering for West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor) – their Grand Prize trophy from the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival! You might recall their call – and community members’ response – for books to include. Here’s what they became:
Here’s how WSN announced the win:
Many long days went into building this display, and we are so proud of what our crew created. Thank you to every person who worked tirelessly to bring our garden library shed concept to life.
The care poured into every small (and not so small) detail is what makes this woodland escape feel so effortlessly homey.
“Where Stories Take Root” was designed as a cozy reading retreat nestled among ferns, shade-loving shrubs, and trees, a space where structure and landscape blur together. A deck extends over a gently moving pond, wooden bowls drift and softly knock against one another, and a sunken seating circle invites you to slow down and stay a while. Look up and you’ll find a chandelier crafted from books. Look closer and you’ll see pages fanned into floral forms. Every detail has a story.
Also:
People often ask where those big Madrone branches on the corners came from. One of our employees has Madrones in his yard and these were broken off during a wind storm.
You can see how many of those donated books were used. Again, thank you to the community for stepping up and helping.
You can see the display firsthand at the Flower and Garden Festival – at the Convention Center downtown – through Sunday (February 22).
(SPU file photo of a compost giveaway event)
The next event at the past-and-future Highland Park Improvement Club site is one week from Saturday – pick up free compost – 10 am-2 pm February 28. HPIC’s announcement says, “In partnership with Seattle Public Utilities, we will be offering free compost from Lenz Enterprises for members and neighbors to pick up. Bring your shovels and buckets to the HPIC parking lot to swap seeds, share extra plants, load up on compost, and help your plants and neighbors thrive! There will be free coffee on-site. One load per household, please.” RSVPs not mandatory but appreciated – go here!
As sunny days like today remind us that gardening season is near, West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor) is inviting more kids to join the Growing Gardeners Club, which will be involved with a demonstration garden that WSN will launch soon. WSN’s Marie McKinsey explains, “This month we are inviting kids to decide what we will be planting in the garden. We have a questionnaire for them to fill out, and we will announce the ‘winners’ in early March.” Kids can answer the questionnaire at the nursery (5275 California SW), and it’s also in the first issue of a new Growing Gardeners Club newsletter for parents, which Marie explains “will enable us to share more content, like videos and links to various resources.” If there’s a budding gardener in your home, sign up for the newsletter here – and see the first edition (with the aforementioned questionnaire) here.
“Thank you” is one of our favorite phrases, so we’re happy to share this message for you about the request we published from West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor) a week and a half ago, as they planned their exhibit for the upcoming Northwest Flower and Garden Festival. WSN’s Marie McKinsey emailed the photo and message:
We asked you to put out the word that we wanted old books. This is a FRACTION of what we got. Thank you and the community!
West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor), featured here earlier in the week for a big donation, now has a request for you:
We need old books for the display garden we are doing for the NW Flower and Garden Festival next month.
It doesn’t matter what the subject is and people should not donate books they want to get back. We will be breaking some of them up for part of the project.
If people want to clean out their shelves, they can bring their old books to the Garden Center. We have a Book Drop table set up there.
West Seattle Nursery is at 5275 California SW.
Another holiday-greenery advisory, this time from the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) Garden Center:
South Seattle College Garden Center dates and Hours for the Holidays!
Garden Center is open until December 20th! We have Holiday Swags, Poinsettias, and beautiful blooming Christmas Cactus! Plus BUILD YOUR OWN WREATH FOR THE HOLIDAYS! All new indoor plants will brighten any home or office and make a wonderful gift! Open Thursday-Saturday from 10 am-3 pm until December 20th! We will reopen January 8th! Thank you for a wonderful year supporting our students!
The Garden Center at South Seattle College provides Landscape Horticulture students the opportunity to increase their knowledge of plants while gaining real-world retail experience. Plants available for sale are selected, propagated, grown and presented by Landscape Horticulture students. Additional plants are brought in from local growers. Proceeds benefit Landscape Horticulture Program projects. Visitors can also enjoy refreshments from the Otter Pup truck, offering a variety of coffee drinks and fresh pastries. It’s a great place to grab a treat while exploring the Garden Center and supporting student-driven horticultural work.
Cash and electronic payments accepted.
The Garden Center is located in the North Parking Lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th Ave SW) in the Puget Ridge neighborhood of West Seattle. There is ample paid parking in the north lot, and visitors can generally find free parking along 16th Ave SW with a short walk to the Academy from there. View our campus map for more details.
(WSB file photo)
West Seattle’s Puget Ridge Edible Park is one of a kind – community created, community maintained, community supported. It’s a place not only to grow food – but also to grow growers. Now a key component needs replacement, and PREP’s Stu Hennessey shares the call for support in making that happen:
Over the last decade of the volunteer run Puget Ridge Edible Park (PREP) we have met so many people from all over West Seattle that are interested in learning more about growing and harvesting locally grown vegetables.
The PREP seed money campaign has just started and will go on through December 15th.
This year we would like to raise $2800 to replace our aging polytunnel. The polytunnel makes a big difference in how much food we can produce for our open to the public food garden.
When you donate early it will go toward getting more funding awarded to the fastest starters in their campaigns.
Please consider donating to this, as it is our biggest fundraiser.
Never been there? Puget Ridge Edible Park is at 18th SW and SW Brandon.
(WSB photos)
Now until 2 pm, the holiday season is in full bloom at West Seattle Nursery (California SW and SW Brandon; WSB sponsor) for its annual Holiday Open House. The full event schedule is here; above, free pet portraits with Element 79 Photography are continuing until 1 pm. (That’s Henry, posing.) This is the second year that pet photos have been part of the open house – they were so popular last year, the nursery decided on an encore. Lots of patient pups and people waiting today, too:
And if you want to take a photo with one of the most famous dogs of all time, check out Snoopy, with his decorated doghouse and Charlie Brown (plus Woodstock!), outside the nursery’s shop:
They’ll be there for DIY photos throughout the season. Inside, lots of holiday decor, including ornaments on themed Christmas trees – the “apothecary” tree is new this year, with lots of old-fashioned items:
And don’t miss the “celebrity” tree:
If you’re ready at this early date to decorate your own tree, West Seattle Nursery already has some in!
A big load, we’re told, is expected Tuesday. Today’s open house only continues until 2 but the nursery is open until 5.
(WSB file photo)
Puget Ridge Edible Park (18th/Brandon) is a park where food is grown. The lessons community volunteers have learned while making it happen and helping it thrive are lessons you can learn from – and a “community garden leadership camp” this fall will give you that chance. PREP’s Stu Hennessey sent the announcement:
What: Urban farming, community garden leadership camp
When: September 20th through October 18th on consecutive Saturdays from 9 am to 11 am
Where: Puget Ridge Edible Park
1801 SW Brandon St. West SeattleWhy: Puget Ridge Edible Park is a permaculture community garden that supplies free local and fresh produce to many families in and near the Puget Ridge neighborhood.
With food security being a concern and with prices of high quality and healthy food prices climbing the fastest, growing locally is the best answer. We will share with you our story of success from acquiring space to season by season methods that you can use to develop your own neighborhood park as well as use in your own garden. To show commitment, a $25 donation the the Puget Ridge Edible Park group, a 501c3 is suggested but not required.
Interested? Find out more here.
One day every year, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market celebrates one of the season’s most bountiful harvests by offering zucchini racing – young marketgoers get free zucchini and components to turn them into “vegetable vehicles” which they can then send rolling down a short race course (our video above shows a round of last year’s racing). Tomorrow (Sunday, August 31) is the big day, 11 am-1 pm. Look for the booth at the south end of the market, with volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle there to assist, as well as West Seattle Nursery (WSB sponsor). Marie from WSN tells us that their Growing Gardeners Club for kids gave members containers with soil and zucchini seeds back in March, in hopes some might grow their own to use in Sunday’s races. Then, earlier this month, members got “little race car kits with a set of wheels and stickers they can use to decorate their racers, and information about the Farmers Market races so they can participate.” A WSN rep will be there tomorrow to see if any members show up to race, and to provide club info to prospective new members. Again, this is 11 am-1 pm tomorrow, during the regular 10 am-2 pm market on California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska.
(Sweat bee on calendula, photo by Rosalie Miller)
Not all bees are created equal. The Washington Bee Atlas‘s mission is to identify and map our state’s wild bees, and they’re looking for more volunteers to join in, You’ll be able to talk with some of them – including West Seattle photographer/gardener Rosalie Miller – this Sunday (August 10) at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW; WSB sponsor). They’ll be tabling 10 am-2 pm, so you are welcome to drop in at any time during that window. WSN’s announcement invites you to “learn more about local pollinators, how you can get involved, and why wild bees are so important to our ecosystems.” Find out more about the Washington Bee Atlas here.
(Bee Garden photo: Volunteers, earlier this year)
If you have some spare time on Sunday, the West Seattle Bee Garden could benefit! Here’s the announcement that Lisa asked us to share:
This Sunday the 6th is our July work party, 10-12 pm. Our big focus is weeding! Some areas of the garden have gotten pretty wild so I’m hoping we can make a big dent and give our intentional plants much needed space and sunlight.
In the spirit of the holiday weekend, I also encourage you to bring your social side and join us for a break with lemon raspberry cake (homemade! homegrown raspberries!) and sparkling water. If you’d like to bring something to share, you are welcome to, but no pressure.
As usual:
-dress for the weather: it’ll be warm and sunny – hats and sunblock encouraged
-wear close-toed shoes
-we have tools but bring a favorite if you have one
-no experience necessary, all levels of garden-curious folks are welcome
-this is a family-friendly event, kids are welcomeAdditional volunteer opportunities
In July and August, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2-4 pm, a youth group from the High Point neighborhood will be gardening and stewarding in and around the Bee Garden. The group has leaders, extra hands are appreciated. If you have interest and availability in supporting this community work, please reach out to Abbie at: abbiec@nhwa.org.
The Bee Garden is at the north end of High Point Commons Park (Graham/Lanham).
FIRST 9 PHOTOS BY OLIVER HAMLIN FOR WSB
If you’re in a garden-related business, chances are you have a great garden yourself, as does Marcia Bruno (above), owner of West Seattle Nursery and Garden Center (WSB sponsor) – her west Admiral garden was the first stop on the map for today’s West Seattle Garden Tour. Ten gardens were chosen as tour stops. Here’s the fifth on the list, in west Seaview:
This garden was laden with art, including “Steel Roots” by Steve Tobin:
A notable feature of the eighth garden on the list, toward the south end of The Arroyos – its Puget Sound view:
At the ninth garden, in Seola, we photographed gardeners Janyce Lauhon-Horton and Kent Horton beneath a magnolia tree:
This is Janyce’s childhood home.
She told us she’s been gardening there for 50 years, and she’s especially fond of shade-loving plants!
These hydrangea blossoms were eye-catching too:
Container gardening was in view at some stops too, like the tenth on the list, on Puget Ridge:
And containers also caught our eye at the seventh mapped garden, in Gatewood (photos from here by WSB editor Tracy Record):
But the most striking features of this site are the gardeners’ efficient use of space, including the planting strips:
Not shown, but also notable, this home once had a golf-course-quality lawn out front. One of its owners told us they knew when they bought the house they’d never be able to maintain that. Over the years, more and more of the lawn has been carved away and turned into garden beds.
The West Seattle Garden Tour raises money for grants to nonprofits – here’s this year’s list; nominations are still being accepted for next year’s grants.
(Seen on last year’s West Seattle Garden Tour)
If June showers enhance June flowers, then Sunday should be a spectacular edition of the annual West Seattle Garden Tour, as the forecast suggests some showers before then (though the current outlook for tour day is “partly sunny”). We checked in with the WSGT today to, for starters, see if any tickets are left. Answer: No – they sold out as of Sunday. So if you haven’t already bought a ticket, you’ll have to wait until next year. If you have – here’s an important reminder:
We’d like to remind folks who’ve purchased their tickets online for will-call that they will be available for pickup on Sunday only between 8:30 – 11 am at West Seattle Nursery at 5275 California Ave SW. This is a change from prior years where pickup was at Metropolitan Market. There will not be additional ticket books for sale at the West Seattle Nursery.
Tour hours on Sunday are 9 am to 5 pm – please be considerate of the garden hosts, no earlybirds, no late stragglers. And please follow tour etiquette:
-Stay on paths and be careful not to step on bordering plants
-Do not collect any plant material without the gardener’s permission
-Do not bring pets to the gardens (service animals are permitted)
-Please watch children closely
P.S. As we’ve reported before, Garden Tour proceeds go to grants for other nonprofits – here’s this year’s list of recipients – and applications are still open if your nonprofit is interested in next year’s grants.
(WSB photo by Dave Gershgorn from last month’s Peony Festival)
Events like last month’s Peony Festival bring many visitors to the Seattle Chinese Garden on West Seattle’s Puget Ridge, on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. But you might not be aware that it’s more than an event venue – it’s a cultural touchstone, and it’s embarking on a new fundraising campaign announced at its annual banquet last weekend. Today the Garden shares this announcement about what happened at the banquet and what it’s raising money for:
At a time when tensions between the national governments of the U.S. and China have been escalating, three hundred people came to the Chinatown-International District last weekend to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Seattle Chinese Garden and to reaffirm our people-to-people ties with Seattle’s Sister City of Chongqing. “With the rise in international tensions and anti-Asian prejudice, there has never been a more important time to educate people about the beauty and importance of Chinese culture and to increase public understanding of Chinese communities locally and around the world,” said Evelyn Yenson, a member of the Chinese Garden board.
Former Governor Gary Locke was even more passionate in his remarks to those in attendance, “We need to finish the Chinese Garden to show our pride in Chinese culture and heritage and to fight back against current efforts to brand everyone of Chinese heritage as somehow a potential spy for the People’s Republic of China or un-American. We are proud of our Chinese heritage, and we are loyal Americans.”
During the evening, the Chinese Garden board honored Jerry and Charlene Lee for their long service to the community and for their steadfast support for the garden. Representatives of the City of Seattle and King County read proclamations in honor of the Chinese Garden and the Lees.
Paige Miller, a Chinese Garden board member, announced a bold plan to raise over $30 million to build out the Central Garden including a teahouse, four-story tower, scholar’s studio, and multiple smaller buildings, ponds, and Mirror Lake. Last year the City of Seattle put $5 million in its budget for the capital campaign. Combined with Chongqing’s commitment to provide Chinese building materials and skilled artisan labor and the other pledged gifts from individuals, the campaign has reached $15 million in pledges, nearly halfway to its goal. “We are so excited to be nearly halfway to our goal as we publicly announce this campaign,” said Lincoln Ferris, president of the board. Jerry Lee, in his remarks, urged the community to rally to support the garden. “Now is the time to make it happen,” he urged.
The Seattle Chinese Garden was conceived in the mid-1980s as a joint project between Seattle and Chongqing, a city of thirty three million people in a mountainous region of southwest China. The garden is located on the campus of South Seattle College in West Seattle, high on a ridge with a view over the harbor toward downtown Seattle. The first construction began in 1999. The garden’s mission is to celebrate classical Chinese culture through the activities in the garden and to serve as a living bridge of friendship between the people of Chongqing and the people of Seattle.
Proclamations from the City of Seattle and King County were presented in honor of the garden’s 35th anniversary. For more information about the Chinese Garden and the campaign visit the website at seattlechinesegarden.org.
Spread mulch, help bees! That’s the task awaiting helpers at tomorrow’s monthly West Seattle Bee Garden work party. Lisa asked us to, well, spread the word:
Please join us this Sunday, June 1st, 10 am-12 pm in the Bee Garden for our June work party.
Our big task is re-mulching the pathways. We’ll have wheelbarrows and pitchforks to complete the work but bring your own if you have a favorite. As usual, dress for the weather (looks like sun!) and wear closed-toe shoes. Light snacks provided.
We’ll have additional tasks as well, such as weeding (always) and possibly some planting.
Thanks to our amazing community support, this season we’ve been been able to relaunch the field trip program as well as welcoming other education groups back to the garden. It wouldn’t have been possible without your help. Thanks for your continued support!
The West Seattle Bee Garden is on the north end of High Point Commons Park, Lanham/Graham.
West Seattle High School students hosting a “beautify the school” event are inviting donations for their gardening project. Here’s the announcement they asked us to share:
West Seattle High School ASB members Sam Flynn, Jonah Pelander, Charlie Lewis, and Christiano Solis are putting on an event to add beauty and color to the surrounding premises of WSHS through plant life. We’re all very passionate about nature and our community and we would love if fellow community members could support us through donations, specifically to buy plants to plant. We thank you for your time and the impact you will have on the youth.
Here is the link for donations. Thank you for your time.
While we’re talking about flowers, we have updates from the West Seattle Garden Tour organization. Above is the winning artwork that’s being used to promote this year’s tour (June 22), “Pool Party” by Gay Waldman. WSGT has more winners to talk about – the recipients of this year’s grants – and also wants to encourage applications for the next round money it’s ready to give – all explained as follows:
Each year West Seattle Garden Tour, a 501(c)(3) organization, seeks out other nonprofits whose goals fit our mission—to promote horticulture, education, and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities. Your donations and purchase of garden tour and raffle tickets, along with the generous support of our sponsors, allow the West Seattle Garden Tour to fund projects in our community.
We are proud to present the ten nonprofit organizations selected to receive a total of $53,250 in West Seattle Garden Tour grants this year. ArtsWest, A Cleaner Alki, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Endolyne Children’s Choir, GROW, New Start Community Garden, Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, Urban Raptor Conservancy, and West Seattle Community Orchestras have received grants to fund projects that might otherwise not be possible. You can learn more about these organizations and the specific projects we’ve funded on our website at westseattlegardentour.org/grants. Be sure to visit their tables in the gardens on tour day!
The West Seattle Garden Tour is also pleased to announce the opening of our 2026 grant application. We’d like to invite 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the greater Seattle area to apply for grant funding from now until midnight on July 15th, 2025. Grant applications, eligibility, and submission instructions can be found on our website at westseattlegardentour.org/grants.
This year’s West Seattle Garden Tour takes place on Sunday, June 22nd and tickets are now available for sale on our website and at West Seattle Nursery, Swansons Nursery, Wells Medina Nursery, and Zenith Holland Nursery.
The WSGT invariably sells out, so if you’re considering going, you’ll want to get your ticket book sooner rather than later.
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