Demonstration / Public Gardens
The Master Gardeners of King County have developed and maintain six demonstration gardens. In each of these gardens, the community can see firsthand the types of plants that grow well in our area, recommended planting practices, and overall garden care. Visitors can also enjoy each garden’s unique beauty. The gardens contain a large variety of plants. Old favorites grow alongside new experimental varieties. Volunteers maintain the gardens throughout the year using the practices and techniques learned in the Master Gardening Training Course and Continuing Education programs. If you see a “work party” in progress, stop by and talk to our volunteers. They’ll be pleased to show you the gardens and answer your questions. In addition, to MGFKC demonstration gardens we have included information about public gardens that focus on native plants. We encourage each of you to visit these gardens to inspire, inform, and excite you about the beautify of native plants and the many medicinal, cultural and edible aspects of incorporating them in your garden.
WSU Demonstration Gardens in King County
Seattle
Cesar Chavez Demonstration Garden – Research Based Organic Garden.
El Centro De La Raza
2524 16th Ave S, Seattle, WA
Garden Hours: Master Gardeners on site Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm.
Work parties April through September. Some evenings during the growing season.
Garden serves as an outdoor classroom promoting research-based organic gardening information. The garden provides information on nutrition and self-sufficiency and offers opportunities for service learning, and teaching environmental stewardship to the multi-ethnic population of Beacon Hill. The garden includes a children’s garden, vegetable garden that incorporates enabling beds, composting demonstration, kitchen herb garden, native hedgerow, and a cactus garden.
Thyme Patch Park – Pruning / Alternative Hedge Choices
2853 NW 58th St, Ballard, Seattle, WA
Garden Hours: Self-guided tour information available on site.
Thyme Patch Park is a tiny jewel nestled in a west Ballard neighborhood. The park combines the best elements of a neighborhood park and community garden. It includes a P-Patch, Master Gardener demonstration garden, benches, lawn area and walkways. The entrance features a hand-crafted steel handrail by artist Chuck Nafziger. The city-lot-size neighborhood park features 15 P-Patch plots on the south half and a landscaped garden on the northhalf. Master Gardeners created the planting design for the landscaped portion of the park with good design elements for homeowner plants and alternative plant choices for screens and hedges. Fragrance and winter interest plants are also featured.
Wedgwood / Picardo Demonstration Garden – Shade Gardening / Edible Landscaping
2601 NE 82nd St, Seattle, WA
Garden Hours: Master Gardeners are on site on 2nd and 4th Mondays from 12 pm – 3 pm and 2nd and 4th
Saturdays from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.
This shady garden the size of a city lot serves as a model for the average Seattle home gardener. Gardening practices are all organic. Edible plants, edible landscaping (flowers), root crops, and perennial vegetables are given special attention. This fairly shady site because of nearby buildings, it is a realistic model for the average Seattle home gardener.
Bellevue
Bellevue Demonstration Garden – Urban Gardening
15680 SE 16th St, Bellevue, WA
425-462-2749
Hours: Master Gardeners on site Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 am – 1 pm (April – October).
Free workshops every Saturday 10:30 am – 12:00 pm.
The King County Master Gardeners in cooperation with Bellevue Parks & Community Services manage the Bellevue Demonstration Garden. Established in 1984, this urban demonstration garden demostrates good gardening practices in a typical urban setting. The garden includes a complete MG Diagnostic Plant Clinic, Master Compost Center, Greenhouse Operations, Children’s Garden, over 40 demonstration beds and gardens. Outstanding educational workshops for the general public run from January through October. The Garden holds two major events; Children’s Fair & High Summer Celebration in August and Harvest Festival in September which should not be missed.
Kent
Neely Homestead Historical Demonstration Garden - Hertiage / Kitchen Gardening
5311 S 237th Pl, Kent, WA
Hours: Master Gardeners on site Thursday and 3rd Saturday from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (April – October).
Heritage gardening classess held 4th Saturdays at 10:00 am
The David F. Neely House is the oldest standing residence in Kent and on the State Register of Historic Homes. The restoration and preservation project serves as a vivid reminder of the pioneer way of life that existed during the late 1800s. The home was built in 1884, andall the plant material for this garden is historically appropriate. The design features a perennial bed, a rose bed, an area to grow herbs, grapes and hops, and an old-fashioned kitchen (vegatable) garden.
Maple Valley
Tribal Life Trail at Lake Wilderness Arboretum – Indigenous Plants & Native Uses
22520 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley, WA
Hours: Master Gardeners are on site on alternate Saturdays beginning January 30, 2010
The Tribal Life Trail is a trail-style demonstration garden that focuseson plants used by native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. It provides an educational platform and understanding of the foods, medicines, and many other practical functions derived from these plants. The trail is approximately 270 feet long and meanders in and out of the forest edge along the arboretum meadow.
WSU Extension Demonstration Gardens by County
WSU Demostration Gardens in Washington State
Other Great Public Gardens in Washington
Bellevue Botanical Garden – Wide diversity of species including natives
12001 Main Street, Bellevue 425-462-2749.
Bloedel Reserve – Northwest Forest Garden
Bainbridge Island, WA.
Reservations and directions 360-842-7631.
Carl S. English Botanical Garden – Native and exotics
Ballard Locks, 3015 NW 54th Street, Seattle.
Covington Water District – Low-water-use landscape.
A section of native plants exhibits species that are drought tolerant.
18631 SE 300thPlace, Covington, WA
www.covingtonwater.com.
Daybreak Ethnobotanical Garden
NW species considered useful by Native Americans of the Pacific NW.
Contact the gallery at Discovery Park in Seattle 206-285-4425.
E. B. Dunn Historic Garden Trust
P.O. Box 77126, Seattle, WA.
Tours arranged April-September 206-362-0933.
www.dunngardens.org
Eastpointe Native Plant Demonstration Garden
Volunteer effort to educate the public about native plants and their environmental benefits.
3600 – 136th Pl. SE, Bellevue.
Erna Gunther Ethnobotanical Garden
Established in 1984 with support of the Seattle Garden Club.
Corner of 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th, Seattle.
Highline Community College
Des Moines campus provides native plant habitat garden. Divided into four regions, eastern Wash, coastal, NW forest, and subalpine, they have about 100 representative species.
South 240th Street & Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA (206) 878-3710
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden
Four-acre plant collection contains native plants of the Pacific NW.
20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline, WA
www.kruckeberg.org
Lake Hills Greenbelt Ranger Station Backyard Habitat Demonstration
A model creating your own backyard habitat with native plants.
15416 SE 16th, Bellevue.
Lakewold Gardens
Small arboretum is in a lovely setting in the Lakewood area.
12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Tacoma.
Reserve a guided tour by calling 253-584-4106. Otherwise, walk-ins are welcome.
www.lakewoldgardens.org
Olympic Scupture Park
Seattle waterfront park with wide variety of native plants dispersed among sculptures.
Point Defiance Park
Tacoma Garden Club currently maintains the Northwest Native Plant Garden that offers visitors the chance to see native plants in cultivation. There are rarities that the general public rarely sees.
Rhododendron Species Garden
2525 South 336th Street (Next to Weyerhaeuser).
Federal Way, WA (253) 838-4646
www.rhodygarden.org
UW Botanic Gardens
The north end of the arboretum features representative native trees and shrubs and a nature walk.
Seattle.
Botanic Gardens
Woodinville Water District
Low-water-use demonstration garden including a section with native plants.
17328 Woodinville – Duvall Rd, Woodinville.
