Short notice but the sunshine might have you contemplating flower baskets for the growing season ahead, and these are available to benefit local students in the Skunk Works Robotics Team. Arbor Heights resident Jen, who has two teens on the team, explains: It’s a 4H robotics club that is part of FIRST Robotics. Our team of 30 high-school kids just competed in the Portland District Competition representing West Seattle and Burien. The team is selling flower baskets again this year, in shade- and sun-loving options. They’re very comparable to baskets you’d buy at garden stores, but the Skunks ..read more

As you can see if you check our West Seattle Event Calendar, you have multiple opportunities around the area to make a difference with a few hours of your time tomorrow during volunteer work parties in honor of Earth Day. One is at the West Seattle Bee Garden, where you can learn a skill – sheet mulching – that might be usable in your own garden if you have one. In case you haven’t seen it in the calendar, here’s a reminder from Lisa at the Bee Garden: Help us turn a zigzaggy idea into reality – tomorrow! We’ve got our overgrown patch prepared and ready for cardboard, wood chips, compost and ..read more

It’s grow time for gardens – from apartment container gardens to house-yard gardens the size of mini-farms, and everything inbetween. This weekend, two giveaways you should know about: SATURDAY – FREE PLANT STARTS FOR GIVING GARDENS: If you can grow vegetables to donate, this one on Saturday is for you: Calling all home gardeners who would like to grow and share with their community. Pick up free plants to grow and harvest for local food programs! Get starts this Saturday, April 20th, 11 am to 1 pm at The Heron’s Nest, 4818 Puget Way SW. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers at Heron’s Nest ..read more

Lots of planting happening this time of year, but this new planting in West Seattle is of special significance. These are camas plants, installed today in a new cedar planter outside the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse. The Duwamish Tribe’s cultural preservation officer Nancy Sackman was joined by Sharon Leishman of the Duwamish Alive! Coalition for the planting. Camas has a cultural significance to the Duwamish people – with edible bulbs – and the planter will allow them to grow it in cleaner soil than they have access to on the Longhouse grounds. The camas bulbs were sourced from Northwest Meado ..read more

(2023 Garden Tour reader photo, by Bill Schrier) This year’s West Seattle Garden Tour is still more than two months away – on June 23 – but the WSGT is already looking ahead to next year in one important part of what they do – giving grants to other nonprofits. Here’s the announcement: Each year, the West Seattle Garden tour, a 501(c)(3) organization, provides grants to other nonprofits for projects that fit our mission — to promote horticulture, education, and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities. We are now seeking grant applicants for 2025 and nonprofits with ..read more

Today we’re welcoming Devonshire Landscapes as a new WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about who they are and what they do – here’s what Devonshire Landscapes would like you to know: Devonshire Landscapes is a full-service landscape company located near White Center, exclusively serving our neighbors in West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, and Des Moines. Our local small business has earned a well-established reputation over 25 years. Please see our many 5-star reviews from your neighbors on Google! We offer ..read more

Two events coming up tomorrow (Sunday, March 3) that you might want an advance alert about: WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN: Lisa sent the photo and an invitation for volunteers of all ages to help out tomorrow, all or part of the three-hour period between 10 am and 1 pm: Our next work party is full of opportunity to: -plant native plants – a wide variety coming from the King Conservation District Native Plant Sale, -move loads of compost for our new perennial pollinator pads, -plant native flower seeds – blanket flower and globe gilia, -make more temporary signs, and, =relocate desirable plants. As ..read more

Though spring is still five weeks away, the baby blossoms you’ll eventually see in West Seattle Junction flower baskets this year are growing now. The Junction Association provided these photos from Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Blaine, raising the spring/summer color show again this year: With basket season approaching, WSJA has opened this year’s adopt-a-basket opportunities – almost 100 this year, and you can adopt – aka sponsor – one for $189, supporting the nonprofit’s operations. You can sign up here. Share This ..read more

Again this year, the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle will offer free seeds to teachers and parents for working with kids to learn about growing food. Right now, though, they need your help deciding what kind of seeds – here’s the announcement and request frm Kiwanis president Denis Sapiro: The Kiwanis Club of West Seattle gave out about 200 packs of seeds to people at the Sunday Farmers’ Market last year. Kiwanis will again offer vegetable seeds and flower seeds this year. Teachers and parents can help select the type of seeds and number of packages of seeds Kiwanis will order this year. This is ..read more

Today we’re welcoming Fauntleroy Gardening Co. as our newest WSB sponsor. When new sponsors join us to advertise their local businesses to you, they get the opportunity to tell you about themselves – here’s what Fauntleroy Gardening Co. would like you to know: Are you looking for an exterior space to match the detail of your home’s interior? Do you want to extend your living space out into the garden? Fauntleroy Gardening Co. has distinguished itself in designing, installing, and maintaining gardens that invite the visitor into their spaces and encourage them to linger, relax, and unwind. Est ..read more