Great News for November!

The Grey Whale Garden will get a new eye!
Most of you know that we had a tragic loss last April, when thieves dug and cut and pried out one of the beautiful mosaic eyes from our Grey Whale Garden. The hundreds of children who find delight in spending time in the Children's Garden each year were saddened and confused by this crime, which was hard on all the grown-ups too. Yet we will always be grateful for all the kind words of support and acts of kindness that have been shown to the garden ever since.

All summer long we were hoping that a kind (or guilt-ridden) person would give the police a tip that led to its return, but alas not a single clue came in. So today it is a huge thrill to announce that the Grey Whale Garden will get a new eye! Here's how it happened: When Clare Dohna - the artist who made the original mosaic for the whole sculpture - came back to reinforce the remaining eye with a major amount of concrete, she offered to make a new eye for much less cost than what her work is worth. What a generous and kind (as well as talented) person she is!

The Children's Garden Committee then began fund-raising efforts, which were kicked off by donations from parents and children who attended the Magnuson Community Center free family concert on July 30th. But with the tiny annual budget of the Children's Garden, the new eye still seemed out of reach until Ciscoe Morris suggested that we write a grant request to the Northwest Horticultural Society www.northwesthort.org. NHS is a wonderful organization that has provided public education and support for gardeners in our region for decades. We are so grateful to all the members of the NHS board for awarding the grant to the Children's Garden, and we are so excited that Clare can now get started on the eye!

On behalf of all the children (and grown-ups) who love the Children's Garden and its gorgeous Grey Whale, all we can say is "hip-hip-hooray!"


Thank You Volunteers!
This year, the Children's Garden Committee hosted 12 workparties and 5 special events, none of which would have been possible without the support of our fellow volunteers. We were honored to have adults and children from the local community, Scout, Campfire, and Y-Guides groups, Edmonds Community College Horticulture students, King Co. Master Gardeners, Seattle Works, and United Way Day of Caring volunteers each come spend a few hours with us to enhance and maintain the garden, with generous tool loans from Seattle Parks & Recreation.
In addition, our collaboration with Magnuson Community Center and the help of their teen volunteers made it possible for us to offer more special events this year than ever before.

We welcome all volunteer groups who would like to help keep the Children's Garden's growing and sustainable. As the Seattle Works volunteers (photo above) will testify, our events are tons of fun too! For more photos and info about our wonderful volunteers, visit the July 24th posting.

Come Visit!
The Magnuson Children’s Garden is open FREE to the public year-round, during all hours that the park is open. It is an interactive, vibrant place, filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses:

• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Hundreds of plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• Child-size picnic tables, plus tree stump stools and benches to sit and dream.
• A spiral path up a hill to the Lookout, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• The Fort Zone, complete with everything you'll need to build a unique "house" of your own.
• The Salmon Survival Path, which winds from our "ocean" up to the Lookout.
• and its signature feature, the Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!

Links:
For more information on Children's Garden events and volunteer opportunities, contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com

For info about the Jr. Nature Explorers program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com

You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm



Directions to the Garden:
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". Metro bus #74 will take you right to the NE 74th St. park entrance. Whether you are traveling to the garden by foot, bus, or by car, follow these directions:

• Enter Magnuson Park via the entrance at Sand Point Way NE and NE 74th St.
• Take NE 74th St. approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign.
  
• If you're driving, turn right at that 4-way stop and park in the huge parking lot. (if you reach the dog off-leash area you've gone too far)
• The entrance to the Children's Garden is via the crosswalk & sidewalk on the north side of that 4-way stop. When you get a few steps in, look on your left for a giant entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !

Magnuson Park is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, which was held this year from April 11th-17th. The Magnuson Community Center, Children's Garden, and Bird-Friendly Landscape hosted several educational events that week for school-age children!

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

October Happenings!

Welcome to the Magnuson Children's Garden! We have one more event coming up this year, and we hope to see you there:

Family Gardening Event
Come spend an hour or two helping "put the garden to bed" for the winter on the city-wide Make a Difference Day! A wonderful group of volunteers from Seattle Works will be doing fall cleanup and mulching in the Children's Garden, and you are welcome to help. No previous gardening experience necessary! All adults who participate are invited to bring children with them for free nature activities, such as exploring the worm bin, going on sensory walks, and creating nature art. Tools and gloves are provided for all adults and children, along with refreshments. Teens receive service learning credit for their volunteering. To top it off, King County Master Gardeners and other horticultural experts will be on hand to answer questions about your own garden free of charge!



Thanks to all of you who attended our first annual "Nature Explorers Jamboree and Harvest Celebration" on Saturday October 2nd,
especially all the wonderful volunteers who made this event possible! The Magnuson Community Center and the Magnuson Community Garden did a fabulous job co-sponsoring this extravaganza for over 600 children and adults. To see photos of all the fun, visit www.jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com !



Blues for Food Fest - Harvest Parade!
Here are a couple of photos from our Harvest Parade during this year's Blues for Food Fest, on Sept 4th. The parade has been a special event for the children and families who attend this annual music concert & fundraiser. We picked 14 baskets of green and purple beans, squash, tomatoes, strawberries, kohlrabi, chives, and oregano to donate to local food banks!


Garden Description
This vibrant, interactive, children’s garden is open FREE to the public year-round, during all hours that Magnuson Park is open. The garden was designed by a team of professionals, using the ideas that were dreamed up by children from the community, and is filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses:
• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Hundreds of plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• The Tea Garden and Pizza Garden.
• Child-size picnic tables, plus tree stump stools and benches to sit and dream.

• A spiral path up a hill to the Lookout, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• The Fort Zone, complete with everything you'll need to build a unique "house" of your own.
• The Salmon Survival Path, which winds from our "ocean" up to the Lookout.
• A Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!



We welcome all volunteer groups who would like to help sustain the Children's Garden. As the Seattle Works volunteers (photo left) will testify, our "Gardening Day" events are tons of fun too!

For more information on our events and volunteer opportunities, contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com

Links:
For info about the Jr. Nature Explorers program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com

You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm



Directions to the Garden:
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". If you are traveling to the garden by foot or by car, follow these directions:

Enter Magnuson Park at the 74th St entrance. Go approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign. The entrance to the Community Garden is via the sidewalk on the north side of this intersection. The Children's Garden is just a few steps down the sidewalk- look on your left for an entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !

If you're driving, turn right at that second 4-way stop, and park in the Jr. League Playground parking lot. (if you reach the dog park you've gone too far) Use the crosswalk to go back across 74th St. and into the Children's Garden!


Magnuson Park is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, which was held this year on April 11th-17th. The Magnuson Community Center, Children's Garden, and Bird-Friendly Landscape hosted several educational events that week for school-age children!

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

Nature Jamboree & Harvest Celebration!

Welcome to the Magnuson Children's Garden- we hope you'll join us at our next event!
Nature Explorers Jamboree and Harvest Celebration
Saturday October 2nd
11:30am-2:00pm
Free admission for all the fun!
Sponsored by Magnuson Community Center and the Magnuson Community Garden.

Join in a great big celebration of another great year of Jr. Nature Explorers Camps, Family Nature Explorers Programs, and a bountiful harvest from the Magnuson P-Patch and Demonstration Orchard! There will be tons of fun for the whole family:

• Scavenger hunts in an orchard maze
• A fruit-tasting tent
• Fresh cider pressing
• Scarecrow-making
• Nature art and fort-making
• Worm bin exploration
  
• Garden tours led by Jr. Nature Explorers
• "Harvest Parade"
• Pumpkin Walk
  
• and more.....
  
• Plus a very special musical guest appearance by Caspar Babypants, who will lead all children and adults in a fun "nature song sing-along"!

Blues for Food Fest - Harvest Parade!
Here are a couple of photos from our Harvest Parade during this year's Blues for Food Fest, on Sept 4th. The parade has been a special event for the children and families who attend this annual music concert & fundraiser. We picked 14 baskets of green and purple beans, squash, tomatoes, strawberries, kohlrabi, chives, and oregano to donate to local food banks!


Garden Description
This vibrant, interactive, children’s garden is open FREE to the public year-round, during all hours that Magnuson Park is open. The garden was designed by a team of professionals, using the ideas that were dreamed up by children from the community, and is filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses:
• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Hundreds of plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• The Tea Garden and Pizza Garden.
• Child-size picnic tables, plus tree stump stools and benches to sit and dream.

• A spiral path up a hill to the Lookout, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• The Fort Zone, complete with everything you'll need to build a unique "house" of your own.
• The Salmon Survival Path, which winds from our "ocean" up to the Lookout.
• A Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!



We welcome all volunteer groups who would like to help sustain the Children's Garden. As the Seattle Works volunteers (photo left) will testify, our "Gardening Day" events are tons of fun too!

For more information on our events and volunteer opportunities, contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com

Links:
For info about the Jr. Nature Explorers program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com

You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm



Directions to the Garden:
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". If you are traveling to the garden by foot or by car, follow these directions:

Enter Magnuson Park at the 74th St entrance. Go approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign. The entrance to the Community Garden is via the sidewalk on the north side of this intersection. The Children's Garden is just a few steps down the sidewalk- look on your left for an entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !

If you're driving, turn right at that second 4-way stop, and park in the Jr. League Playground parking lot. (if you reach the dog park you've gone too far) Use the crosswalk to go back across 74th St. and into the Children's Garden!


Magnuson Park is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, which was held this year on April 11th-17th. The Magnuson Community Center, Children's Garden, and Bird-Friendly Landscape hosted several educational events that week for school-age children!

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

Fall is for Fun!

Welcome to the Magnuson Children's Garden! We have some fun events planned for fall that we know you'll enjoy!

Family Gardening Day:
Friday September 24th
9:00am-12noon
(part of our United Way "Day of Caring" event)
Come spend an hour or two at the Magnuson Children's Garden! A wonderful group of volunteers from the Japan Business Association will be doing some fall cleanup and mulching to get ready for our big event on October 2nd (see below), and you are welcome to help. No previous gardening experience necessary! All adults who participate are invited to bring children with them for free nature activities, such as exploring the worm bin, going on sensory walks, and creating nature art. Tools and gloves are provided for all adults and children, along with refreshments. Teens receive service learning credit for their volunteering. To top it off, King County Master Gardeners and other horticultural experts will be on hand to answer questions about your own garden free of charge!

Nature Explorers Jamboree and Harvest Celebration
Saturday October 2nd
11:30am-2:00pm
Free admission for all the fun!
Sponsored by Magnuson Community Center and the Magnuson Community Garden.

Join in a great big celebration of another great year of Jr. Nature Explorers Camps, Family Nature Explorers Programs, and a bountiful harvest from the Magnuson P-Patch and Demonstration Orchard! There will be tons of fun for the whole family:

• Scavenger hunts in an orchard maze
• A fruit-tasting tent
• Fresh cider pressing
• Scarecrow-making
• Nature art and fort-making
• Worm bin exploration
  
• Garden tours led by Jr. Nature Explorers
• "Harvest Parade"
• and more.....
  
• Plus a very special musical guest appearance by Caspar Babypants, who will lead all children and adults in a fun "nature song sing-along"!

Blues for Food Fest - Harvest Parade!
Here are a couple of photos from yesterday's Harvest Parade, which has been a special event for the children and families who attend the annual Blues for Food Fest. We picked 14 baskets of green and purple beans, squash, tomatoes, strawberries, kohlrabi, chives, and oregano to donate to local food banks!


Garden Description
This vibrant, interactive, children’s garden is open FREE to the public year-round, during all hours that Magnuson Park is open. The garden was designed by a team of professionals, using the ideas that were dreamed up by children from the community, and is filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses:
• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Hundreds of plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• The Tea Garden and Pizza Garden.
• Child-size picnic tables, plus tree stump stools and benches to sit and dream.

• A spiral path up a hill to the Lookout, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• The Fort Zone, complete with everything you'll need to build a unique "house" of your own.
• The Salmon Survival Path, which winds from our "ocean" up to the Lookout.
• A Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!



We welcome all volunteer groups who would like to help sustain the Children's Garden. As the Seattle Works volunteers (photo left) will testify, our "Gardening Day" events are tons of fun too!

For more information on our events and volunteer opportunities, contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com

Links:
For info about the Jr. Nature Explorers program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com

You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm



Directions to the Garden:
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". If you are traveling to the garden by foot or by car, follow these directions:

Enter Magnuson Park at the 74th St entrance. Go approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign. The entrance to the Community Garden is via the sidewalk on the north side of this intersection. The Children's Garden is just a few steps down the sidewalk- look on your left for an entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !

If you're driving, turn right at that second 4-way stop, and park in the Jr. League Playground parking lot. (if you reach the dog park you've gone too far) Use the crosswalk to go back across 74th St. and into the Children's Garden!


Magnuson Park is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, which was held this year on April 11th-17th. The Magnuson Community Center, Children's Garden, and Bird-Friendly Landscape hosted several educational events that week for school-age children!

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

Come Have Fun in the Sun!

Welcome to the Magnuson Children's Garden! We have several more fun events planned for this summer and fall, and we hope to see your smiling face!

Garden Description
This vibrant, interactive, children’s garden is open FREE to the public year-round, during all hours that Magnuson Park is open. The garden was designed by a team of professionals, using the ideas that were dreamed up by children from the community, and is filled with plants and other features that delight all the senses:
• A sea of grasses that rustle in the wind.
• Hundreds of plants that feed butterflies and other beneficial insects, hummingbirds and songbirds.
• The Tea Garden and Pizza Garden.
• Child-size picnic tables, plus tree stump stools and benches to sit and dream.

• A spiral path up a hill to the Lookout, the highest point in the whole community garden.
• The Fort Zone, complete with everything you'll need to build a unique "house" of your own.
• The Salmon Survival Path, which winds from our "ocean" up to the Lookout.
• A Grey Whale Garden, complete with mosaic tail and eyes, and a tall grass spout!

Here is a list of all the fun events planned for children and their parents in the Magnuson Children's Garden during the rest of summer and fall:
Family Gardening Days:
Wednesday August 18th from 1:00-3:00pm
Friday September 24th from 9:00am-12noon (part of our United Way "Day of Caring" event)

Come spend a summer morning or afternoon at the Magnuson Children's Garden, doing simple and easy tasks to help care for the garden! All adults who participate are invited to bring children with them for free nature activities, such as exploring the worm bin, going on sensory walks, creating nature art, planting and harvesting! Tools and gloves are provided for all adults and children, along with refreshments. Teens receive service learning credit for their volunteering. To top it off, King County Master Gardeners and other horticultural experts are on hand at each event to answer questions about your own garden free of charge!


Garden Celebration Events:
Each summer, the Children’s Garden hosts fun activities for children and families during some of the musical events held at the Magnuson Amphitheater, which is adjacent to the garden.

Saturday September 4th from 12noon-4:00pm:
The Blues for Food Festival
Explore the worm bin, make nature art, and take a 'scratch-and-sniff' leaf walk during this day-long concert event. Children's Garden activities are free, and the funds raised by the concert admission will benefit the P-Patch Trust, which provides food for needy families all across the city and funds the purchase of land for new P-Patches where Seattle residents can grow their own organic produce. This event features performances by many of the area's best blues bands, fabulous food, and a homemade pie auction! Families can also help pick fresh produce from the Jr. Nature Explorers P-Patch to donate to local food banks. For more info, visit www.bluesforfoodfest.org

Saturday October 2nd from 11:30am-2:00pm
Nature Explorers Jamboree and Harvest Celebration
Free admission for all the fun! Sponsored by Magnuson Community Center
Join in celebrating of another great year of Jr. Nature Explorers Camps, Family Nature Explorers Programs, and a bountiful harvest from the Magnuson P-Patch and Demonstration Orchard! There will be tons of fun for the whole family: Scavenger hunts in an orchard maze, a fruit-tasting tent, cider pressing, scarecrow-making, garden tours led by Jr. Nature Explorers, picking produce for local food banks, a "Harvest Parade", and more..... plus a very special musical guest appearance by Caspar Babypants, who will lead a "nature song sing-along"!




We welcome all volunteer groups who would like to help sustain the Children's Garden. As the Seattle Works volunteers (photo left) will testify, our workparty events are tons of fun too!

For more information on our events and volunteer opportunities, contact the Magnuson Children's Garden Committee at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com

Links:
For info about the Jr. Nature Explorers program, which is sponsored by the Magnuson Community Center, visit http://jrnatureexplorers.blogspot.com

You can also find additional information about the Magnuson Children’s Garden and Community Garden at http://www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden/default.htm



Directions to the Garden:
The Children's Garden is part of the 3.5 acre Magnuson Community Garden, located inside Warren G. Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115
The Children's Garden is easy to find! It is located right behind building #406, also known as "The Brig". If you are traveling to the garden by foot or by car, follow these directions:

Enter Magnuson Park at the 74th St entrance. Go approx. 4 blocks until you reach the second 4-way stop sign. The entrance to the Community Garden is via the sidewalk on the north side of this intersection. The Children's Garden is just a few steps down the sidewalk- look on your left for an entry arbor with colorful flags and a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar Tree draped over its top, and the giant Grey Whale Garden !

If you're driving, turn right at that second 4-way stop, and park in the Jr. League Playground parking lot. (if you reach the dog park you've gone too far) Use the crosswalk to go back across 74th St. and into the Children's Garden!


Magnuson Park is a proud participant in the annual National Environmental Education Week, which will be held this year on April 11th-17th. The Magnuson Community Center, Children's Garden, and Bird-Friendly Landscape hosted several educational events that week for school-age children!

For more info on National Environmental Education Week, visit http://www.eeweek.org

Volunteers are the Greatest!!!

This past Wednesday, the Children's Garden was visited by an awesome group of volunteers from Seattle Works. They spent 2 hours working hard in the hot sun, to completely weed and mulch the Grey Whale Garden and surrounding areas, to make it all 'spiffed up' for the next day's filming of "Gardening with Ciscoe". And they did it all with smiles on their faces!

Today, another awesome group of Seattle Works volunteers came to do some major projects in the garden. How could we be so lucky! Over a dozen hearty soils spent 4 hours on another hot day, and the result was a transformation of the entire west side of the garden. They weeded and mulched the "Rose Tunnel", a huge bed of Fragrant Sumac, and the "Fort Zone". They also mulched all the main paths and gathering places, to make sure there is a soft landing for any little ones who take a tumble. On top of that, they completely renovated the giant kiosk so that children can paint a garden mural there.

Seattle Works <www.seattleworks.org> is a non-profit organization that has been a vital ingredient in the success and sustainability of the Children's Garden for several years now, enabling us to accomplish many expansion projects as well as helping keep the garden maintained.

Each group and team of volunteers that has come our way from Seattle Works has been full of life and laughter whether rain or shine, and their enthusiasm has been like "wind in the sails" for everyone associated with the garden. Some Seattle Works volunteers have also come up with great ideas for the garden! We are so grateful for the support from this wonderful organization, and all the volunteers who take part in its work.



Joining both of the Seattle Works events this week were volunteers from King County Master Gardeners, another non-profit organization that has been a stalwart and long-time supporter of the Children's Garden. Since 2002, veteran and intern Master Gardeners have been participating in the planning and development of the garden, as well as attending almost every workparty and special event that we have hosted. They too, have contributed an enormous amount of energy and ideas to the garden, and their dedication is a mainstay in its success and sustainability! The Master Gardener Foundation of King County also provides an annual donation to the Children's Garden for supplies and volunteer recognition.


Over the years, there have been many other volunteers and organizations involved in expanding and sustaining the Magnuson Children's Garden, and we are very grateful for all of their efforts. Here are a few more:


2 local Eagle Scout candidates who, along with their troop members, built two major additions to the garden: the first scout group built the giant entry arbor in 2005, and the second scout group built the colorful and beautiful Children's Garden sign and songbird roosting-boxes that grace it just this spring!

Horticulture students from Edmonds Community College, under the guidance of Christine Pfeiffer, instructor and long-time member of the Children's Garden Commitee: her students have expertly pruned many different types of shrubs in the Children's Garden on several occasions, as well as trees in the nearby Demonstration Orchard.

Parents, teachers, and students from Thornton Creek School, who created the beautiful and educational Salmon Survival Path mosaic in 2007.














Last but certainly not least, the many children from age 4-14 who have graced the garden with their willing hands, hard work, and joyous spirit over these past eight years!













We welcome you to contribute your efforts to sustaining the Magnuson Children's Garden, whether for a one-time workparty or for ongoing support. The Children's Garden is part of the Magnuson Community Garden, a registered 501-C3 non-profit organization. For more information, visit www.seattle.gov/magnusongarden
or email us at magnusonchildrensgarden@gmail.com.