Since its beginning in 2001, Magnuson Children’s Garden has been fortunate to have support from many local individuals, businesses, and organizations. These valued sponsors and partners have made it possible for the Children’s Garden Committee to lead volunteer events to keep the garden well-maintained, and to add new garden features and programs to benefit all visitors. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all who have supported us along the way!
Since 2001, each step of the Children’s Garden design, creation, and stewardship has had the participation of trained Master Gardener (MG) volunteers. The Children’s Garden Committee was chaired by MG Cindy Hazard for its first 10 years, then by MG Emily Bishton for several more. Multiple MGs and other community volunteers now share the Children’s Garden Committee’s leadership structure. The Master Gardener Foundation of King County also provides an annual budget to the Children’s Garden Committee to purchase supplies for free education classes and special events, as well as plants, tools, and other materials for maintaining the garden. In addition, this sponsorship enables any MG in King County to fulfill their required annual volunteer hours at Magnuson Children’s Garden events and special projects. It also means that attendees at any of our events can also get free answers to their own home garden questions from trained Master Gardeners!
Did you know that King County Master Gardener volunteers also staff a free, year-round email plant answer clinic, as well as seasonal plant clinics? For more information about how to get free answers to your home gardening questions, visit the WSU extension/King Co. Master Gardener website.
Our relationship with the Seattle Parks Foundation (SPF) has made a huge impact on the Children’s Garden since 2016. As its main fiscal sponsor, SPF enables us to apply for grants such as the recent City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods Neighborhood Matching Funds Grant for the “All Are Welcome” murals, provides tech support and a platform for the annual GiveBig WA and GivingTuesday fundraising events, and for the Children’s Garden Committee to receive year-round donations from the public. SPF also works with corporate donors to contribute to its community partners, including the Children’s Garden, which resulted in the unexpected and wonderful 2021 gift from The Climate Pledge Fund and a generous donation from Amazon in 2022. The sponsorship of the Seattle Parks Foundation has enabled the Children’s Garden Committee to fund an amazing array of projects over the past 6 years, such as the expansion of our garden shed, the “Snack House” raised-bed berry patch, the butterfly-shaped Pollinator Garden, the double-sided “All Are Welcome” murals, 1800 sq. ft. of wheelchair-accessible pathways, and much, much more!
Magnuson Community Garden is a non-profit whose 12-member volunteer board of directors manages the entire 4-acre community garden site, which includes the Children’s Garden, the P-Patch, Native Plant Border, Demonstration Orchard, Tranquil Garden, and Native Plant Nursery. Each of these individual gardens provides a representative to the Magnuson Community Garden board as well. Magnuson Community Garden can also receive donations on behalf of any of the individual gardens, including the Children’s Garden.
- We also partner with Seattle Audubon Society and Beavers Northwest! Master Birder volunteers and expert staff from both these organizations have co-hosted host free nature walks with Children’s Garden volunteer assistants for several years, providing expert bird identification, fascinating facts about Magnuson’s beavers, pond-water sampling and other family-friendly, fun activities!
Though the Children’s Garden is maintained by volunteers, the Seattle Parks grounds crew staff keeps us well-supplied with wood chip mulch for our stewardship events, mows the Rolling Lawn throughout the year, and has provided seating logs and stone benches for several of our gathering areas. They also make sure our entry sidewalk stays clear and safe for all, and prune the large trees on the south end of the garden as needed. In addition, made it possible in 2021 for the two new murals to be installed on a brand new, sturdy kiosk surrounded by a fully-accessible concrete pad!
The Starbucks store in Wedgewood has been very generous for over 15 years, providing many donations of bulk hot coffee, hot water for tea and cocoa, cups and condiments, to warm the hearts (and bodies) of volunteers at our stewardship events!
Thanks a million! also to:
- The Brettler Family Place girl scout troop, for helping design and create the new “All Are Welcome” murals.
- The neighborhood youth artists, Magnuson P-Patch kids, and teen volunteers, for helping design and create the new “All Are Welcome” murals.
- Girl Scout troop #40139 and their Meridian School friends, for helping design and create the new “All Are Welcome” murals, and for participating in Children’s Garden stewardship in 2018-2019.
- Seattle Audubon and YMCA summer camp youth and staff, for helping design and create the new “All Are Welcome” murals.
- Volunteers from D.A. Davidson and Wells Fargo Bank, who have brought their wonderful energy and enthusiasm to multiple stewardship events ever since 2019!
- The “Pocket Gophers” a Seattle YMCA Y-Guides group, especially the Van Newkirk family and the Clark family, who helped create the Children’s Garden’s p-patch food garden.
- Girl Scout troop #40908, who participated in stewardship projects in the Children’s Garden from 2011-2018.
- Campfire Group #912 “Tanda Kani Ka Ta” from St. Luke’s School in Shoreline, who participated in Children’s Garden stewardship from 2009-2012.
Special mention to 2 of the partners that have been an essential part of the sustainability of the Children’s Garden from 2002-2020: Seattle Works and United Way. The staff of these organizations helped us host dozens of volunteer events that were attended by many hundreds of wonderful stewardship volunteers! We will always be grateful for their support