bradner

Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms

Bradner Gardens Park

Lost in my own thoughts on a bright fall day, I am pulling weeds along the edge of the butterfly/hummingbird garden at Bradner Gardens Park. A lightning-quick flash of color and sound snaps my attention to the nearby cape fuchsia (Phygelius capensis 'African Queen'). I am suddenly eye-to-eye with a tiny Anna's hummingbird, which is hovering by the plant and avidly sipping nectar from the red, tubular flowers.

It's no coincidence that the cape fuchsia was prominently placed in this corner of the park, along with honeysuckle, penstemon and other plants. Neighbors had long noticed hummingbirds in the area, and they wanted to enhance habitat for the enchanting birds. Just steps away, a mature birch tree provides shelter and perching sites for hummingbirds. They rest on the high branches, then dive and zoom upward in spectacular courtship displays.
After the hummer departs, I get back to work with the trowel. A few moments later, a Red Admiral darts past on its way to the nearby P-Patch. Skippers continue to flit from aster to yarrow. How can I be expected to concentrate on weeding with all these distractions!

My Master Gardener stint that day ends up being successful, as I clean up a stretch of the perennial border for the coming winter. As I stare at the wild visitors, though, I realize that their presence in the garden is an even bigger success. And the creation of this park--the result of a huge, five-year citizen effort--is the greatest victory of all.

The ethnically-diverse Mt. Baker neighborhood straddles a hill between downtown Seattle and Lake Washington. The chunk of land that became Bradner Gardens Park boasts a knockout view of the city skyline and Elliott Bay. Owned by the city, the property had contained a derelict basketball court, a small P-Patch and empty school portables.

Perhaps it was the view that tempted city officials to target Bradner for a large, market-rate housing development. However, they hadn't reckoned with the Mt. Baker community, which was already mobilized to monitor nearby freeway construction. Forming the group Friends of Bradner Gardens Park (FBGP), neighbors began an aggressive campaign to promote development of an urban garden demonstration site. Master Gardeners, P-Patch and Tilth--organizations that focus on in-city, organic gardening--soon joined in park planning sessions.

Responding to ongoing pressure from these determined open-space advocates, the Seattle City Council approved park usage in 1997. FBGP gained grant funding for park development from several private and governmental agencies, including the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.

FBGP assembled an energetic coalition of garden/environmental groups to work with the neighborhood organization. Along with Master Gardeners, P-Patch and Tilth, the roster of park participants soon included Seattle Tree Stewards, Master Composters, Master Urban Gardeners and King Conservation District. An MG/Tilth Children's Garden was also planned as a separate area within the park.

Working with landscape architect John Barker, the group drew up an extensive blueprint for the 1.6-acre site, including renovation of the existing basketball court. Each group would develop and maintain an area of the park, and collaborate on park activities, such as workshops and clinics. The park's focus was defined as public education about urban-appropriate plants and gardening techniques.

Initial site development of utility infrastructure and paths was done by a contractor. Soil preparation and planting began in earnest during spring, 1999--one of the coldest, rainiest springs on record. In the Master Gardener ornamental border alone, volunteers spread 150 cubic yards of compost during two bone-chilling work parties. Tree Stewards began to install a grove of about sixty different trees, each chosen to fit on narrow city lots and under utility wires.

Seattle Tilth volunteers concentrated on cover cropping to improve existing soil in food-garden beds. A native-plant wildlife habitat, situated by the pond, was planned by King Conservation District and planted by FGBP volunteers (this project was later assumed by the Washington Native Plant Society). A rebuilt, vintage (1916-33) Aermotor windmill, found on the Internet, was assembled by FBGP to pump and recirculate pond water, keeping overflow out of the storm drain.

A scant two years later, a stroll through Bradner Gardens Park reveals remarkable progress. Gravel pathways that are wheelchair-accessible lead you past arbors and an A to Z children's garden, over a curved footbridge next to the pond, through a lush P-Patch where Lao Mien gardeners grow Asian greens, and beside a wire fence festooned with rusting agricultural tools. All paths converge on the park's centerpiece, an open pavilion where community events take place.

Designed and constructed by University of Washington architecture students, the pavilion has a leaf-shaped roof made of 30 layers of glue-laminated wooden beam, covered with galvanized steel. The students also designed and built the footbridge, which was cast in place, and an extensive arbor supported by gabions--reinforced wire-mesh pillars filled with rocks and, for fun, an occasional rusty lawnmower.

The ornamental demonstration border designed by Master Gardeners consists of the butterfly/hummingbird garden, shade garden, native plant garden, fragrance garden, sensory garden, dry garden and winter garden. Many of the trees planted by Tree Stewards were incorporated into the MG border. An ecoturf meadow, planted as a demonstration site, fared poorly and will be reseeded this year.

In partnership with Seattle Public Utilities, Master Gardeners installed a drip irrigation system in several areas of the park. In-line emitters, soaker hoses and other systems are set on timers to take advantage of water pressure and cool temperatures of early-morning hours. Informative signage will be developed this year.

As satisfying as the flower and vegetable plots are to a wandering gardener, it is the artwork that surprises and delights. Whimsical and quirky, the sculptures and mosaics are devoted to recycling of found objects. Scarecrows topped with broomheads are adorned in green taffeta gowns or bib overalls. Wooden hose bibs are covered with jello molds, forks and old jewelry; even the rocks below them are set in interesting patterns. A rain-gauge wind vane, donated by environmental artist Buster Simpson, features a salmon made from saw blades.

Local artists, often working with students, have created impressive monuments to gardening and nature. Informal welding classes, led by Clair Colquitt, have contributed the wire fence panels decorated with old farm implements. Last summer, artist Tip Toland helped a dozen middle-schoolers design and make a 75-foot-long tile mosaic on concrete eco-blocks lining the basketball court. The mosaic has a garden theme of insects, plants, and a cat that follows a trailing vine.

A bigleaf maple log is being painstakingly carved into a bench by Chris Vondrasek. The ten-foot-long bench details the life cycle of the salmon and features everything from a kingfisher to salmon roe. Vondrasek will next turn his attention to creating a large wooden tractor for the children's play area. Naturally, it will feature a recycled seat and steering wheel!

I return to the butterfly/hummingbird garden, to sit on the solid, rock-slab steps leading up to the street. This is my favorite spot at Bradner, because the steps face toward the city skyline and Elliott Bay. Neighbors gather here to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July, after a day of picnicking and celebration within the park.

It's also the best viewpoint of the park itself, with its diverse garden plots, its play area, the pavilion, and the windmill that has become Bradner's symbol. On summer weekends, the park is full of P-Patchers and volunteers working on various projects. What better place to view the activity, with a hummingbird buzzing past my ear!

According to Cheryl Petterson, MG ornamental demonstration border lead, this year should see completion of planting in the border. I have to remind myself that the already-impressive garden, the result of all-volunteer labor, is but two years old now. Many of the shrubs and perennials in the border were donated; the rest were purchased with grant money. Plants still to be obtained for this year's effort include the small-stature Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird'; cultivars of Ceanothus, Daphne and Rosa rugosa; and a wide variety of perennials and bulbs. A water feature, perhaps as simple as a puddle, is also planned for butterflies.

"Most of the plants on the butterfly/hummingbird plant list are nectar plants," says Petterson, who lives about a mile from the park. "We figured that the existing trees, shrubs and weeds in the neighborhood function as butterfly host plants and provide shelter for hummingbirds. We did, however, add a patch of nettles to host Red Admirals and anglewings. We hadn't yet labeled the patch, when a volunteer weeded near the nettles and got stung by their leaves. We have since moved the nettles to the native habitat and put up a sign!"

Shrubs in the butterfly/hummingbird garden include: Abelia grandiflora, Buddleia davidii 'Petite Plum', B. 'Lochinch', Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide', Caryopteris clandonensis 'Worcester Gold', Hebe buxifolia, Lavandula 'Munstead Dwarf', Lonicera fragrantissima, Mahonia lomarifolia, Ribes sanguineum, Rosa rugosa, Spirea bumalda 'Lime Mound', Syringa meyeri 'Palabin', and Weigela florida 'Minuet.'
A sampling of the perennials in the garden includes: Achillea filipendulina 'Terracotta', Aquilegia formosa, Aster ericoides, Aster x frikartii, Crambe maritima, Crocosmia masnorum, Dianthus 'Cherry Moon', Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus', Eryngium maritimum, Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', Fuchsia 'Royal Purple', Heuchera micrantha, Miscanthus sinensis, Penstemon fruticosa, P. 'Firebird', Phygelius capensis 'African Queen', Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm', R. nitida 'Herbstsonne', Salvia guaranitica 'Indigo Spires', Scabiosa caucasica 'Butterfly Blue', Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy', Senecio greyii 'Sunshine', Verbena 'Homestead Purple', Viola odorata, and V. glabella.

The successful conversion of Bradner Gardens Park from a derelict lot to a verdant, lively community garden hasn't escaped the notice of other communities. Joyce Moty, Co-Chair of FBGP, regularly fields inquiries from as far away as southern California. Moty can be contacted at jmoty@nwlink.com for information or tours. You can also request a copy of the Bradner Buzz, a newsletter covering all of the groups and activities at Bradner Gardens Park.

Three major events punctuate the always-busy year at Bradner: Earth Day (Saturday, April 21); Independence Day (July 4); and a fall plant sale (date to be determined). Activities and tours are offered at each event.

Bradner's many volunteers and neighbors are justly proud of the accomplishments of the past few years. At the same time, they look forward to a slower pace in the gardens, a time of maintenance and demonstrations rather than full-speed-ahead development. They all deserve a nice, long sit on the stone steps by the butterfly/hummingbird garden. Perhaps an Anna's hummingbird will zip by to remind them of a job well done.

Bradner Gardens Park is located at 29th Avenue S. and S. Grand St. in the Mt. Baker neighborhood, Seattle.

Return to Index.