Volunteer Park Trust, the volunteer-driven organization working to preserve and restore Volunteer Park, is planning their annual Fall Restoration Day for September 18th. The popular community event brings over a hundred volunteers to plant, weed, mulch, and remove litter and invasive plants from beds.

This year will bring the culmination of two major garden beds funded in part by the Peach Foundation and the Seattle Garden Club. The empty beds, located near the north lily pond along the park’s main concourse, have been prepared over the past months at the Trust’s monthly work parties. Now the site is ready for planting such flowering and berry-producing perennials as Daphne, Epimedium and Hypericum.

As part of its mission to restore the park to its original Olmsted Brothers landscape design, the Trust is going back to the 1910 planting plans for reference on what to include in the new gardens. Not everything can be restored to the original species, however. “The areas at both ends of the Lily ponds were originally in full sun. They’re now in nearly full shade and among the roots of huge Atlas cedars. We have tried to duplicate flower color and foliage to match the original with plants that succeed in shade,” says Doug Bayley, former chair of the Trust and current co-chair of the Landscape Committee. The garden plans have gone through extensive review and approval by Seattle Parks & Recreation.

Since its founding in 2012, Volunteer Park trust has worked to beautify Volunteer Park’s main concourse in preparation for the coming renovation and temporary closure of Seattle Asian Art Museum. “After these two beds are planted, that completes our primary efforts in the central portion of the park,” says Bayley. “We want to keep the park beautiful and active for neighbors and visitors alike.”

The Trust invites neighbors, friends and families to join in the gardening any time from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 18. Gloves and tools will be provided, and no gardening experience is needed. As always, the Trust fortifies its volunteers with free Tulley’s coffee and Top Pot doughnuts.

The Trust is also the organizer behind the new Amphitheater coming to Volunteer Park, and co-serves in the Volunteer Park Sustainability Coalition working to create green solutions for the park. For more information on the nonprofit you can visit their website at: http://volunteerparktrust.org/

Once again Volunteer Park Trust is hosting its fifth annual free celebration of summer: Picnic in the Park. Founded to preserve and enhance Volunteer Park, the Trust produces events to help activate the park and bring the community together. All are welcome on Thursday, July 21st from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Grab and a picnic blanket, tell your friends, and come enjoy fun for the whole family, featuring:

• Live music provided by LoveCityLove
• Performances by the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts
• Fantastic food trucks including:
* Dante’s Inferno Dogs
* Spicy Papaya
* Cheese Wizards
* Rancho Bravo
* Where Ya At Matt
• FREE Cupcake Royale Ice Cream provided by Volunteer Park Trust while it lasts!
• FREE flavored water provided by Aegis Living

The crowds will be gathering at the Great Lawn on the west side of the park. Don’t miss out!

Over 45 exceptional volunteers braved the rain and threatening thunderstorms Sunday to help out at Volunteer Park Trust’s Spring Restoration Day. The annual event manages large landscaping projects in Volunteer Park in a single day. This year crews cleared out two major garden beds west of the lily ponds by removing selected large, overgrown rhododendrons. Also, thanks to a generous donation from Wyman Youth Trust, a bare patch of ground was also planted with beautiful, rugosa roses.

“The rhododendrons are favorites for a lot of park visitors,” says Doug Bayley, Chair of the Trust’s Landscape Committee. “But they are not original to the park and they weren’t in the Olmsted Brothers’ plan. Removing these will bring some much needed light into the gardens and allow for multi-story plantings with ground covers and medium-sized flowering shrubs.”

Many of the rhododendrons were easily 20 years old and had massive root balls that presented weighty challenges to the volunteers. By the end of the day, strength and engineering won out. For their efforts, volunteers were rewarded with free coffee donated by Tully’s on 15th, and free Top Pot doughnuts donated by QFC.

The newly revealed beds are scheduled for further planting by the Trust this fall. Volunteer Park Trust’s mission is to “restore, protect and preserve this city and national landmark for today and for generations to come.” They work closely with Seattle Parks & Recreation to create lasting change for Volunteer Park.

More pictures of the event can be seen on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136748765@N04/

More information on Volunteer Park Trust can be found at their website: http://volunteerparktrust.org/

Volunteer Park Trust, the neighborhood nonprofit established to restore, protect and preserve Volunteer Park, is holding a second public meeting for their project to replace the park’s current failing amphitheater. The public meeting will be held at Miller Community Center (330 19th Ave E Seattle, WA 98112) on Tuesday, February 16th at 6:00 PM.

Thanks to a matching grant from the Department of Neighborhoods, the Trust is completing a year-long Feasibility Study and Design Program that includes traffic and acoustics studies as well as interviews and feedback from dozens of community groups, performance troupes, park users, and the general public. Project lead ORA Architects, along with Walker Macy Landscape Architects, will present and explain the draft study. Public comments on the draft will be included in the final report.

The final report will be used to inform the next phase of the project: Concept Design. More information on the Volunteer Park Trust Amphitheater Project can be found at http://volunteerparktrust.org.