Gardens
Plant Collector’s Shade Garden
Prairie Style in Seattle
Creating Understory
Paths to Discovery
Spring Hill
Farmhouse Shadow Garden
Islands in the Sun
Hydrangea Heights
Legacy Shade Garden
Pollinator Patch
Last year's gardens
Refer a Garden
Grants
2025 Grant Recipients
Apply for a Grant
Guidelines for Potential Grantees
2025 Sponsors
Raffle
Art Competition
ABOUT
FAQS
What We Do
Board of Directors
Contact
Refer A Garden
Join Us
Newsletter
Media
Blog
Tickets

West Seattle Garden Tour

Gardens
Plant Collector’s Shade Garden
Prairie Style in Seattle
Creating Understory
Paths to Discovery
Spring Hill
Farmhouse Shadow Garden
Islands in the Sun
Hydrangea Heights
Legacy Shade Garden
Pollinator Patch
Last year's gardens
Refer a Garden
Grants
2025 Grant Recipients
Apply for a Grant
Guidelines for Potential Grantees
2025 Sponsors
Raffle
Art Competition
ABOUT
FAQS
What We Do
Board of Directors
Contact
Refer A Garden
Join Us
Newsletter
Media
Blog
Tickets
WSGT_Banner_ Blog.jpg

BLOG

Vivian Mizuta
March 28, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips

Tuesday Tool: Anvil Pruner

Vivian Mizuta
March 28, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips
Tuesday Tool: Anvil Pruner

Of the two types of hand pruners (bypass vs. anvil), the anvil pruner is the lesser-seen variety. It is designed to cut best on tough or dead wood, with a straight blade that makes a slicing or chopping cut against a flat anvil. 

Tagged: tools, pruning

Patty J Campbell
March 22, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks

Patty's Plant Picks: Daphne Odora

Patty J Campbell
March 22, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks
Patty's Plant Picks: Daphne Odora

To continue with our winter fragrance theme, let’s talk about daphne odora, or winter daphne. Often placed near doorways and walks, the jasmine-like scent of this lovely shrub wafts from Pacific Northwest gardens from late January through March.

Tagged: winter garden, fragrant garden, daphne odora, plant picks

Gretchen Flickinger
March 17, 2017
The Gustatory Garden

The Gustatory Garden: More Peas, Please!

Gretchen Flickinger
March 17, 2017
The Gustatory Garden
The Gustatory Garden: More Peas, Please!

As a child, the only peas I wanted to eat were the ones growing in my grandmother’s garden—straight off the vines. Now, as an adult, I appreciate the work that she put into growing English peas; the per pound yield was a precious commodity.

Tagged: edible gardening, vegetable gardening

Guest User
March 14, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips

Tuesday Tool: Blade Sharpener

Guest User
March 14, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips
Tuesday Tool: Blade Sharpener

Have you ever heard that a keenly sharp knife is also the safest knife? Our dull garden pruners probably won’t be slicing our hands, but a very sharp one will certainly lessen the effort it takes to make a pruning cut. 

Tagged: tools

Guest User
March 2, 2017

Winning Artwork Announced!

Guest User
March 2, 2017
Winning Artwork Announced!

We are delighted to announce “The Sower” by artist Sarah Mottaghinejad has been selected as the winner of this year’s annual art competition. The winning piece features cherry veneer, acrylic, watercolor, mica, and hollyhock seeds on a clay panel measuring 18” x 24”.

Guest User
February 28, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips

Tuesday Tool: Bypass Pruner

Guest User
February 28, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips
Tuesday Tool: Bypass Pruner

This week’s Tuesday Tool is the bypass hand pruner. Pruners are going to be in your hand for most of your gardening hours, so it’s definitely worth an in-person visit to the garden center to find one that is a true fit for your needs.

Tagged: tools, pruning

Patty J Campbell
February 22, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks

Patty's Plant Picks: Witch Hazel

Patty J Campbell
February 22, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks
Patty's Plant Picks: Witch Hazel

Just when we need it most, witch hazel puts on a dazzling show for winter-weary gardeners. Depending on the species and cultivar, fragrant, strap-like, crumpled petals bloom in vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red.

Tagged: Hamamelis, witch hazel, winter garden, fragrant garden, plant picks

Vivian Mizuta
February 14, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips

Tuesday Tool: Floral Shovel

Vivian Mizuta
February 14, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips
Tuesday Tool: Floral Shovel

A floral shovel has a long wooden handle like your standard shovel, but the blade is smaller than a standard size. The lighter weight and smaller blade can be a real back saver for gardeners as it self-limits the load size that can be lifted. 

Tagged: tools

Patty J Campbell
February 8, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks

Patty's Plant Picks: Sarcococca

Patty J Campbell
February 8, 2017
Patty's Plant Picks
Patty's Plant Picks: Sarcococca

While on a walk, a honeyed fragrance unexpectedly tickles my nose. Although I don’t immediately see the source, the vanilla-perfumed air is unmistakable and I know in an instant that Sarcococca is nearby.

Tagged: plant picks, sarcococca, fragrant garden, winter garden, sweet box

Vivian Mizuta
January 31, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips

Tuesday Tool: The Tip Bag

Vivian Mizuta
January 31, 2017
Tuesday Tools & Tips
Tuesday Tool: The Tip Bag

Welcome to Tuesday Tools & Tips, a new blog series about ergonomic garden tools and tips for using them. The goal is to make gardening easier on our bodies so we can do it well into our aging years. 

Tagged: tools

Guest User
January 26, 2017
General

New Year, New Website, New Logo!

Guest User
January 26, 2017
General
New Year, New Website, New Logo!

Since 1995, West Seattle Garden Tour has been focused on growing our sense of community. We strive to highlight the physical beauty in West Seattle, and to bring our neighbors together to enjoy those lush spaces and each other.

Newer Posts

Never Miss A Post!

Sign up with your email address to receive new blog posts directly to your email inbox. You will receive one weekly email with a summary of all the blog posts published that week.

We respect your privacy, and will not share your contact information with anyone.

Thank you for subscribing to the blog! 

Blog RSS
Back to Top
2024 Gardens
Natural Plant Scape
Retirement's Rewards
Growing Together
Sculpture Garden
The Wildwood
Kyoto-Inspired Place of Beauty
A Four-Season Garden
Sunny Meadow
Woodland Fantasy
Summer Living
2023 Gardens
Donate
2023 Gardens
They Bought the Store
Renovation to Rejuvenation
Living History
A Garden Revival
A Garden Romance
A Welcoming View
A Tapestry of Inspiration
Rooms with Views
A Tropical Oasis
Seattle Chinese Garden
2022 Gardens
2022 Gardens
Something Old, Something New
Public Pizazz – Peaceful spaces
Opportunity Rocks!
The Art of Design
An Inspiring Retreat
A Gathering Place
Sea Hars House
A Legacy Garden
A Beautiful Foundation
Balanced Beauty
2019 Gardens
2019 Gardens
It's Personal
A Century of Elegance
The Artist's Garden
Passionate About Rhododendrons
Bountiful Borders
A Nurseryman's Garden
A Family Garden
Gardens With History
A Mid-Century Rocky Revival
2018 Gardens
2018 Gardens
Pocket Paradise
Picture Perfect
Creekside Retreat
Urban Stepped Garden
A Sidewalk Orchard
An Oasis for Birds, Pollinators and People
A Tale of Two Gardens
An Inspired Sanctuary
A Dedicated Rock Gardener
A Collector’s Garden
Waterwise Oasis
West Seattle Bee Garden
2017 Gardens
2017 Gardens
Labyrinth Garden
Conifers and Color
Plant Lover’s Garden
Northwest Terraced Hillside
Spring Hill Villa
Birch Dream by the Sea
Corner Paradise
Beach Cottage
Sound View Garden
A Garden for All Seasons
Solstice P-Patch
2016 Gardens
2016 Gardens
Alki Gardener's Retreat
Bold, Bright & Bountiful
Casual Cottage Garden
City Oasis
Heritage Golden Willow
Heron's Watch
Little City Farms Hideaway
Off the Grid, the Wave of the Future
Serene Surroundings
Whitecap
info@westseattlegardentour.org

© 2025 West Seattle Garden Tour | Logo Design by Gretchen Flickinger | Website Designed by Aubbie Beal | Privacy Policy