Printer friendly
E-mail a friend
Digg itLocation: SeaTac.
Length: Garden trails connect to miles of abandoned roads.
Level of difficulty: Gently rolling, bark/gravel garden paths.
Setting: This 10-acre community treasure of gardens and woodlands provides an oasis within the scruffy fields, forests and abandoned roads of adjacent North SeaTac Park, former subdivisions that were cleared for noise and safety reasons for nearby Sea-Tac Airport. After passing through the garden's iron gates, the area to the right represents the salvaged plants of a local residential garden and several other sites. To the left of the entrance are display beds of iris and day lilies, tended by local flower societies. A formal rose garden is under construction.
Highlights: If the contents of some of our home gardens were transplanted to a public site, the results might be somewhat laughable. But the flowers, shrubs and trees of Elda Behm's "Paradise Garden" became the foundation for this botanical site. Threatened by the proposed expansion of Sea-Tac Airport, the contents of the local residential garden were transferred during winter in 2000 by volunteers and employees of the Port of Seattle and the City of SeaTac. Trees, shrubs and flowers are staggered in multiple levels that please the eye and attract numerous species of birds. Native plants such as rhododendrons and trillium blend with pine trees and lush clumps of lilies and peonies.
Facilities: Restrooms and water in adjacent Sea-Tac Community Center.
Restrictions: Leash and scoop laws in effect; do not remove any plant material.
Directions: From Interstate 5, take Highway 518 west about three miles. Take the Des Moines Memorial Drive exit and turn right at the end of the exit ramp. Turn right on South 136th Street, right on 24th Avenue South and right into the community center entrance drive. Due to recent budget cuts, the community center gate may be closed on weekends; if so, park on 24th Avenue South and walk up the drive to the garden entrance.
Bus: Metro Route 170 provides service to the garden. 206-553-3000 or http://transit.metrokc.gov/.
Information: 206-391-4003 or www.highlinegarden.org/portal.html.
Cathy McDonald is co-author with Stephen Whitney of "Nature Walks In and Around Seattle" (The Mountaineers, 1997).
Copyright © The Seattle Times Company
post a reply