The Ballard Lions Club is helping to fund a new public garden at the Woodland Park Zoo, designed by Seattle Sensory Garden (SSG). The Seattle Sensory Garden is a community organization whose mission is to, “broaden community involvement and build a public garden that individuals of all ages and ability can enjoy.” The Lions Club initiated and is funding a work party on Saturday, September 22 during which a group of students from Seattle Pacific University will work to develop the garden.
According to the Seattle Sensory Garden’s website, “In sensory gardens, plants and other design elements are selected with intention to provide experiences for seeing, smelling, hearing, touching and tasting.” Using a $500 grant from the Ballard Lions Club, the work party is to create a raised bed along the wheelchair-accessible garden path, “so that all visitors can see, smell and enjoy the plants up close,” according to a press release from the Seattle Sensory Garden group.
From SSG:
The work party will focus on extending and enhancing the existing demonstration garden—a small but invaluable part of the SSG’s mission to create a much larger garden that is accessible to all. “While the paths are wide enough for people with wheelchairs, not all of the plant materials are reachable right now,” said Briar Bates, a landscape designer and SSG steering committee member.
Saturday’s work party will change that, said Bates, while accomplishing other goals besides: “Because of the Ballard Lions Club and SPU, this is more than just a work party. It means we are getting broader involvement in the actual building of the garden. It means we can create a more accessible experience that serves a broader community—a garden for all. One that lets people recognize each other’s needs and see how others interact with the space.”
To learn more about the project, click here.
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