Welcome to the Master Gardener Foundation of King County
The Master Gardener Foundation of King County (MGFKC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds for the King County Master Gardener Program. MGFKC is a member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State .The money raised supports a variety of educational programs for residents all over the county.
Please donate to the Foundation today to support our Master Gardener volunteers.
Master Gardener Foundation 2024 Annual Meeting
If you are curious about the Master Gardeners 2023 financial performance, please see the Annual Meeting highlights and materials:
- Annual Meeting Presentation Deck
- Annual Meeting Recording
- Budget vs. Actuals
- Final Budget (2024)
- Statement of Activities
- Statement of Financial Position
2024 MGFKC Building Community Fall Appeal
Thank you to our members, friends and donors for your support in 2024.
Our Building Community Fall Appeal recognizes our 2024 achievements, prepares for 2025 and asks for your help.
Gardens and gardening have the power to bring people together through beauty, community and sustenance.
It takes all of us to build our community and to support the valuable work of WSU Extension Master Gardeners.
Please donate to support this program we all love and enjoy.
Thank you for helping!
The Fall Appeal’s goal is $50,000. Our fundraising thermometer shows current donation total!
What’s Happening Now?
- Welcome PNW Garden Savvy (formerly known as BDG Workshops)! Series 1 Classes start January 11, 2025.
- Give a gift of a Growing Groceries class or the entire series! The 2025 Cool Season Series is now open for registration.
- King County Master Gardeners living in apartments might be wondering – what are the best houseplants for rooms that have low-light? This quick read from the Apartmentguide blog lists houseplants that grow well in direct and indirect light. This article 35 Low-Light Houseplants to Bring Your Space to Life also includes a list of pet-friendly plants.
- Follow us on the Master Gardener Foundation of King County Facebook page. Or connect via Instagram @kcmastergardeners.
- King County Master Gardeners are in the news!
Foundation President, Joan Baldwin and Vice-President Joe Jennings were interviewed last month by Amanda Zhou at the Seattle times. The article Seattle area trends warmer in newest USDA plant hardieness map provides context for the recent changes in plant hardiness zones. - Do you have a plant problem? Just Ask a Master Gardener for help anytime.
2025 Educational Classes and Workshops
2025 Growing Groceries will be offering a Cool Season and a Warm Season series each consisting of 6 classes. These classes are ideal for the beginner to intermediate gardener and are open to all. All classes are on Wednesdays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM online via Zoom.
The Cool Season Series runs from January 22 to April 2. Guest speakers will share tips for preparing your garden beds, selecting and growing short season varieties for late winter and early spring planting. Learn how to grow delicious, nutritious food using sustainable gardening techniques. Registration opens soon.
2024 BDG Workshops will offer 3 series from January through October. Workshops are held Saturdays from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. New BDGW speakers and topics will include: Richie Steffen, Executive Director of the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden presenting ‘Ferns’, and Ross Bayton, Garden Director at Heronswood Garden presenting ‘Choosing Conifers for Color’.
Class & Event Calendar
Making a Difference
We serve our King County gardening community in 39 Plant Answer Clinics and 13 demonstration and outreach gardens, through online classes and workshops, reaching over 15,066 people at 595 clinic events in 2023. Our 512 Certified Master Gardeners spent over 20,693 hours in service.
We have demonstration gardens throughout King County. We help fund capital expenditures to improve the productivity of our demonstration and outreach gardens. Last year, we donated over 4,252 pounds of produce to local food banks in King County to help address food insecurity.
We have gardening events in our youth gardens at Magnuson Childrens Garden, Tribal Life Trail, Bellevue Demo Garden childrens garden, and Shorewood High School. This education serves to connect young people with the world around them and teach how plants grow and thrive.
We connect with home gardeners in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We offer free advice through our Plant Answer Clinics at farmers’ markets and stores and our online email clinic. In 2023, we responded to over 745 emails related to home gardening.
Your contributions help our program. Please support us.
Interested in becoming a Master Gardener?
If you love gardening and want to support environmental education opportunities in your neighborhood, consider becoming a WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer in King County. Our Master Gardener volunteers empower and sustain diverse communities by sharing relevant, unbiased, research-based horticulture and environmental stewardship education. We become part of a special community, building lifelong friendships, and enjoying meaningful experiences while learning and teaching fellow gardeners.