Welcome to the Master Gardener Foundation of King County
The Master Gardener Foundation of King County (MGFKC) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 as a charitable and educational nonprofit organization. All King County Master Gardener volunteer activities are funded through MGFKC which is a member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State (MGFWS).
In partnership with the King County Master Gardener Program, the Foundation advocates for Master Gardeners as they learn and teach science-based home gardening to the public in King County. Please donate to the foundation today to support these volunteers in our county.
Grow with Master Gardeners Fall Fundraising Appeal
October 17, 2023 to January 15, 2024
So far we have raised $18,766 towards our $50,000 target! That‘s 38% of the total!
Please see our 2023 Fall Appeal Letter or Annual Report for more information on how your donation makes a difference for Master Gardener Programs in King County.
Thank you for helping us grow!
What’s Happening Now?
- King County Master Gardeners are in the news!
Foundation President, Joan Baldwin and Vice-President Joe Jennings were interviewed this week 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. - Holiday Gift Giving! Watch for our 2024 class registration links in early December (see more details below).
- NEW KCMG Recognition Celebration Event page! Find out who won the prestigious National Gold Presidential, King County Master Gardener Foundation and President’s awards. And who your peers nominated as 2023 Outstanding Master Gardeners.
- Do you have a plant problem? Just Ask a Master Gardener for help anytime.
- Learn about our demonstration, outreach and youth gardens.
2024 Educational Classes and Workshops
Growing Groceries Classes and Bellevue Demonstration Garden Workshops will begin again in January 2024. Both of these educational series will have new topics and new speakers in addition to past favorites.
Growing Groceries (GG) 2024 will offer 12 classes in spring and fall. New GG topics will include ‘Extended-season Techniques’ and ‘Soil-to-Table Tips’.
Bellevue Demonstration Garden Workshops (BDGW) 2024 will offer 22 classes in the spring and fall. 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’.
Watch for the 2024 GG and BDGW registration links in your email in early December….just in time for your holiday giving! Subscriptions to these fantastic educational series make a great gift and will keep on giving throughout the year.
Class & Event Schedules
Making a Difference
We serve our King County gardening community in 37 Plant Answer Clinics and 13 demonstration and outreach gardens, through online classes and workshops, reaching over 15,800 people in 2022. Our 620 volunteers spent over 26,200 hours in service in 2022.
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 4000 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. We hosted over 700 clinics in 2022 and responded to over 1100 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.