FAQ: Year-Round Gardener

How many people will be in class?

• This class is open to 36 participants total. We will be all together during our online class sessions, and we will be in smaller groups of about 12 during the in-person sessions at one of the 3 class locations: Bradner Gardens Park in South Seattle, Good Shepherd Center Learning Garden in North Seattle or McAuliffe Park in Kirkland.

Will classes be held indoors or outdoors?

• Thursday evening classes will be held online via Zoom. Saturday in-person sessions will be held outdoors, rain or shine – except for our first in-person class session, which will be held indoors. If you are registered for the South Seattle location, the first in-person class will be in the classroom at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands.

Do I need to wear a mask and/or keep physical distance?

• We will be following all current public health guidelines. While we plan to give one another physical space throughout our in-person sessions, there may be activities that involve working outdoors in close proximity to others – you may choose to wear a mask for these situations.

What if I need to miss a class?

• Online sessions of class will be recorded and shared out with participants after class, so you’ll be able to view them at a later date if you’re unable to join us for the live session.
• In-person classes cannot be rescheduled- we hope that you can make it to each one! If you do need to miss a session, you will have access to all of the class materials, and we encourage folks to connect with classmates.

What if there is wildfire smoke or extreme heat during the in-person weekend?

• Class may be canceled due to extreme heat or other weather-related events. We plan to use the AirNow, Air Quality Index (AQI) resource for updates about local air quality. You will be notified via email of any changes due to these conditions.This class may be rescheduled at a later date.

Accessibility notes for the Learning Garden at Bradner Gardens Park in South Seattle:

• The pathways in the garden are primarily wood chips, and the pathways around the garden are a mix of crushed gravel, bricks and concrete..
• The park is located in an area that has some hills, but the pathways in the park are fairly level, some with a gentle slope.
• There is a large concrete parking lot located to the east of the Good Shepherd Center building and you can access it from Sunnyside Ave N. There is also street parking available, usually within a couple of blocks of the park.
• The garden beds at this location are in-ground and can be accessed by bending or sitting.
• There are a few benches in the garden gathering area where folks can sit. We also welcome people to bring their own chairs/seats/stools.
• There are both gender neutral bathrooms and gendered bathroom options inside the Good Shepherd Center building, and gendered restrooms inside Meridian Playfield.
• There is access to city water in the garden. We encourage folks to bring drinking water, tea/coffee, and/or snacks with you.

Accessibility notes for the Learning Garden at the Good Shepherd Center in North Seattle:

• The pathways in the garden are primarily wood chips, and the pathways around the garden are a mix of crushed gravel, bricks and concrete..
• The park is located in an area that has some hills, but the pathways in the park are fairly level, some with a gentle slope.
• There is a large paved parking lot located to the east of the Good Shepherd Center building and you can access it from Sunnyside Ave N. There is also street parking available, usually within a couple of blocks of the park.
• The garden beds at this location are in-ground and can be accessed by bending or sitting.
• There are a few benches in the garden gathering area where folks can sit. We also welcome people to bring their own chairs or seats.
• There are both gender neutral bathrooms and gendered bathroom options inside the Good Shepherd Center building, and gendered restrooms inside Meridian Playfield.
• There is access to city water in the garden. We encourage folks to bring drinking water, tea/coffee, and/or snacks with you.

Accessibility notes for the Learning Garden at McAuliffe Park in Kirkland:

• The pathways in the garden are made of wood chips and the pathways around the garden are a mix of crushed gravel and concrete.
• The park is located in an area that has some hills, but the pathways in the park are fairly level, some with a gentle slope.
• There is a gravel parking lot from the garden along a concrete pathway.
• The garden beds at this location are in-ground and can be accessed by bending or sitting.
• We also welcome people to bring their own chairs/seats/stools to use while out in the garden.
• There is a rustic gender neutral bathroom on site, that includes a step and is not wheelchair accessible.
• There is access to city water in the garden. We encourage folks to bring drinking water, tea/coffee, and/or snacks with you.