GARDEN CALENDAR

Send calendar items four weeks before the event to Northwest Gardens, P.O. Box 1909, Seattle, WA 98111-1909; fax: 206-448-8216, Attn: Northwest Gardens; e-mail: nwgardens@seattlepi.com.

CLASSES

ONGOING Sogetsu Ikebana: Nobuko Relnick offers flower-arrangement classes Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m., at 19112 152nd Ave. N.E., Woodinville, and Thursdays at 5 p.m. at Pottery Northwest, 226 First Ave. N. $20 plus a $7 materials fee. 425-489-1992; nrelnick@Comcast.net.

ETC.

ONGOING Natural Lawn and Garden Hot Line: Educators answer gardening and composting questions. Sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities. 206-633-0224; info@lawnandgardenhotline.org.

TUE Kitsap Community Agriculture Alliance: Getting the Most Out of Your Local Farmers Markets. Learn about fresh, safe, wholesome, local food and how you can get it, and how everyone benefits from the local farmers markets. 7-9 p.m.; in the Meeting Chambers, Norm Dicks Government Center, 345 Sixth St., Bremerton. 360-337-7157; kitsap.wsu.edu.

MASTER GARDENERS

ONGOING Master Gardener answer lines: Master Gardeners are available to answer your questions. Information: king.wsu.edu.

King County -- 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 206-296-3440, except holidays.

PLANT SALE

TUE Pat Calvert Greenhouse: Plants propagated from the Washington Park Arboretum, are for sale 10 a.m.-noon at the Graham Visitors Center East entrance, 2300 Arboretum Drive E. www.arboretumfoundation.org.

TOURS

SUN Weyerhaeuser's Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection: 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way S., Federal Way. Free. 253-924-5206; weyerhaeuser.com/bonsai.

Sunday, noon-1 p.m. -- Sunday Guided Tour: Learn the history of the collection and the horticultural and artist elements for creating and maintaining these pieces of living art.

ONGOING Bellevue Botanical Garden: Perennials, Japanese-style garden, alpine rock garden, woodland trees and native Northwest plants in a 36-acre destination garden. Open dawn to dusk daily, docent-led tours available 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through October and by appointment. 12001 Main St., Bellevue. Free. 425-452-2750; bellevuebotanical.org.

Today and Sunday, 5-9:30 p.m. -- Garden d'Lights: Holiday show features strings of minilights bundled, twisted and shaped into flowers, animals, birds and insects. Free.

ONGOING PowellsWood: This 40-acre private garden is at 430 S. Dash Point Road, a mile west of Pacific Highway S., in Federal Way. Tours are by appointment only. Information: 253-529-1620; powellswood.org.

ONGOING Volunteer Park Conservatory: Docents lead 30- to 60-minute group tours that cover conservatory plant collections, architectural history, plant acquisition, production and more, Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; 1400 E. Galer St. $25 per group; free for K-12 students; Reservations required. 206-322-4112; volunteerparkconservatory.org

ONGOING Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden: Four acres of gardens includes cottage, Japanese and rose gardens, and displays of iris and day lilies. Open daily during daylight hours. Free. Private guided group tours available; North SeaTac Community Center, 13735 24th Ave. S. 206-824-7222; highlinegarden.org.

ONGOING Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden: Saturday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $3.50, $2.50 for seniors and students 12 and older, free under 12; guided tours and group rates are available. Weyerhaeuser corporate campus, 2525 S. 336th St., Federal Way. 253-838-4646 (from Seattle), 253-927-6960 (from Tacoma), 253-661-9377 (gift shop); rhodygarden.org.

ONGOING Bloedel Reserve: Reservations are required to tour the 150-acre reserve, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday year-round, except federal holidays. 7571 N.E. Dolphin Drive, Bainbridge Island. 206-842-7631; bloedelreserve.org.

ONGOING Lake Wilderness Arboretum: A 40-acre arboretum with formal gardens and trails for walking, jogging and bicycling. Open daily during daylight hours. 22520 S.E. 248th St., Maple Valley. Information: 425-413-2572; lakewildernessarboretum.org.

ONGOING Dunn Gardens: Gardens are open to the public for guided tours only, Thursday, 1 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. Reservations must be made in advance. $7-$10. Information: 206-362-0933; info@dunngardens.org or dunngardens.org.

ONGOING Bastyr University: Medicinal Herb Garden and Reflexology Path. Features botanicals used in both Western and Asian natural medicine. Free self-guided tours anytime, always open. Guided tours also available. 14500 Juanita Drive N.E., behind Bastyr University campus. 425-602-3272; bastyr.edu.

VOLUNTEERING

ONGOING Dunn Gardens docent program: Trains docents to lead small public tours through the historic gardens. 206-362-0933; info@dunngardens.org or dunngardens.org.

ONGOING Washington Park Arboretum: Guides are needed to lead educational tours for the Sapling School Program. Guides are asked to commit to one three-hour shift a week for 10 weeks in the fall or spring. Information: 206-543-8801; www.uwbotanicgardens.org, or uwbgeduc@u.Washington.edu. Also, volunteers are needed for weeding, mulching, planting, pruning and other horticulture activities, Tuesdays, 12:30-3:30 p.m., year-round. Hand tools and work gloves provided. Contact David Zuckerman, grounds supervisor, 206-616-4050.

ONGOING Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens: Volunteers needed for scheduled work parties, garden maintenance at the Arboretum, Legion Park, 145 Alverson Blvd., Everett. 425-257-8597; evergreenarboretum.com.

ONGOING Kruckeberg Botanic Garden: Volunteers needed to help in various ways, including hospitality, garden maintenance and docents. 20312 15th Ave. N.W., Shoreline. kruckeberg.org; 206-542-4777.

ONGOING Seattle Tilth Children's Garden: Volunteer to lead Earth Steward Garden Tours in the Children's Garden, a fun, hands-on garden field trip for preschool through sixth grade at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. Training is ongoing. 206-633-0451, Ext. 2; or seattletilth.org.

ONGOING Columbia Lutheran Home: Now recruiting volunteers to help with gardening at Columbia Lutheran Home, 4700 Phinney Ave. N. Ellen Murray, 206-632-7400; columbialutheranhome.com.

ONGOING Lake Wilderness Arboretum: Learn new gardening skills and meet like-minded, friendly people. Volunteer days are held every Wednesday, Thursday and the first Saturday of the month, 9 a.m.-noon, at 22520 S.E. 248th St., Maple Valley. Advance contact not required. 425-413-2572; lakewildernessarboretum.org.

ONGOING Volunteer Park Conservatory: Opportunities to help in the Gift Shop and Resource Center; horticultural knowledge helpful but not necessary. Volunteers commit to a three-hour shift once or twice a month, after two to three training sessions. 206-322-4112; foc@volunteer parkconservatory.org.

ONGOING King County Greenhouse and Nursery: Pot native trees and shrubs, and move soil and plants into the nursery for future restoration projects. All ages, no experience necessary. Every Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Renton/Maple Valley area. Tina Miller, 206-296-2990.

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