Fantabulous group of conservation-minded, organic growing, urban/suburban gardeners with a…read morebeautiful demonstration garden in the city. The setting at Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford is perfect for strolling the grounds, walking the dog and running the children around till they fall asleep with exhaustion. Need ideas for composting? Tilth has 'em. Want to know if tomatoes will ever get ripe in Seattle? Tilth can fill you in on growing tips. This is a great association to associate with.

This past growing season I bought a half share in the Seattle Tilth CSA. I've gotten CSA boxes…read morethrough several other farms before (both in Seattle and Wisconsin) and the Seattle Tilth CSA really delivered. Each week the produce was diverse, fresh, and delicious. Items were well selected and I had very little produce go to waste. The half share was a good amount for my wife and I. I also really liked the add-on options; we were out of town one week, and were able to get credit, we used our credit to select goat cheese and honey from the add-on options. That goat cheese was truly incredible! I've also got to commend Seattle Tilth for their educational programming and community empowerment work. Really a great resource for our city.

This is a great place that's next to Jefferson Park…read more If you check out their Instagram page, they post about volunteer meet ups weekly to tend to the gardens and clean up around the area. The amazing thing about this place that there are plots where you can rent them privately to grow your own produce. There are other plots that the volunteers and community members utilize to grow various fruits and vegetables for anyone to harvest. Depending on the season, you can get apples, lavender, thyme, tomatoes, squash, etc. I highly recommend taking a stroll through this area to admire all the amazing fruits and foods that are being grown in an urban area. Sometimes they have paper bags available so that you can harvest various items from the gardens, but they aren't available all the time so be sure to bring your own reusable bag and or containers.

I've been wanting to go to the Beacon Food Forest ever since I heard about it! This garden is a lot…read morelike a community garden... but usually it is implied that those putting in the work for the garden usually get the rewards from it. Those that do are usually people from the neighborhood or volunteers. From my understanding the Beacon Food Forest is just a little bit different. Most of the produce that is grown here anyone that walks through and sees a piece of fruit or a vegetable is free to take it for themselves. With that concept in mind I have to give this community garden five stars. That doesn't mean that applies to the entire garden however. Some areas are rented out and there are signs where the rented spaces are NOT to take the produce that is being grown there. From the looks of it most people seem to be very respectful of that request. Lots of the produce that I saw that was free for the taking was very under ripe but there was indeed some there for you to take... it wasn't completely picked over! There are a number of fun little paths to do an urban hike through the garden which is lots of fun. There are fun decorations too like a whole section of painted rocks and a funky looking scarecrow. The Beacon Food Forest is actually quite large for a community garden... but during my hikes through the area I wish it was bigger... it was a refreshing hike and change of scenery. All urban centers should have these food forests throughout.

This park is a labyrinth in the city with green. It has tony gardens in the center where people…read moregrow things. There's some seating around. Loud because it's next to the highway

This is such an incredible garden and concept. The layout of the plots is beautiful and it's…read moreawesome to see elderly asian people building community through urban gardens. We toured here with my class and saw a video about how important this space is to those who tend it. Having these garden plots helps the gardeners to fight depression, have a sense of pride, and share their stories. It's really heartwarming to witness such a wonderful community space.

This secret garden called the Pike Place Urban Garden is the best treasure to be found at the…read moremarket. Find yourself lunch, a snack, or a coffee and take a seat with your book, take a date here, ask someone to marry you, or do something special. It's just top notch. Cute as a button, this is a place where special things and magic happens. Oh. And the view!

A lot of people don't know about this place! It's really quiet and good hideout place! Would…read moredefinitely recommend to come if you want to chill a bit. It's a fun stop for kids- as chalk is provided to draw on the resident pig statue or a few designated walls. The market garden has lots of fun and whimsical features, including water features, chalk-walls open to the public, art, mosaics, creative seating, and more. A particularly impressive feat since this lush garden is comprised entirely of containers and raised beds. Vegetables are inter-planted with flowers and supply the food bank and Pike Place's Senior Center. On a clear day, the views from this spot are unbeatable. The haze on this day hid Mt Rainier, but often visible is Mt Rainier to the left and the Olympic mountains to the Right, with views of miles of Puget Sound and beaches, the Seattle Waterfront, passing Washington State Ferries, cruise ships, and the ferris wheel always in view. In the middle of all the hustle and bustle and throwing of fish, there is a peaceful garden with views of Puget Sound and seating to relax from the crowds. Make sure to explore the different art and produce that is scattered around the rooftop garden and don't forget to write your name and where you are visiting from on one of the chalkboard surfaces! A lovely little gem tucked behind Pike Place Fish Market.

The garden's gone better this year than I could have imagined. I've made some new friends, we've…read moreenjoyed looking out for one another, and I harvested over $200 worth of gorgeous produce from my $60/year patch -- and I have probably another $200 worth still in the ground (beets, carrots, onions, flowers, Chinese broccoli, celery, rutabegas, parsnips... the fun never ends!) And I still need to see if our popcorn will get big enough to eat... and I really really need to brave the rain to plant some lettuce! The early summer lettuce we enjoyed was so fantastic, the sweetest lettuce I've ever eaten. The Crossroads P-patch garden was featured in the Bellevue City cable channel's October edition of "It's Your City". To view our segment (and to see me in my pink shirt and lots of shots of my garden!) go here: http://bellevue.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=27&clip_id=2305 You can click the segment link on the right side to skip the Bellevue bicycling program review if that bores you to tears. :-) I will definitely be renewing my patch membership next year... as the first gardener to register, how could I do otherwise? Kudos to Ron Sher for having this lovely idea and for making it happen, spending a lot of money to make a delightful community resource available. He is an amazing guy and Bellevue is lucky indeed that he is so invested in the Crossroads neighborhood (he is the head of Metrovation, the company that owns Crossroads Mall). It's been a pleasure to get to know him a little bit as he tended the artichokes, tomatoes, and sunflowers in his plot.

The website for Alleycat Acres states:…read more "Alleycat Acres is a urban farming collective that aims to reconnect people with food. To achieve this, we create community-run farms on under utilized urban spaces." I have been to 2 work parties at the Central District location and they are a wonderful way to learn about gardening. The people running this organization do what organizers do best... they empower each person to take on responsibility and showcase their own strengths to support the group's goals. This is a good model for all organizing. Very fun to get your hands dirty and turn a plot of unused land into something that will feed people. VERY COOL.

When I think of Colman Park, I think of the underpasses…read more I'm a Californian, we don't really do fun underpasses like Seattle does, especially not ones like these which look to be mostly from the 1900s. The honey and I decided on one of our walks to start at the Colman P-Patch Community Gardens (which is easily one of the most gorgeous sounding parks we've been to) and walk down under the these smaller tunnels to Colman Beach. The tunnels at first glance look barely big enough for someone to pass under, and someone larger than 6 feet might struggle, but it's so much fun to walk through the woods from the P-Patch and see that these adorable tunnels lead to a beach. Colman Park is very woodsy, but there are so many paths and levels to it that you could probably explore for an hour and not see everything. All in all beyond Streissguth Gardens, the Colman P-Patch and adjoining Colman Park and Colman Beach would be the absolute must see for free Seattle green spaces in my opinion, and if you're in the area, you should definitely drop by.

Colman Park is such a peaceful little escape. The trees, the lake, and the views of Mt. Rainier…read moremake it feel like a hidden spot right in the city. I came here to clear my head and ended up staying way longer than planned. It's quiet, super green, and just a perfect place to slow down and breathe.

There is beautiful architectural design all over Magnuson. The pea-patch adds another level with…read moreits outdoor theater, heightened planter boxes and many vine covered trellises. It has an aesthetic layout, ell taken care of garden, welcoming gardeners, and since I bring my kids here to visit and smell the herbs and explore the plant life that there is lots for kids to appreciate here.

What's not to love about this gorgeous p-patch garden that is maintained by volunteers in our…read morecommunity? I love how it isn't immediately visible from the main paths near the dog park as you walk in. You have to venture to the top level of the outdoor amphitheater before you reach the entrance to this garden. The spring and summer months are the best time to visit, as all the flowers are in bloom! I like to run through Magnuson Park on occasion, so this garden is usually where I take my cool down walk since there's so much to see and smell.

This is a beautifully laid out community garden with visual delights such as a children's garden, a…read morebutterfly garden and a gorgeous patch of dahlias which never fail to make me smile and wish it was my place I was walking through. Its true that I am a little biased because I helped build the garden from the mud up way back in 1998 but I still can't help being amazed that what was once a negected weedy area next to a parking lot was transformed into such a lovely place.