Banner

Park Tour

Driving to Bradner

Bradner by Bus


Metro bus routes

#14 Get off at 31st Avenue South and South Grand Street in Mt. Baker. Walk two very short and level blocks to 29th Avenue South. This is the ADA accessible route.

#4 Get off at MLK Way South and South Massachusetts. Walk two blocks uphill on S. Massachusetts to Bradner Place South. This route is not ADA accessible.

The native plant habitat at Bradner provides a zone for wildlife and serves as a buffer for the neighbors to the north of the park. King Conservation District provided the plants and planting plan that includes more than 40 Northwest native trees and shrubs.

This part of the park was covered with a dense thicket of Himalayan blackberries that engulfed 20-foot-tall Big leaf maple trees. In the first phase of construction, the contractor removed the blackberries and roots leaving the maples in place. Volunteers planted native trees and shrubs in the winter of 1998-1999. Wood chip mulch was applied over cardboard or newspaper to diminish competition from weeds and to retain moisture. Wood chip mulch eventually decomposes to improve the soil. Once established, native plants are drought tolerant and provide shelter and food for wildlife.

Seattle Public Utilities and the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation nursery and plant salvage programs provided additional native plants.

Bradner P-Patch is one of 60 community gardens scattered across the city of Seattle. Originally started in 1987 as the Mt. Baker P-Patch, today Bradner has 61 garden plots of 200 square feet each.

The P-Patch Program was established in 1973 and is administrated through the Department of Neighborhoods. Any Seattle resident can apply for a p-patch by contacting the p-patch office.

Bradner P-Patch Site Coordinators
Joyce Moty 

Bradner Gardens Park will feature the first arboretum of small trees that fit along streets under utility lines and in smaller urban yards. The collection features both deciduous and evergreen trees; many will grow to a mature height of 20 to 30 feet.

Planted as part of the Seattle Millennium / Woods Legacy celebration for 2000, the trees are located throughout the park. Tree Stewards worked with Seattle City Light and the City Arborists office to select more than 40 appropriate trees for display.

Located in the heart of the park, the fun and educational Children's Garden consists of three plant beds swooping around the open-air pavilion. Under the guidance of volunteers from Master Gardeners, P-Patch and Seattle Tilth, children grow vegetables organically as a generous gift to local food banks. Visitors can ramble amid an alphabetical array of edible perennials, herbs, fruit trees and annuals in the A-Z Garden.

Kids designed and created the ceramic and glass mosaic stepping stones that feature environmental messages. Each stepping stone bears one word of a short message that is fun for little feet to follow, such as "Worms are wonderful" and "Compost is cool." At the letter X, children will use magnifiers to eXamine what is going on in the soil, including comparing the original soil found at the site to improved soil that has been built up with compost and cover crops. Kids can spy itty-bitty bugs, worms and other beneficial critters, and view the science of decomposition close up.

King County Master Gardeners designed seven theme gardens for the Bradner Ornamental Demonstration. Each garden is scaled to fit into smaller urban residential yards. Each theme garden features a selection of trees, shrubs and perennials that demonstrate the right plant for the right place, low maintenance and a variety of irrigation systems. The gardens also provide living examples for Master Gardener lectures, demonstrations and workshops. (See event calendar.)

THE GARDENS

Butterfly and Hummingbird
Plants attract butterflies and hummingbirds by providing food and shelter.

Winter Interest
Plants provide year-round interest and are especially attractive in the winter.

Sensory
Plants appeal to the senses through sight, smell, touch or sound.

Shade
Plants thrive in the shade.

Native Plant
A special selection of smaller native plants for an urban garden.

Fragrance
Plants that have exceptional fragrance.

Dry
Plants are chosen for their low water requirements.

 

Seattle Tilth Demonstration Garden features edible plants, herbs and plants that attract beneficial insects. Learn how to grow fresh produce with organic methods. Demonstrations include drip irrigation systems, cover cropping, mulching and composting.

Art and Architecture at Bradner Gardens Park

The Pavilion - designed and built by the Howard S. Wright Design Build Studio at the University of Washington

Live Cycle of the Salmon Bench - Chris Vondrasek

Painted metal salmon at south entry - Buster Simpson

Big Red Tractor - Chris Vondrasek and Clare Colquitt

Rusty Garden Tools on Trellis Fence - Clare Colquitt

Mosaic Bench on Basketball Court - Coyote Junior High

Painted Pillars - Scott Martin

Restroom Mosaic of Giant Insects - Joyce Moty, Liz Cross, Gyda Fossland

Decorated Hose Bib - Diane Szukovaty