Weyerhaeuser’s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection will open to the public as part of the Buds and Blooms festival on May 9 and 10.
The collection closed on April 1 after 20 years of operation to save costs in the current economy. It is not known when the collection will reopen.
The event features gardens in five different locations. In addition to the Bonsai gardens, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, the PowellsWood Garden, West Hylebos Wetland and the Federal Way Farmer’s Market will all be open to the public, with free transportation between each location.
The shuttle runs each day from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parking at Weyerhaeuser, 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way S., or at The Commons mall on May 10, is recommended.
The rhododendron and PowellsWood gardens have a $5 entrance fee; the other events are free to the public.
The event will feature presentations by gardeners Marianne Binetti, Ed Hume, Cisco Morris and Richie Steffen. There will be demonstrations on flower arranging, summer pots and bee-keeping as well as music, artwork and activities for kids.
The rhododendron garden will feature mosaic stepping-stone making. There will be wetland tours, spinning wheel demonstrations and free seed and wildlife coloring books at West Hylebos Wetlands.
May 10 also coincides with opening day of the Federal Way Farmers Market and will feature a pancake breakfast, chef demonstrations, master gardener booth, face painting and clay pot decorating. The market is located at The Commons mall parking lot at South 320th Street and Pacific Highway South.
Nonperishable food donations will be accepted at the Farmer’s Market, Weyerhaeuser and PowellsWood. The food will go to the Federal Way Multi-Service Center’s food bank.
Presentations
Weyerhaeuser Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection:
Saturday, May 9
• Steve Hootman: Co-executive director and curator of the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden lectures on the rhododendron species at 11 a.m.
• Ciscoe Morris: Radio and television gardening personality presents “Gardening with Ciscoe” at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 10.
• Richie Steffen: Curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden conducts a container plants presentation at 11 a.m.
• David DeGroot: Curator of Weyerhaeuser’s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection discusses bonsai basics at 1 p.m.
PowellsWood Garden:
Saturday, May 9
• Rita Butler: Master gardener demonstrates growing with bulbs at 10:30 a.m.
• Ed Hume: Gardening writer and broadcast personality presents on spring garden, vegetables and flowers at 1:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 10
• Irene Mills: Garden designer and consultant discusses curb appeal at 10:30 a.m.
• Jackie LaVerne: Master gardener presents on hardy fuchsias at 1:30pm.
Federal Way Farmers Market:
Saturday, May 10
• Marianne Binetti: Gardening author and writer presents on spring container gardening from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
More details
Artists will creating their art at the various locations, and will also have artwork up for sale.
There will be food available for purchase at both the Farmer’s Market and there will be hot dogs, pretzels and popcorn at the Rhododendron garden and food at PowellsWood.
One of the best parts of the event, says Yeh, is the passport program. Passports can be picked up at any information booth or shuttle bus. Guests then get their passport stamped at the different locations, and places within each location, then turn in the completed passport and receive a raffle ticket. The grand prize for the raffle is a round-trip ticket for two on the Amtrak to Portland and tickets for both the Chinese and Japanese gardens. Other prizes include resturant gift certificates, tickets for performing arts events in Federal Way, spring garden baskets, autographed books from presenters, birthday packages from the community center, Wild Waves tickets and Dumas Bay catering.
Guests do not have to be present to win but must fill out the raffle tickets before the drawing at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Volunteers are still needed for the event and every volunteer receives a gift bag including free passes to the community center and aquatic center, discounts for local stores and a raffle ticket.
For more information visit www.federalway.org or call (253) 835-6868. For volunteer information contact Lillian Yeh at (253) 835-2501