Upcoming Events
Most of our events are open to the public and free to attend, thanks to SBGS membership fees and generous donations. Help us continue offering educational programs by becoming a member today!
Be sure sign up for our newsletter or follow us on socials to hear more about about upcoming events!
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
Nature Explorers Club
Spiders
This month, we will explore the wonderful world of spiders. These incredible animals eat the insects in our gardens, keeping the plants healthy. As a quick fun fact: even though we see spiders more in the fall, they are actually just easier to see then.
During our session, we will be making our very own spiders out of pine cones and pipe cleaners. To fully experience what it must be like to spin a web, we will also be making a giant web from yarn.
Please bring your drawing materials so that we can also capture firsthand these amazing creatures at work and the luscious plant world they call home.
Bring: an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors. We also recommend bringing a water bottle and wearing weather-appropriate clothing for spending time outdoors.
Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.
Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors
Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)
Class offered by Karen Houlding and Sandra Moreano.
Please Register
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
SBGS Annual Meeting
6:30 p.m. Social Hour & Refreshments
7:00 p.m. Annual Meeting & Presentation
Join us for a special evening celebrating the Sammamish Botanical Garden Society, our community, and the joy of learning together. The evening begins with a relaxed social hour featuring light appetizers and desserts, offering the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow SBGS members and garden enthusiasts. At 7:00 p.m., we’ll gather for a brief annual meeting and a special presentation from one of the Pacific Northwest’s most engaging voices in horticulture.
Featuring Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, professor and extension specialist emerita in horticulture at Washington State University and author of several books, including the third edition of Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Known for her science-based approach to gardening, Dr. Chalker-Scott will take us beyond conventional gardening wisdom with an engaging look at garden myths, the science behind them, and how we can use research to make better decisions in our own gardens. Come curious. Leave inspired — and perhaps questioning a few things you thought you knew about gardening.
This complimentary evening is open to all who love gardens and learning. Enjoy wonderful company, delicious refreshments, and an exceptional speaker as we gather to celebrate another year of the Sammamish Botanical Garden Society.
Registration is required; please reserve your place for this special evening. We look forward to welcoming you.
Dahlia Dig-Up at the Heritage Garden
It’s time to tuck the dahlias away for the winter! Join us Wednesday, October 21 at 10:00 AM as the Puget Sound Dahlia Association digs up the dahlia tubers at the Heritage Garden.
Brad Freeman will also give a special talk about all things dahlias- from growing and caring for these beautiful flowers to digging, dividing, and storing the tubers for next year.
Brad has served six years as president of the American Dahlia Society. Currently, Brad is the treasurer of the Puget Sound Dahlia Association. He has worked with universities and scientists regarding the DNA of dahlias. He is an expert dahlia judge and has grown dahlias for years.
Come learn, ask questions, and see how we prepare the garden for winter!
No registration required.
Heritage Garden Bulb Planting
Join us for our annual bulb planting at the Heritage Garden. This fun event is perfect for the whole family (all ages welcome!). We’ll be planting tulips, daffodils, alliums, and more. Bring drinks, garden gloves, raingear, and your enthusiasm as we work side by side in anticipation of a beautiful spring display. Snacks and hot drinks will be available. Parking is limited. There are public restrooms and a water bottle refill station next to the Heritage Garden.
Have questions? Reach out to us at heritage@sammamishbotanical.org. Thank you for your help!
Partner Event: WNPS Speaker Series
25 years of exploring the Pacific Northwest Vascular Plant Flora at the University of Washington Herbarium
The University of Washington Herbarium at the Burke Museum holds the largest collection of Pacific Northwest vascular plants. Built over nearly 150 years of regional fieldwork, these specimens support research on new species, rare plant populations, invasive species, climate impacts, and the creation of floras that document and help identify the region’s plant diversity. Herbarium Collections Manager and Research Botanist, David Giblin will provide an overview of the Herbarium's field- and collections-based activities over the past 25 years.
This program is in person in the Cascade Room at the Mountaineers (7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle) & also will be live streamed via Zoom at 7:00 PM. For information on how to sign up for Zoom, please register in advance for this webinar on our event page: https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/exploring-pacific-northwest-vascular-plant-flora
Event link on social media: https://www.facebook.com/events/1443665637659604
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Cornucopia: A Celebration of the Harvest
Join us as we celebrate the abundance of the fall harvest! We’ll talk briefly about the harvest season and how people have traditionally stored and preserved food to help keep everyone fed through the winter months. Then it’s time to get creative! We’ll have a variety of fall produce- including squash, gourds, onions, carrots, potatoes, and more- for participants to draw and paint.
Come learn a little, get creative, and celebrate the bounty of the season! All ages welcome.
Bring: an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors.
Class offered by Karen Houlding and Sandra Moreano.
Please Register
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
SBGS Members-Only Seed & Feed
Gather with fellow garden members for an afternoon of seed saving, good food, and good company!
We’ll harvest and prepare seeds from this year’s garden to save for next year’s planting season. Then, we’ll gather around the table for a delicious spaghetti dinner and enjoy some time together.
Members Only | Limited to 16 participants
Registration opens in November 2026 for members.
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Winter Bouquet
Bring a little beauty into the long winter months! We’ll talk about the tradition of bringing dried plants and flowers indoors to add color and beauty when the garden is resting. We’ll also explore pressed leaves and plants and how even simple natural materials can become beautiful works of art.
Using colorful paper, dried plants, and pressed leaves, we’ll create our own winter-inspired bouquets while spending plenty of time practicing our drawing and observation skills.
Come slow down, get creative, and discover how nature can brighten even the simplest winter day! All ages welcome.
Bring: an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors
Class offered by Karen Houlding and Sandra Moreano.
Please Register
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Early Bloomers
Spring is on its way! Join us as we celebrate some of the first flowers to brighten the garden after winter. We’ll take a look at crocus, paperwhites, pansies, daffodils, and other early bloomers, noticing their colors, shapes, and delicate details. Then we’ll spend most of our time drawing and painting these cheerful signs of spring.
Come enjoy a little early-spring inspiration and plenty of time to practice your nature art skills! All ages welcome.
Bring: an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors.
Class offered by Karen Houlding and Sandra Moreano.
Please Register
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Wildflower Primer
Get ready for wildflower season! We’ll explore the beauty and variety of wildflowers and talk about growing them from seed. Everyone will go home with wildflower seed packets to plant and enjoy. You can even sketch your seed packet in your nature journal as inspiration! The bulk of our time will be spent drawing and painting wildflowers, practicing observation and capturing their colors, shapes, and details.
Come get inspired, get creative, and bring a little more wildflower beauty home with you! All ages welcome.
Bring: an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors.
Class offered by Karen Houlding and Sandra Moreano.
Please Register
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
Partner Event: WNPS Speaker Series
The Role of Seed Banking in Native Plant Conservation
Tucked away in a freezer housed within a concrete vault in Seattle is a treasure trove of genes. These genes represent the genetic diversity of some of Washington’s rarest native plants and are packaged in nature’s most efficient storage containers — seeds. The Miller Seed Vault, managed by Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation, currently holds over 1 million seeds representing over 150 rare, native species. Come learn about the biology of seeds, the science of seed banking, and some of the ways we break seed dormancy to initiate germination.
This program is in person in the Aaron Education Center at the Bellevue Botanical Garden (12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005) & also will be live streamed via Zoom at 7:00 PM. For information on how to sign up for Zoom, please register in advance for this webinar on our event page: https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/the-role-of-seed-banking-in-native-plant-conservation
Event link on social media: https://www.facebook.com/events/1239749149230950
Carnation Farms Event
From a historic pioneering dairy farm to today’s nonprofit regenerative agricultural model, this is a beautiful farm location in the Snoqualmie Valley. Join us to learn about sustainable agriculture, local food and to visit the museum. Bring a sack lunch and we’ll eat together on the grounds. This is a free event. Car pools can be arranged. Our group will be no more than 20, so register soon.
Nature Explorers Club
Basic Herbs Series: Part One
This month, we will explore the wonderful world of culinary herbs right in the garden. These incredible plants add aroma, color, and flavor to our food, and they have been doing so for generations. As a quick fun fact, herbs are found in the leaves or stems of a plant, while spices come from other plant parts, such as bark, roots, seeds, and fruits.
During our session, we will discuss how early settlers transported these herbs and explore which herbs were shared by Indigenous Peoples. All ages and skill levels are welcome, so please come ready with your questions, your taste buds, and your noses.
What to bring: To fully participate in our sketching and exploration, please bring an unlined journal or sketchbook along with a pencil, colored pencils, or watercolors. We also recommend bringing a water bottle and wearing weather-appropriate clothing for spending time outdoors.
Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!
Partner Event: CPS Fall Native Plant Sale
The Central Puget Sound Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society will be having a fall native plant sale during this year's Master Gardener educational event with the theme Gardening for Change: Protecting and Ensuring Our Biodiverse Environment. In addition to native plants from their nursery at Magnuson Park, MGs invited other small native plant vendors. The event and plant sale are open to all, although there is a fee for the lectures.
The Plant Sale is open 10:00am – 2:00pm, however, online registration for all 3 talks ($25.00) allows you early entry to the Plant Sale at 9:30am! The plant sale can sell out fast, so it’s best to come early.
More details about the lectures and registration.
More details about the plant sale: https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/cps-fall-plant-sale
Community Event: Lake Wilderness Arboretum Fall Plant Sale
The Lake Wilderness Arboretum will be holding their 2026 Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, September 12 from 10am-4pm.
https://www.lakewildernessarboretum.org/events/plant-sales/
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Join us as we explore and sketch the Heritage Garden's herbs - the culinary, medicinal, and everyday herbs that early settlers relied on. We’ll also demo an easy way to dry herbs for winter using a hanging mesh dryer.
Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors
Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)
Class offered by Karen Houlding.
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
Partner Event: WNPS Speaker Series
Where are Our Bees from October to March? Washington is home to MANY species of bees. But we don't see them after September--where are they? In this talk, biology professor Steven Clark will share the very different (from humans) and very interesting life of our native bees. In addition to talking about where bees are, this talk will address bee stings, why most bees don't live in hives and many other fascinating traits of native bees.
This program is in person in the Cascade Room at the Mountaineers (7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle) & also will be live streamed via Zoom at 7:00 PM. It will be recorded for later viewing. For information on how to sign up for Zoom, please register in advance for this webinar on our event page: https://www.wnps.org/cps-events/where-do-native-bees-go-in-the-winter
Arts in the Garden annual event at the BBG
Arts in the Garden 2026 at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 28, 29 & 30
Discover 26 unique artists and a wide variety of 3-D garden art available for purchase among the flowerbeds and woodlands of the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Enjoy live music and food trucks on Saturday and Sunday.
Your whole family will delight in the magic of the Garden and the additional joy our artists bring.https://bellevuebotanical.org/arts-in-the-garden/
Arts in the Garden annual event at the BBG
Arts in the Garden 2026 at the Bellevue Botanical Garden August 28, 29 & 30
Discover 26 unique artists and a wide variety of 3-D garden art available for purchase among the flowerbeds and woodlands of the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Enjoy live music and food trucks on Saturday and Sunday.
Your whole family will delight in the magic of the Garden and the additional joy our artists bring.https://bellevuebotanical.org/arts-in-the-garden/
Arts in the Garden annual event at the BBG
12 – 2 p.m.
BBGS Member Shopping
Wristband required to purchase art during member shopping
Members, reserve your free wristband HERE
2 – 5 p.m.
Open to everyone
Cascade Gardener In-Person at Heritage Garden!
https://cascadewater.org/event/cascade-gardener-in-person-at-heritage-garden/
August 28@11:00 am-12:00 pm
Join Lisa Taylor for an in-person Cascade Gardener class at Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Heritage Garden.
Nature Journaling for Relaxation
Join us for monthly nature journaling - a relaxing activity that encourages slowing down to notice details, explore with curiosity, and connect with the natural world by recording observations in a sketchbook. No experience required! We’ll share ideas for connecting with nature to help you capture the garden’s beauty and the wonders of the outdoors.
Each session includes:
• Guided nature journaling and sketching
• Time to explore and observe
• Prompts and demos from experienced instructors
Bring: A sketchbook/paper and a pencil/pen (optional: colored pencils/watercolor)
Class offered by Karen Houlding.
Become a Member and help our garden thrive all year long.
Your membership supports programs, education, and the continued growth of the Sammamish Botanical Garden.
Nature Explorers Club
Basic Botany Series (Part Two)
Build on your skills as we continue exploring unique plant families! In this session, we will press flowers and leaves to create beautiful, lasting additions to our nature journals.
What to bring: An unlined journal or sketchbook, a pencil, colored pencils or watercolors, a water bottle, and weather-appropriate clothing.
Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!
SBGS Board Meeting
Sammamish Botanical Garden Society Board Meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of intermittent months - location to be determined.
All members of the SBGS are welcome to attend. Please send attendance requests to info@sammamishbotanical.org for more detailed meeting information.
Nature Explorers Club
Basic Botany Series (Part One)
Find out how botanists observe, describe, and identify plants! During this lesson, we will compare and contrast two plant families found in the garden to discover what makes them unique. We will also create color swatches to kick off our session, then dive into our journals to capture a beautiful memory. [1, 2]
What to bring: An unlined journal or sketchbook, a pencil, colored pencils or watercolors, a water bottle, and weather-appropriate clothing.
Note: Perfect for learners of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Bonus: Don’t miss our outdoor outreach box located in the Heritage Garden for sketch samples, prompts, and more!