GardenHelp.org

My good friend and colleague, Kay, emailed the other day to ask if I had any old gardening books I no longer use that I could donate to the Master Gardener Fundraiser. I told her I’d do her one better — I’d post to the gardenhelp.org network of readers to draw from all of your libraries as well.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got gardening books on your shelf that you never crack. Sure, you have your favorites that are missing half a cover and cracked at the binding and held together with rubber bands. But, I bet you’ve got a few that just don’t fit your needs. Maybe you bought them online and were surprised they didn’t really live up to your expectations. Or, maybe someone gave you one as a well-meaning gift, but the topic doesn’t fit you. Or, perhaps you’ve moved from one region to another but kept books that ended up no longer applying.  Or, maybe you’ve got multiple copies or multiple editions of the same thing. There’s got to be at least one on the shelf that you can part with, right?

Heck, I just pulled three big books off my shelves to donate. I bet somebody out there wants them, right? Well, go to the sale!

• The Practical Gardener’s Encyclopedia from Whitecap Books
• Sunset Western Landscaping
• Sunset Water Gardens

So, consider giving to the  ultimate book recycling program this spring by donating your used garden books to the Master Gardener Sale. The funds from these books will be used to educate the public about sustainable gardening practices.  And, a book sitting on your shelf gathering dust, taking up room that your newest “must have” title needs, will move on to the hot hands of another horty in need.

The goal of the Master Gardener’s of King County program is to help the public practice sustainable gardening through integrated pest management, water-wise planting and similar science-based methods of meeting the horticultural challenges of home gardeners in the Pacific Northwest.

Why give to the program (besides doing a little spring cleaning for yourself?):

The Used Garden Book Sale is an important part of the Master Gardener Plant Sale.

Proceeds support the Master Gardener Foundation of King County which is a not-for-profit organization formed to raise the funds needed to operate all of the educational programs organized and staffed by the more than 650 volunteer Master Gardeners of King County. These programs include 34 plant problem clinics, 11 demonstration / outreach gardens, 17 youth garden sites, free public classes in a variety of locations, a speaker’s list, 11 portable classroom teaching kits for use in schools and community groups and a diagnostics center in Seattle.

(And, folks, you’ll be hearing more on this blog soon about how budget cuts will likely be affecting these programs. The picture isn’t pretty.)

Which books are appropriate to donate?

Any garden-related topic; horticulture literature or essays; gardening journals/magazines that are fairly new. They’ll take very old gardening books as well…. One person’s “throw away” may be another’s “treasure”!

Where and When to Drop Your Donations:

• Where: Books can be dropped off at CUH
• When: Tuesdays, March 17, March 24, March 31, and April 14 between 9-noon. (If you can’t make these dates, see Kaye’s info below to arrange for another pick up time.)
• Who: Ask for Kaye Moreton

Want to go shopping at the sale?

• When: Saturday, May 2, 2009,  8am-5pm  and Sunday, May 3, 2009, 10am-3pm
• Where: UW Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) in Seattle, WA

For More information or to arrange a special pickup/drop off:

• Kaye Moreton: kmoreton(at)gmail.com or 425.308.0710