Get ready to garden without hazardous chemicals with the help of the Natural Yard Care program

Peak gardening season is coming soon in the Pacific Northwest! As we gather tools, make plans for what to plant, and prepare our yards and gardens, it’s the perfect time to also consider how to care for them without harmful chemicals.  

You don’t need to use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides to grow a beautiful garden, and we have resources to show you how. You can call or email the Garden Hotline for free advice from a professional garden educator. You can also attend a Natural Yard Care class on a range of gardening topics. Offered in locations around King County throughout the year, these free classes and workshops are taught by experts from the Garden Hotline, a service supported by the Hazardous Waste Program. At these events, you will learn about easy, safe gardening and yard care practices, to grow beautiful landscapes.  

As you get gardening in 2025, plan to attend a Natural Yard Care class this year. To give you a sense of what to expect, look back on some highlights below of what we offered in 2024.  

Serving King County residents with safe and effective gardening tips 

In 2024, the Natural Yard Care program participated in 212 classes and events. Through these classes and events, as well as emails and phone calls to the Garden Hotline, 6,394 King County residents learned about gardening without hazardous chemicals. It was a busy year - this averages to more than four events per week during the peak gardening months in spring, summer, and fall!  

While folks are able to ask questions about their gardening concerns at any class, each class or workshop is centered around a theme. Classes offered in 2024 included: 

• Edible Gardens, and Vegetable Gardens as a Backyard Habitat 
• Wildlife Friendly Gardening, Beneficial Insects in the Garden, and Pollinator Gardening 101 
• Composting at Home, and Worm Composting 101 
• The Importance of Evergreens 
• Container Gardening 101, and Microgreens for the Space-Challenged Gardener 
• Growing Oyster Mushrooms at Home, and Growing Houseplants Naturally 
• Summer Pruning 
• Seed Swaps and Community Kitchens 
• Soil Testing and Sheet Mulching, and Putting the Garden to Bed for Winter

The 2025 Natural Yard Care season promises even more events like these. Stay tuned to the Haz Waste Program events calendar for updates.  

Strengthening partnerships to reach more community members with Natural Yard Care 

Strong community partnerships are at the root of these garden education efforts. Several Natural Yard Care classes took place at King County and Seattle Public Libraries throughout 2024.  

Libraries are often visited by people seeking useful and free information, making them perfect venues for Natural Yard Care classes. Garden Hotline educators possess expertise in sustainable, safer gardening and yard care practices, but they need spaces to share that knowledge. This collaboration created space to host more Natural Yard Care classes throughout King County, benefiting even more communities served by the Haz Waste Program.  

Other community partners in 2024 helped host Natural Yard Care classes at community-centered hubs like Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, the Redmond Garden Club, Renton Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Neighborhood House properties, and even in digital spaces, too. 

The success of 2024’s Natural Yard Care is just the beginning – look out for ongoing updates as this program continues to grow, thrive, and support hazardous waste-free gardening and yard care around our region. 

--- 

Natural Yard Care workshops, classes, and events are operated by the Garden Hotline, a year-round program managed by Tilth Alliance and sponsored by the Hazardous Waste Management Program, Seattle Public Utilities, Cascade Water Alliance, and the RainWise Program.  

To learn more about the Garden Hotline, visit gardenhotline.org, and follow Natural Yard Care events on the Hazardous Waste Program’s events calendar.