What's Blooming At SUN Pocket Park Near Laurelhurst Elementary School

Nootka Roses

 

 

 

Rose Hips


 

 

The SUN Park Team, which oversee the upkeep of the small corner pocket park located at the corner of NE 47th Street and 47th Avenue NE, would like to highlight some of the plants neighbors can find there and currently blooming.
 The SUN Park Team told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff:

Wild Roses (R nutkana) or Nootka Roses are commonly found throughout the Pacific Northwest, and at SUN Park.

The Nootka Rose is in full bloom in the late spring and early summer. The rose shrub has thorny stems and stems with five to seven small leaves (leaflets); they look very similar to cultivated garden roses. Flowers are single petals of pale to bright pink with a yellow center.

The rose hips mature in the autumn and are red to orange in color. They have a fleshy outside and white seeds in the middle.

Pacific Northwest native tribes occasionally ate wild rose hips raw as well as the tender spring shoots, believing they imparted a sweet breath. Some tribes dried the hips before eating or boiling them for medicines such as a remedy for a sore
throat or as an eyewash. Other tribes believed that bathing a baby in water in which rose leaves had been boiled would make the baby strong. Current settlers
of the Pacific Northwest appreciate the high vitamin C content of rose hips and
prepare tea from the dried hips.

The SUN Park location, planned, funded, developed, and maintained by Laurelhurst neighbors, was originally part of the site of a large 1920's Bungalow style house.   A developer purchased the property, demolished the home, then divided the original lot into three parcels.  Two houses were built on the subdivided lots.

In 2007, the Sun Park group, along with many in the community, attended a meeting along with City representatives, to save the third parcel, on the corner, from being developed.

The plot of land was purchased by a group of Laurelhurst neighbors and friends, through donations to the Cascade Land Conservancy (now Forterra, a nonprofit 501.c.3 organization whose mission is to conserve great lands and create great communities) in order to preserve the small open space from development and create a community park and native plant garden.  

In 2009, SUN Park, named for Saving Urban Nature, was finished and was completely funded by private donations.

The Friends of SUN Park maintain the plantings which include a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, and groundcovers native to Western Washington. Identification markers provide information on the plants and "the ways in which their use represented the
first ‘grocery store’ and ‘pharmacy’ for local Native American cultures," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff.
.
One of the Friends Of SUN Park gardening volunteers added:

SUN Park serves as a demonstration site for those interested in growing native
plants and learning more about the plants indigenous to the region. Gardening
with these plants creates a more nature landscape, promotes wildlife habitats,
and requires less maintenance.

   

SUN’s Weed and Sweep Brigade work parties are held the second Saturday of each month at 10am.

 

"Stop by with your favorite garden tool to keep the park in shape," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog.

To support SUN Park, contact Dixie Porter at dixiejoporter@hotmail.com or 206-383-0147  or Janice Camp at 206-849-5778.

Enjoy "great nature nearby" one of the volunteers told the Laurelhurst Blog.

Go here for more information.

 

 

 

SUN Park

  

Check Out Ocean Spray Now Blooming At Sun Park Near Laurelhurst Elementary School



The Sun Park Team, which oversee the upkeep of the small corner pocket park located at the corner of NE 47th Street and 47th Avenue NE, would like to share what is currently blooming:

One of the native plants you can find at SUN Park is Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor) also know as cream bush or iron wood.  Ocean Spray is in full bloom in the late spring and early summer; cascading creamy white flowers bring to mind its namesake – the spray of ocean waves.  

Ocean Spray is a common deciduous shrub found in the understory of the coastal forests of Cascadia and elsewhere. The woody stems of the plant are remarkable for their strength, thus it’s other common name: ‘iron wood’.   

Pacific Northwest tribes found many uses for Ocean Spray, taking advantage of its versatility and the strength and resilience of the wood. The stems were used for arrow, spear, and harpoon shafts, as well as bows, roasting tools, needles, and digging sticks.  

The wood could be further hardened by baking it in fire and then polishing it with the horsetail plant (Equisetum). The flowers were used to treat diarrhea, the leaves relieved itching, and the boiled berries or bark was used as a tonic and treatment for diarrhea.

 

 

The SUN Park location, planned, funded, developed, and maintained by Laurelhurst neighbors, was originally part of the site of a large 1920's Bungalow style house.   A developer purchased the property, demolished the home, then divided the original lot into three parcels.  Two houses were built on the subdivided lots.

In 2007, the Sun Park group, along with many in the community, attended a meeting along with City representatives, to save the third parcel, on the corner, from being developed.

The plot of land was purchased by a group of Laurelhurst neighbors and friends, through donations to the Cascade Land Conservancy (now Forterra, a nonprofit 501.c.3 organization whose mission is to conserve great lands and create great communities) in order to preserve the small open space from development and create a community park and native plant garden.  

In 2009, SUN Park, named for Saving Urban Nature, was finished and was completely funded by private donations.

The Friends of SUN Park maintain the plantings which include a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, and groundcovers native to Western Washington. Identification markers provide information on the plants and "the ways in which their use represented the
first ‘grocery store’ and ‘pharmacy’ for local Native American cultures," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff.
.
One of the Friends Of SUN Park gardening volunteers added:

SUN Park serves as a demonstration site for those interested in growing native
plants and learning more about the plants indigenous to the region. Gardening
with these plants creates a more nature landscape, promotes wildlife habitats,
and requires less maintenance.

 

SUN’s Weed and Sweep Brigade work parties are held the second Saturday of each month at 10am.

 

"Stop by with your favorite garden tool to keep the park in shape," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog.

To support SUN Park, contact Dixie Porter at dixiejoporter@hotmail.com or 206-383-0147  or Janice Camp at 206-849-5778.

Enjoy "great nature nearby" one of the volunteers told the Laurelhurst Blog.

Go here for more information.

 

 

 

SUN Park

Jean Amick, Neighborhood Advocate Has Passed

 

Jean Amick, long time resident, recipient of several City Good Neighbor Awards and one of the co-chairs of SUN Park passed on Novemer 18th. She lived on the Boulevard with her husband, Russ. And her daughter, Christi Nagle, lived a few houses away, with her family.

In March 2007, Jean became involved in saving a piece of land from development on the corner lot at NE 47th Street and 47th Avenue NE. She and a group of Laurelhurst neighbors and friends, through donations to the Cascade Land Conservancy, purchased the corner.  She and Dixie Park were co-chairs for the Sun Park Committee.

Originally there was a large 1920's Bungalow style house on this corner property. A developer divided the lot in three parcels and 2 houses were built on 2 of the lots. The Sun Park folks, along with many in the community, attended a meeting along with City representatives, to save the third parcel from being developed. And it was turned it into a beautiful pocket park called Saving Urban Nature (SUN). 

The "Mulch Bunch" of neighborhood volunteers (as Jean Amick called them) still regularly have Saturday morning work parties sprucing up Sun Park.

Jean was involved in numerous neighborhood projects over many decades. She worked on the installation of cameras at "Five Points" - the busy intersection of Mary Gates Memorial Drive NE, NE 45th Street, NE 45th Place and Union Bay Place NE.  In August of 2008, three cameras were installed at "Five Points" after the Laurelhurst Community Club voted unanimously to support neighbors requests as well as more than 400 petition signatures,  In 2011, the lights were removed.  In 2013 the law was changed to two arterials only.

In 2017, a small working group of concerned  North Seattle neighbors, including Jean, worked worked with the 520 Bridge Project Team on the issue of the overly bright SR520 bridge lights and solutions on dimming them. In 2019, LCC trustee McAleer and former trustee Jean Amick attended the results presentation in February.

In 2021, Laurelhurst Community Club recognized Jean, and several other neighbors at its Annual meeting.  LCC wrote in a newsletter:

Jean exemplifies a great neighbor as she cruises the streets on her bike spreading cheer by sharing a smile, dropping off a bouquet of flowers, sharing an archived newspaper article, or snaring you into joining her to “Weed and Sweep” at SUN Park. Jean championed the park’s vision by bringing neighbors together to purchase the land and transform it into a beautiful green space for all ages to experience. Jean is also an avid birder and provides colorful habitat for local and rare bird species that frequent her sidewalk garden. 

Jean was also recognized as  a Good Neighbor in 2009.

Here is what one neighbor said about Jean:

Jean Amick was our passionate neighborhood leader.  Jean and her husband, Russ, raised their family here. 

She was a big supporter of our public schools and responsible for SUN Park along with her pal Dixie Porter.   

She was still riding her bike around the neighborhood months ago as she usually did. Jean was a member of  the Laurelhurst Beach Club Fattie Flee, an avid group of lake swimmer. 

We looked forward to the Amick’s Ice Cream Social on Webster Pt. every summer. “You bring the toppings!" 

Jean had a renown sense of humor with twinkling blue eyes,  and was not shy to ask neighbors to do the duty! 

Jean had attended a neighborhood meeting just a short time before she headed to the Poconos, her favorite place to spend time all her life, even to the end, surrounded by family.  

She will be terribly missed!

Another neighbor wrote:

Our dearest Jean Amick died on Thursday surrounded by family. She was such an amazing woman! I am so saddened by this news. May she Rest In Peace.

 

Here is information posted on the Laurelhurst Community Club website about Sun Park:

History of SUN (Saving Urban Nature) Park

SUN stands for Saving Urban Nature. In 2007 SUN was the vision created by Jean Amick and Dixie Jo Porter through the purchase of a small city corner lot from a developer who planned to replace one old original farmhouse and its remaining orchard with three large new homes.

Funded in part by a $15,000 neighborhood grant, neighbors and community members participated in a design process ­–as well as tireless fundraising – from which a unique native plant garden was designed and built. In need of an “official” overseer, the property was deeded through an agreement with the Cascade Land Conservancy, then renamed Forterra, with the hope that SUN Park would become acquired by Seattle Parks and Recreation at some point in the future.


In August 2019, Friends of SUN Park gifted this beautiful green space to Seattle Parks and Recreation. In addition, a significant maintenance fund raised by SUN volunteers over the years was turned over to Parks for the purpose of future acquisitions. Friends of SUN Park works closely with Parks to ensure its continued care and enjoyment for all.

Condelences can be sent to:

donamick@gmail.com

scott.amick@gmail.com

betsy@floytag.com

christynagle@yahoo.com

(photo courtesy of Twitter)

Join SUN Park Weed and Sweep Brigade

SUN Park

The SUN Park Team, which oversee the upkeep of the small corner pocket park located at the corner of NE 47th Street and 47th Avenue NE, invites the neighborhood to it's monthly "Weed and Sweep Brigade Work Parties" on the second Saturday and Wednesday from 9:30-11:30am. 

"Stop by with your favorite garden tool to keep the park in shape," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog.

The SUN Park location, planned, funded, developed, and maintained by Laurelhurst neighbors, was originally part of the site of a large 1920's Bungalow style house.   A developer purchased the property, demolished the home, then divided the original lot into three parcels.  Two houses were built on the subdivided lots. 

In 2007, the Sun Park group, along with many in the community, attended a meeting along with City representatives, to save the third parcel, on the corner, from being developed. 

The plot of land was purchased by a group of Laurelhurst neighbors and friends, through donations to the Cascade Land Conservancy (now Forterra, a nonprofit 501.c.3 organization whose mission is to conserve great lands and create great communities) in order to preserve the small open space from development and create a community park and native plant garden.  

In 2009, SUN Park, named for Saving Urban Nature, was finished and was completely funded by private donations. 

The Friends of SUN Park maintain the plantings which include a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, and groundcovers native to Western Washington. Identification markers provide information on the plants and "the ways in which their use represented the
first ‘grocery store’ and ‘pharmacy’ for local Native American cultures," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff.

.
One of the Friends Of SUN Park gardening volunteers added:

SUN Park serves as a demonstration site for those interested in growing native

plants and learning more about the plants indigenous to the region. Gardening

with these plants creates a more nature landscape, promotes wildlife habitats,

and requires less maintenance.

To support SUN Park, contact Dixie Porter at dixiejoporter@hotmail.com or 206-383-0147  or Janice Camp at 206-849-5778.

Enjoy "great nature nearby" one of the volunteers told the Laurelhurst Blog.

Go here for more information.

Join SUN Park Weed and Sweep Brigade

SUN Park

The SUN Park Team, which oversee the upkeep of the small corner pocket park located at the corner of NE 47th Street and 47th Avenue NE, invites the neighborhood to it's monthly "Weed and Sweep Brigade Work Parties" on the second Saturday and Wednesday from 9:30-11:30am.

"Stop by with your favorite garden tool to keep the park in shape," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog.

The SUN Park location, planned, funded, developed, and maintained by Laurelhurst neighbors, was originally part of the site of a large 1920's Bungalow style house.   A developer purchased the property, demolished the home, then divided the original lot into three parcels.  Two houses were built on the subdivided lots.

In 2007, the Sun Park group, along with many in the community, attended a meeting along with City representatives, to save the third parcel, on the corner, from being developed.

The plot of land was purchased by a group of Laurelhurst neighbors and friends, through donations to the Cascade Land Conservancy (now Forterra, a nonprofit 501.c.3 organization whose mission is to conserve great lands and create great communities) in order to preserve the small open space from development and create a community park and native plant garden.  

In 2009, SUN Park, named for Saving Urban Nature, was finished and was completely funded by private donations.

The Friends of SUN Park maintain the plantings which include a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, and groundcovers native to Western Washington. Identification markers provide information on the plants and "the ways in which their use represented the
first ‘grocery store’ and ‘pharmacy’ for local Native American cultures," a volunteer told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff.

.
One of the Friends Of SUN Park gardening volunteers added:

SUN Park serves as a demonstration site for those interested in growing native

plants and learning more about the plants indigenous to the region. Gardening

with these plants creates a more nature landscape, promotes wildlife habitats,

and requires less maintenance.

To support SUN Park, contact Dixie Porter at dixiejoporter@hotmail.com or 206-383-0147  or Janice Camp at 206-849-5778.

Enjoy "great nature nearby" one of the volunteers told the Laurelhurst Blog.

Go here for more information.