Visit Local Botanical Gardens this Spring

The Seattle area is home to many beautiful botanical gardens, which are gardens dedicated to the collection, cultivation, preservation and display of a wide range of plants. Botanical gardens are known as such because each plant is labeled with its botanical name. A visit to one of our many local botanical gardens is a great springtime activity for families that is both fun and educational.

Bellevue Botanical Garden 

Located at 12001 Main Street in Bellevue, the Bellevue Botanical Garden is open daily, dawn to dusk, and there is no admission fee. The City of Bellevue owns and manages the garden, which was opened in 1992 and designed to be a space to be enjoyed by the community. The garden encompasses 53 acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands, and natural wetlands and showcases plants that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. Bellevue Botanical Garden is also offering virtual gardening classes during the pandemic. Visit their website for more information.

Soos Creek Botanical Garden and Heritage Center

The Soos Creek Botanical Garden and Heritage Center is open to the public seasonally, March through November. The 22-acre garden is located on what was originally 200 acres owned by Norwegian immigrant ancestors of Maurice Skagen. The heritage center is devoted to highlighting the farming life of the early settlers on the Soos Creek plateau during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Opening day for the garden in 2021 is March 3, although the heritage center indoor display is closed until further notice during Covid-19 restrictions.

Washington Park Arboretum UW Botanic Gardens 

The Washington Park Arboretum is open to the public daily and admission is free. Take a self-guided tour through 230 acres of gardens, natural areas, and wetlands that includes species of plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the local area. The UW Botanic Gardens also includes a beautiful Japanese Garden which is managed by the City of Seattle and has a small entry fee. This 3.5-acre urban sanctuary features all the elements of a traditional Japanese garden with stones, water, lanterns, bridges, buildings, and plants.

Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens 

Situated on approximately 11 acres adjacent to the North SeaTac Community Center, the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden is a one-of-a-kind heritage location created to preserve some of the area’s most treasured gardens. Two of the gardens were physically moved to their current location to prevent their demolition during SeaTac Airport’s third runway project. Admission to the garden is free and it is open daily from dawn to dusk. Leashed dogs are allowed at the garden which features displays of roses and a Japanese garden. www.TenTrails.com 360-469-4043

Small Details Make a Big Difference in the New Master Planned Community, Ten Trails 

Ten Trails’ developer, Oakpointe Communities, has been creating communities in the Puget Sound region for more than 30 years. It is their attention to detail that helps create a quality of life that sets Oakpointe’s neighborhoods apart from all the rest. At Ten Trails, decades of careful planning have gone into creating what is the fastest growing master planned community in King County.

Detailed Landscape Planning

The entire community of Ten Trails is beautifully-landscaped by Pacific Landscape Management. Native and drought-tolerant plants line the community’s many paved walkways, and flower beds with seasonal varieties of flowers that bring year-round color to the community. The community’s many flowering trees create a stunning show in the early spring months, and the late autumn leaf color change creates a beautiful backdrop and welcoming transition to fall.

Comprehensive Trail Plan

Ten Trails has miles of trails for residents to use for biking, walking or jogging. Our nature trails weave through forested areas of the community and were created sustainably using recycled chipped wood. Newer trails will connect future development in the community including the upcoming Retail Village with additional plans to connect the community trails to the proposed King County Green to Cedar River Trail Southern Extension.

Planned Connectivity for Modern Living

Now more than ever before, working from home has become a common practice for many professionals, and Ten Trails has the connectivity residents need to conduct business from the comfort of their home office. Every home in the community is wired for 1 gigabyte speed internet through Wave. The 1-gig internet service at Ten Trails provides downloads and uploads up to 1,000 Mbps, with fast performance and streaming. There are no data caps included with your service, so feel free to surf and stream on multiple devices, appliances and security systems throughout your home.

Ten Trails is Beautiful Black Diamond, WA 

Ten Trails is located in southeastern King County, barely 30 miles from Seattle in beautiful Black Diamond, WA. Take a drive through the community and see for yourself how all the many small details come together to create a one-of-kind new home community. 360-469-4043 www.TenTrails.com  

Meet the Hoyts

Please join us in welcoming the Hoyt family to Ten Trails! The Hoyts moved to community from the Lake Meridian area of Kent in October and became the first family to move in to a Lennar home in Ten Trails!  The Hoyts began their home search in hopes they could find a floorplan that would allow Jackie Hoyt’s mother to move in with the family, and have her living space entirely on the first floor. The plan not only had to have main level living space, but also had to have plenty of room to accommodate a family of four. The Hoyts found their ideal home site and floorplan with the Riverwalk model in the Ten Trails Cottages.

Community Amenities

Beyond finding just the right floorplan for their family–within their budget–the Hoyts were attracted to Ten Trails’ walking paths and the bonus green space right off their front yard, complete with its own fire pit and Adirondack chairs. John, an avid gardener, also admired the community’s lush landscaping woven throughout the parks, trails and home sites.

Connecting with Neighbors Through Community Events

Before moving in, the family attended two of the community’s Hometown Social events and was impressed with the developer’s focus on creating a sense of community among new and future residents through shared experiences like its concerts in the park, game night event, and grand opening wine walk.

Easy Connection with Wave One-Gig Internet

The Hoyts also have enjoyed using their new home’s one-gig internet through Wave Broadband. “We never see any delays in download speed,” says John. “It was easy to get started with our gigabyte router, and all of the cables were clearly marked when we moved in.”

Welcome to the community, John, Jackie, Josephine, and James! We are so happy you chose Ten Trails for Your New Hometown!

www.TenTrails.com
360-469-4043

Tips for Fall Gardening

Autumn is upon us, but that doesn’t mean your Ten Trails garden has to go dormant until spring! The Pacific Northwest has an ideal climate for fall gardening with a late frost and temperate winter climate. A little planning now will ensure you can enjoy your Ten Trails garden well up until the first frost and early in the spring season!

Evergreen Shrubs

The Pacific Northwest is known for its majestic evergreen trees, but is also the perfect place for growing a wide variety of evergreen shrubs. Some native evergreens that do well in our climate include: tall Oregon rapes, pacific wax myrtle, dwarf Hinoki cypress, and Siberian cypress.

Fall Produce

Fall is the perfect time for planting autumn and winter vegetables like kale, beets, cabbage and collard greens.  Hardy winter and root vegetables will thrive in the Pacific Northwest’s cool, autumn climate. Make sure to plant vegetables early enough in the autumn season to ensure harvest before frost. For the most abundant vegetable harvest, add organic compost matter to the soil before planting.

Plant Spring Bulbs

Now is the time to plant bulbs for early spring color. Daffodils and tulips do well in our climate and will bring much-needed cheery color in March and April. Plant before November to ensure proper blooming. Bulbs will even do well in container gardens on your back or front porch of your new Ten Trails home!  www.TenTrails.com 360-469-4043