Our History

 The Pine Lake Garden Club, the oldest continuous garden club in  Sammamish, is celebrating 83 years of helping the community care for local gardens. Since the start, the club has evolved from a wartime necessity into a modern environmental advocate, maintaining a core mission of horticultural learning that will be on full display at their annual plant sale on Saturday, May 2, at the Sammamish Presbyterian  Church from 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

Founded in 1943 during World War II, the club began as a practical response to wartime needs, encouraging the planting of victory gardens to provide food for families and neighbors. At a time when gasoline was strictly rationed, founding members Nan Ballard, Ruby French, and Alpha  Miller rowed across Pine Lake just to ensure their monthly meetings continued.

“It started out based on need, and then it rapidly became more interesting,” said Judy Isaac, the club’s secretary. “There was a lady  who lived on the lake who used to put plants in her little boat and row  around the shore giving them away to her neighbors.”

Today, the club’s mission is focused on education, environmental stewardship, and community outreach. It has 40 active members.

While the early days saw members attending meetings in formal dresses and white gloves, modern culture has shifted them towards more practical gear. The club members now meet once a month in each other’s homes, typically wearing gardening fleece and rain boots. 

“We are very practical people. Life has changed, culture has changed,  and thank goodness we aren’t expected to show up looking our best,”  Marilyn Knapp, the club’s historian, said. 

The club’s largest annual effort is its plant sale, which serves as both a fundraiser and an educational hub. Members spend the entire year dividing shrubs and perennials from their own yards, nurturing over 500  plants and vegetables to be sold at bargain prices. Those who have expertise in the field of gardening attend the event to offer advice on  “right plant, right place” gardening and how to maintain healthy soil without pesticides. The club usually raises around $4,000 each year from this plant sale. 

“People like having a place to ask questions, and it gives me a connection to my community,” Isaac said of their annual plant sale. 

Proceeds support the club’s long-standing commitment to education,  specifically through scholarships for students in the environmental horticulture program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. 

The club’s work also includes charitable giving. In 2001, they supported the Red Cross through a donation following the Sept. 11  attacks and have frequently shared wisdom through community cookbooks and guides.

“We’re about education in this environment,” Nancy Way, the club’s president, said. “It’s about finding a common interest and doing some  good in the world.”

Beyond private backyards, the club’s legacy is woven into the city’s public spaces. Members have helped build the Asahel Curtis Nature Trail and financially support the Sammamish Botanical Garden Society and the  Heritage Garden at Big Rock Park. They have sponsored pinecone bird feeder booths for children on Earth Day, and donated commemorative benches near City Hall and in the heritage garden at Big Rock Park  Central. 

As the club looks to the future, they aim to continue attracting new members of all ages to keep the tradition of gardening alive. 

“There is so much to learn, and this is a great way to learn and to connect,” Isaac, the club secretary, said. “Learning and community,  those are the two things for me.”

Article from the Sammamish Independent, April 27, 2026