Friday, October 2, 2015

WE'RE HAVING A PLANTING PARTY...AND WE WANT YOU TO COME!!

We've got plants galore to add to the gardens at Galer, Boston, and McGraw. We're in need of many hands to set them in the ground and get them off to a good start so they'll be beautiful for many seasons to come. We hope you can help on one of these days:

Wednesday, October 7, Noon -@3:00pm
Saturday, October 10, 9:00-Noon

Please RSVP---pictureperfectqa@gmail.com---to let us know which date works for you.
We'll get back to you to let you know where we'll meet and what tools you'll want to bring with you.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

YOU DID IT!!!
YOU RAISED $20,000 FOR THE GARDENS

Forgive us for shouting. We're so excited that we want everyone to know. Thanks to our caring and generous donors, we met our goal of raising $20,000 for the ongoing professional watering and maintenance of the gardens along Queen Anne Avenue N at Galer, Boston, and McGraw.

Twenty thousand thank you's 
to everyone who participated in the "Queen Anne Avenue Garden Challenge of 2014" and/or the 
"35 To Help The Queen Anne Gardens Thrive" Campaign. Whenever you pass the gardens, know that they continue to bring much pleasure to our community because of your support.

Elaine, Ellen, Kathy, Margaret, Scot, Wayne

Monday, August 24, 2015

IN THE NEXT EIGHT DAYS:
·         The Seattle Symphony wants to raise $1,000,000
·         PPQA wants to raise $10,000

PPQA is certainly not in the same league as the Seattle Symphony, yet the money both organizations hope to have raised by August 31st is of prime importance to each of them.

Right now, we are soooooooo close we can almost reach out and touch the 100% mark of our "35 To Help The Gardens Thrive" campaign. Just $200 more and we’re there.

Your support makes possible the necessities: watering, pruning, mulching, plant replacement, and litter removal; all of which keep the gardens thriving.

The gardens need you. Please, please, please, dig deep to help us reach 100% by August 31st!!


Thanks for your support.
The PPQA Board

Monday, July 27, 2015

Come Make A Lovely Lavender Wand

Come Make A Lovely Lavender Wand

Come make a lavender wand with PPQA at the Queen Anne Farmers Market's Community Tent this Thursday, July 30th. In celebration of this flowering aromatic herb that you'll find in our garden beds along QA Avenue, we'll have all the materials you'll need to make a beautiful, fragrant wand. Fun for all ages.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

WE’RE EVER CLOSER!

We’ve pushed through the 90% mark. Thank you to all who have contributed with such warmth and enthusiasm. We on the Board are thrilled to know the gardens have such a devoted following.

Spread the word to family, friends, neighbors, fellow gardeners…only $900 needed to reach our goal of $10K.




Thursday, June 11, 2015

WE’RE GETTING THERE!!

We are thrilled to welcome many new donors and are thankful for our continuing donors. All of you have now brought us within $2000 of our $10,000 goal.

A number of you have shared your thoughts about the gardens at Galer, Boston, and McGraw. We are truly gratified to know that these gardens mean so much to you.

We want to share two messages in particular.  We think every donation to PPQA is special. This one stands out not only for its size ($2000), but because it came out of the blue from a source we weren’t aware still existed:

“Dear Picture Perfect,

Please find enclosed a donation from the Big Howe Improvement Project.  The steering committee of B-Hip found itself with a surplus of funds at the end of the community project that was too small to accomplish more improvements at the Big Howe playground.  B-Hip has been considering how best to use these funds while placing an emphasis on Queen Anne community projects.  Picture Perfect exemplifies the best in making our community a better place.  On behalf of B-Hip we thank you for all that you do.” 

                                                                    ---Big Howe Improvement Project Steering Committee
                                                                        Eleni Ledesma, Chair

This next one stands out because it comes from John Coney, longtime Queen Anne community activist and advocate who, through the years, has championed the Queen Anne Avenue Streetscape Master Plan and the creation of the gardens.  John recently told us:

“I love supporting PPQA. Every time I go by the gardens, I can see where my donation is going.”

For those of you contemplating a donation, now’s the time. Your help can put us over the top.



Friday, May 29, 2015

WE'VE HIT THE 50% MARK AND THEN SOME!!

A hearty Thank You to all our generous donors who have brought us to the halfway point in our "35 to Help the Queen Anne Gardens Thrive" fundraising campaign.

We still have another $5000 to raise before we reach our $10,000 goal. To our garden friends who have already contributed, please spread the word to your friends, family, and neighbors.

To those who are reading this and have yet to contribute to our campaign, please move your cursor to the green Donate Now button to the right, click on it, and donate now!

If you work for a company with an employee matching gifts program, you can increase the value of your donation by requesting a match for your contribution to PPQA through your company’s human resources department.

Thank you for helping to keep the perennial gardens at McGraw, Boston, and Galer thriving.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Spring Newsletter is Published!

The Spring Newsletter is published!

Read our Spring 2015 Newsletter, with articles about Community, Fundraising and news about what's been going on in the PPQA Gardens.

But don't forget about the "35 to Help The Queen Anne Gardens Thrive" Campaign. See the prior blog post for details.

Monday, March 30, 2015

WHAT?! ARE THE GARDENS FOR SALE???

Realtors’ boxes attached to gardening tools in the gardens at McGraw, Boston, and Galer. Surely the gardens aren’t for sale, are they??

~No. No, they’re not. These are public gardens. But...the City does not maintain them. It’s up to us, the community, to maintain them.

And what’s with the signs that say, “Feed Me?” Is something hungry lurking among the plants??
~We certainly hope not. Actually, the props and signs are PPQA’s way of getting out the                word that we need you, the public, to help care for the gardens so they'll continue to thrive.

So, how can you help? Become one of the “35 To Help The Queen Anne Gardens Thrive."
PPQA's goal is $20,000 for another three years of professional watering and maintenance. We're already halfway there.

If 35 people will give just $12.00 per month for 24 months, we’ll raise the additional                 $10,000 needed to help the gardens thrive. That’s 
“35 To Help The Queen Anne Gardens Thrive."


Are You In?!?

We sure hope so. We've made it easy to donate:
1.      You can set up automatic payments of $12/month for 24 months through your bank’s Bill Pay. Your bank will take care of making out checks payable to Picture Perfect Queen Anne and mailing them to: Picture Perfect Queen Anne, 2212 Queen Anne Ave N, #542, Seattle 98109

OR

2.      You can set up automatic payments of $12/month for 24 months by clicking the "Donate Now!" button on this page and using PayPal. Then, click on the gold/blue donate button below the donation options. Once you're on PayPal, be sure to check the small box “Make this recurring (monthly)” to the right of the donation amount.

          OR

3.      You can pay in one lump sum of $288 either by mailing a check to the above address or by credit card through PayPal on the “Help Us” page of our website


Thank you for supporting the gardens and making sure they continue to thrive.

Monday, March 23, 2015

CEDAR GROVE COMPOST

The gardens have just received their yearly blanket of compost...made extra special because Cedar Grove donated the ten cubic yards of compost need. Cedar Grove made this contribution because, thanks to all of you---our donors and volunteers, PPQA could demonstrate that the gardens at Galer, Boston and McGraw were inspired and planted by the community and that they continue to be an important community asset.

Thank you, Cedar Grove. The gardens very much appreciate their new deep covering.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Brooms and Shovels and Rakes, Oh My!!

We're looking for three brooms, three shovels, and four rakes that you no longer use and would be willing to give away. We want to spray paint them and place them in the gardens at Galer, McGraw, and Boston as eye-catching props for our next fundraising effort.

Please send us an email at pictureperfectqa@gmail.com if you have one or more of these garden tools that you can donate to the cause. Thanks.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

What did these Windermere volunteers do along Queen Anne Avenue N that made them all smile? Find out, plus read about more streetscape happenings in PPQA's Winter 2015 Newsletter.

A few pavers remain. You can put your inscription on one of them. Learn how.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015




We've Met Our Goal!!!

Thanks to you, our wonderfully generous supporters, 
The Queen Anne Avenue Garden Challenge has met 
its goal of raising $10,000!!!


Thanks to you, garden watering and maintenance will continue as it has for the past six years. We can all look forward to more seasons of beautiful gardens and dazzling blooms.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

A Garden of Delights

We are delighted to report that since our last posting six days ago, we have received donations totaling $735.00!!! We continue to be amazed by everyone’s generosity. This puts us only $360.00 away from our goal. With six days left in the Garden Challenge, imagine what your donation could do!!! 

To all who have contributed so far, thanks for supporting the gardens. 


If you haven’t peered into the garden beds recently, take a look. Daffodils are beginning to poke through the soil and Lenten Roses are setting bloom. It won’t be long now…

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Queen Anne Avenue Garden Challenge, An Update

Our first foray into the world of matching donor funds is close to being an unqualified success. Many amazingly generous supporters rose to the challenge and contributed a total of $3905 by December 31st. Take a look at our Supporters page for details.

Unfortunately, we've come up $1095 short of our $5000 goal.

The great news is that our challengers have agreed to extend the deadline to January 20th. This means that there's still time for you to help us reach our goal. $1095 is so doable: that's 10 people giving $109.50 each, or 20 people giving $54.75 each, or...well, you get the picture.

Perhaps you couldn't give in December but you can now. Perhaps you can tell others who, like you, appreciate the beauty of the gardens but aren't aware that it takes community support to keep them thriving.

Donations can easily be made by clicking on Donate Now! in the green box to your right or by mailing a check to 2212 Queen Anne Avenue N, #542, Seattle 98109. Hurry. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Full details about the Challenge can be found in our blog post of December 6, 2014.

Blog Archive