The mystical Himalayan blue poppy, Meconopsis, will grace us with its ethereal beauty once again at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. Come celebrate these fabulous flowers Saturday, May 18 from 10 am to 4 pm and enjoy a feast for your eyes. Walk through a meadow glowing with blooming blue poppies or stroll along the ADA accessible path through the blue poppy glade. There are two fields of poppies to explore! Enjoy musical performances, shop in the art market and enjoy delicious cuisine from a food truck, surrounded by a brilliant botanical garden nestled in a PNW forest.

The RSBG Nursery will be stocked with a stunning selection of plants for sale, including Meconopsis (blue poppies). It’s sure to be a great event. We hope to see you there!

ADMISSION
$10 – General Admission
$7 – Seniors and Students
FREE – Kids 12 and under and Military with ID

Interested in volunteering? Email info@rhodygarden.org

For sponsorship opportunities email natalie@rhodygarden.org

A special THANK YOU to this year’s Sponsors!

Presenting Sponsor

Supporting Sponsor

Sound Credit Union was founded in 1940 and today is one of Washington State’s largest credit unions. With 26 full-service branch locations throughout the Puget Sound area, Sound provides their over 170,000 members with authentic and trusted financial support and services. Sound is driven by the purpose of standing with members, employees, and the community through all waves of life.

2024 Lineup:

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

Federal Way Youth Symphony Orchestra | 10:00-10:30 am
website
Founded in 2007 with the motto of “Excellence, Service, and World Education” FWYSO has served the community by visiting single moms, homeless, city facilities, military bases and nursing homes. This orchestra was invited to Los Angeles in 2012 and visited South Korea in the summer of 2014, 2017, and 2019 performing music in more than seven cities. In September of 2017, the Youth Symphony began to rehearse at PAEC (Performance Arts and Event Center) which is located in the heart of the city of Federal Way.

Elizabeth C. D. Brown | schedule coming soon.
website | YouTube
Elizabeth C.D. Brown is head of the Guitar and Lute program at Pacific Lutheran University and a very active performer and recording artist. Highlights from recent seasons include performing at the Northwest Guitar Festival and Music by Women Festival, and premiering a new work for guitar and orchestra with the Seattle Symphony.  

FOOD TRUCKS

Schedule coming soon.

ART MARKET

Hannah Nicholson
Functional handmade ceramics for your home, made in Gig Harbor, WA. I’m inspired by the beauty of Western Washington, particularly the spring blooms and bright colors you can find among the wildflowers. Treat yourself to a planter, mug, travel tumbler, plant stake, incense holder, berry bowl or one of my other one-of-a-kind goodies!

Kendyl Chasco
My practice celebrates the day-to-day rituals of life through the creation of meaningful handmade objects. My vessels are mostly wheel-thrown and hand-altered porcelaneous stoneware finished in high fire wood and soda kilns. These act as canvases to showcase a rich conversation between clay body, form, and firing style within the finished work.

Linda McClamrock
Looking for unique, handmade art? This is the place. I create realistic collages in a variety of themes. I’ve been told that my collages reflect my happy heart. My tools of the trade are sharp scissors, a variety of glues, and a plethora of paper. I use a combination of hand painted and monoprinted papers, plus old magazines and catalogs, sewing patterns, maps, etc. The finished pieces are coated with acrylic mediums for preservation. I love making beautiful things from what others consider worthless. Come see!

Olive Rae Boutique 
Welcome to Olive Rae Boutique, where we passionately embrace beauty, ethics, and sustainability. Committed to a world of fairness, we champion Fair Trade and stand in collaboration with resilient women globally, offering them a haven from human trafficking and domestic violence. Through safe living spaces, fair employment, and education, we empower these women to thrive.

Outer Rim Art
Kristy loves coffee. She loves it so much that one day in 2016 while working at a coffee shop, she decided to try and paint with it! Since then she’s been creating unique coffee paintings inspired by literature, pop culture, nature, and The Great Pacific Northwest. She loves to use coffee from local roasters, and experiment with technique. Kristy lives in Tacoma with her husband and two cats.

Paisley Studio Brush & Lens 
Husband-and-wife artistic team Eric Shellgren and D’Arcy Heiber create photographic and watercolor art. Their creations are inspired by their love of nature, travel, and life in the PNW. Eric specializes in botanical photography, focusing on Pacific Northwest plants as well as desert species and landscapes. D’Arcy also enjoys painting botanicals, old houses and rusty relics. Many of their inspirations come from the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.

Patton Glass
Patton Glass is a Tacoma based artist who creates hand blown glass work in her small home studio. Her art is heavily inspired by time spent in the garden and in nature, you will find bright colors and whimsy in her work.

Petal Gift Boutique
I curate handcrafted, beautiful and distinctive jewelry at affordable price points. Cultivating meaningful and lasting relationships is very important. I value each of my customer’s stories and believe that the intersection between art and community is extremely vital.

Poverty Bay Beads
Kay Pedersen has lived in Federal Way for the past 50 years and has been extensively involved in the local arts scene. From choreographing for local theater and choral groups, to creating beautiful art pieces through stained glass and flameworked glass, Kay has kept her creative spirit flowing. Since 2009, Kay has specialized in flameworked glass, with a passion that leans towards sculptured floral pieces which she then uses to create beautiful, unique jewelry. Kay’s passion for floral artwork also extends to the outdoors, where her “Forever Flowers”, created from vintage dishware, are a beautiful way to enhance any garden. Kay is a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB) and currently serves as Vice President of the Northwest chapter, “Fire and Rain”. She was the December 2019 Spotlight Artist in the ISGB magazine, “Bead Release”. Kay continues to learn techniques from internationally known glass artists at various conferences and retreats including, but not limited to, the ISGB annual conference in Las Vegas and Fire and Rain’s annual retreat at the Pilchuck Glass School.

Rainbow Goods & Readings
Rainbow Goods is the creative corner for Washington native Natalie Haywood, a multidisciplinary artist who loves working with resin and digital mediums. Natalie draws from her background in Shamanic energy work to embody the wonder and beauty of our beautiful Earth in everyday decor. Her jewelry, trays, boxes, planters, and more are all one of a kind- with no two ever the same.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!
We’re looking for friendly, plant loving people to volunteer in the Visitor Center for an hour to help hand out maps, tally plants, and general visitor direction and guidance. We have several slots available. The Visitor Center is open from 10 am-4 pm and we’re hoping to fill every hour with a knowledgeable and friendly plant person to help ensure visitors have an amazing experience at the garden.

Volunteers will receive a free day pass to attend Blue Poppy Day (which they can participate in before and/or after their shift in the Visitor Center). Volunteers must commit to coming to the garden for orientation the morning of event day between 8-9 AM or any time between now and event day.

If you’re interested, please email natalie@rhodygarden.org.

Thank you for supporting the garden!