Interbay P-Patch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
Interbay P-Patch Garden Shed and Kiosk
Interbay P-Patch Garden Shed and Kiosk

The Interbay P-Patch is a community garden located at 15th Ave. W. and W. Wheeler St.[1] in Seattle, Washington. It was originally established in 1974 as one of the earliest P-Patch gardens in the city. First located on landfill that is now the northwest corner of the Interbay Family Golf Center's driving range, the garden has moved twice. Since the spring of 1997 it has been at its current site extending north of Wheeler Street along 15th Avenue West.

Finding a permanent home for the Interbay P-Patch was a long and difficult process. In 1980 the Seattle City Council passed a resolution that guaranteed an acre for community gardening on the Interbay landfill. In 1992, however, with gardens established for 18 years, Interbay P-Patch gardeners had to move the P-Patch to the northeast corner of the landfill to make way for a proposed golf course. The soil in the new location was heavy with clay and lacked humus. Gardeners labored to build the soil. Garden volunteers used money from a Neighborhood Matching Grant to build the first tool shed and compost bins. Gardeners also added a food bank area, and built raised beds.

Four years later, in 1996, the city announced new plans for a golf course. Gardeners feared the Interbay P-Patch was doomed. But with the 1980 resolution still in force and broad public support, Interbay P-Patch survived. The City Council adopted a new resolution allocating funding to move the Interbay P-Patch and ensure garden plots equal to or better than the existing gardens. The resolution guaranteed gardeners 18 inches of soil, and raised beds.

Because the new soil was without life, Interbay again began serious composting and soil building efforts. In addition to recycling the garden's plant material, grass clippings from local landscapers who do not use pesticides or herbicides, and leaf deliveries from the city Street and Parks Departments are recycled to make tons of organic compost. Recycling is a part of the garden's culture: The main north-south walkway is made from recycled pavers from Alki Beach, and the main walkway includes granite pavers from South Africa that did not meet the standards for Westlake Mall. The Rowe family donated the greenhouse to the garden in 2000, and the city donated the arbor entrances added in 2003.

The east side of the garden features an orchard of plum, pear, and apple trees, many of which gardeners moved from the previous garden location. Honey bee hives are nestled in a secure enclosure near the back of the garden. At the north arbor entrance is a memorial bench donated by Interbay gardeners in honor of Claire "Pappy" Watkins, Interbay's late King of Compost. Over 4,400 sq. ft. of garden space along the fences are dedicated to food bank gardening, which traditionally furnishes about two tons of produce to community food banks each year.

CAST design/build designed Interbay's award-winning tool shed/library/kitchen, completed in 2002. The shed and surrounding open space are the focal point for many community events, including Friday night potlucks, Saturday lunches, a New Year's Day celebration, and several garden fundraisers each year. CAST design/build also designed the kiosk, added in 2004. Lease Crutcher Lewis donated materals, and a grant from Starbucks helped pay for the kiosk. Gardener Bruce Swee designed the kiosk's water feature to honor long-time Interbay gardeners Anne and Mac Magruder, who planted the grape arbor. The 30-foot aluminum flag pole was one of the original 50 poles placed in front of the 1962 World's Fair Flag Pavilion. Volunteers who garden at Interbay built and maintain the garden, structures, and community areas.

[edit] See also

[edit] External Links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../i/n/t/Interbay_P-Patch_9bd2.html"