(Welcome to Manuela, one of the finalists in our Blogger search. She's writing from Seattle. Comment away!)
For many, apartment living means no green space to call your own. If youre lucky you have south facing windows or a balcony to cultivate some greenery. With north facing windows, we get by with succulents. But with summer here and Caprese on the brain, we want a little garden more than ever. We recently became savvy to Seattles P-Patch Program, in which public property is split into (organic) gardening plots for community use. Community gardens create a more livable urban environment, and provide viable gardening options for apartment dwellers.
Community gardens are very common in NYC although there has been some friction as some of the community gardens have been coverted to more profitable uses.
It would probably be nice for your Seattle readers if a way to get more information, say a link or phone number, were provided.
view MrGreen's profile
Sorry, my fault links didn't get included. Fixed!
view leslie's profile
Berkeley is FULL of community gardens. I don't garden at one, but I do buy produce and seedlings from a few. The money from sales goes back into the garden. Since I pass the same ones everyday I get to see first hand the effects of buying local.
view amy (rustyletter)'s profile
I've been meaning to check out the P-Patch here in Seattle since I'm an apartment dweller on Capitol Hill and had thought about this year but if I'd gotten off my duff earlier, I'd have probably had a plot if one were available. I'll still look into it and see if perhaps by next spring to have found one not too far away.
Thanks for posting.
view ciddyguy's profile
I put my name on the list for Belltown. I have to think that it's going to take a very long time to get to the top! I have great light in my apt but don't like indoor plants. I also have ledges and sills out the windows, but worry about a pot falling down nine floors on some poor tourists head. I'll just have to be patient. I would like to dig up the parking lot across the street - anyone have a jackhammer I can borrow?
view mgb's profile
Nice post Manuela.
Boston has a similar program. A friend of mine there once showed me the garden plots in the Fens. Very impressive.
view John H's profile
My husband and I gardened in several of the Seattle P-Patches over the course of a decade. It is an absolutely wonderful program.
For those of you daunted by long waitlists for your neighborhood plot, here are some strategies for getting into a garden...
If you can travel (most are reasonably accessible by Metro bus), call the PPatch office to find out where there are vacancies. With 30 sites across the city there are bound to be some gardens with unclaimed plots--or plots that have become unclaimed as people realize they can't keep up their plot. Since each PPatch has a well-stocked toolshed, don't worry about hauling big tools on the bus.
If you can't travel to another garden, the best way to move up on a waitlist is to volunteer at your site of interest. Since PPatch is almost entirely run by volunteers (each gardener must commit a certain number of hours to general plot maintenance each year), being willing to pitch in "above and beyond the call of duty" makes a HUGE impression. Check out the signboard at your garden of interest to find out about work parties, show up and pitch in, meet your neighbors and beautify your neighborhood too!
MGB, jackhammering happens! I still fondly remember the day they tore up the asphalt in front of the University Heights center (on the Ave above 50th) to build a new PPatch. A victory for gardens, indeed!
view AngieK's profile
AngieK, I love it when jackhammering happens :)
They're going to turn the parking lot across from the old Christian Science Church on 15th (in Capitol Hill) into a park. Woo! Goodbye pavement, hello green. I hope they kill the light in that parking lot while they're at it, it shines right into our bedroom :P
view aghman's profile