P-Patch Work Party

Tuesday, May 20th, 2014

Once a month, P-Patch gardeners and volunteers come together to provide maintenance and care to the "Giving Gardens" and other common areas.

On this cloudy Tuesday evening Chris, this months Work Party Lead, along with other gardeners, began working on the most critical tasks for the common good of the P-Patch.

Marty, Cascade P-Patch's Plot Monitor, went around taking note of plots that looked uncared for or abandoned.

Having a personal garden requires a lot of research and routine work, especially in the beginning stages. So it's not uncommon for newcomer's to become discouraged and overwhelmed.

Gardeners Barrett and Evalena started off by removing weeds and dying vegetation from the Giving Gardens and other areas in order to make way for summer plants.

Meanwhile Zoe and Matthew sorted through the alley yard waste for things that could be composted.

Composting is very important to the P-Patch Community. Non-invasive, non-seeding plants are added to the on-site composting bins which speed up the decomposition process and provide nutrient rich matter that can be added to the different plots to improve soil quality.

Once sorted, it was time to chop up all the compostable materials into small pieces for quicker decomposition. Once that was done, Matthew and Chris provided routine maintenance to the composting bins by adding moisture, mixing, and moving matter to the next area for further decomposition.

These are just some spinets of what happened that day. There were more gardeners and tasks that I was unable to include, but was still critical to the care and maintenance of Cascade P-Patch. 

It was fun and fulfilling to work together for a common goal on a place that bring so much beauty and inspiration to the local community. If your interested in coming to the next Work Party, the upcoming dates and times can be found here.

Monday Harvests

Dear Readers,

On Mondays in Spring, Summer, and Fall, P-patch gardeners and volunteers harvest produce from personal plots and the "Giving Gardens" for local non-profits.

On Monday, May 19th 2014, with the help of Zoe, Diana, Evelina, Marcy, Joe Joe and others, harvest began for the local food bank.

It was a cloudy morning.

Zoe, Cascade P-patch's volunteer coordinator, harvested some Chard, Kale, and Leek from Giving Garden #1, which is cared for by volunteer gardener Barrett. She shared with me a few interesting facts about what she harvested. Chard and Kale are planted in the Fall, are dormant in the Winter, and are then harvested in the Spring.

She also demonstrated how Leek can get "rust" which is a disease caused by a fungus.

Diane donated some harvested Rhubarb from her personal plot. Her garden at the P-Patch has some of the most lovely roses I've ever seen.

I wondered how people used Rhubarb as I hadn't heard of it before. Gardener Marcy said that she enjoyed it as a chopped topping on her cereal, which left me quite intrigued.

A gentleman named Joe Joe stopped by to donate some Kale and Chard from his personal plot. He has been a P-Patch gardener for many years.

Marcy harvested lettuce and collards from her personal plot to donate.

Evelina, a new volunteer gardener, helped sort and bag harvested produce.

While searching for more produce to harvest, Marcy came across some very large leeks in one of the giving gardens. This is where she discovered "Monster Leek"!

With everyone's contribution we harvested 20 pounds of produce for the local food bank.

It was a joy to be a part of this effort and be able to document the process and give credit to those who helped out.

- Mariel A.

First visit to Cascade P-Patch

Dear Cascade P-Patch,

My first visit to Seattle, in early March, was nothing spectacular. It was cold, grey and rainy. Being a Florida gal, I was use to the rain but the cold, lack of sun and blue skies wasn't so appealing. Regardless of my underwhelming first visit, I continued with my plan to move here the following month.

My first few weeks living here were just the same. Rainy, cold, and grey. But then the day in April came, where I awoke to sunlight coming through my window. I was instantly energized, eager to explore my new neighborhood in such wondrous weather. As I stepped outside, I felt the sun kiss my skin and it's warmth embrace me. I walked down the street with an ear to ear smile, wishing a good afternoon to all.

Only a few blocks away, is where I discovered the loveliness that is the Cascade P-Patch. A beautiful community garden nestled in the middle of apartment buildings, surrounded by the constantly active construction of South Lake Union.


















As I strolled through the gardens I immediately felt at peace. Hearing the birds chirp, seeing all the beautiful daffodils, taking in the scent of blossoming flowers, was my first breathtaking experience in Seattle. One I hope to never forget.

This soon became my local paradise, my home away from home, and a perfect place to enjoy my afternoon lunch.

I would like to thank everyone who contributes to the upkeep and beauty of this magnificent little treasure.

Sincerely,
Mariel A.