In the garden, growing beds are shaped, organic growing methods are employed, and mulch keeps soil and roots cool, creating good habitat for earthworms, reducing weeds and saving water.
Fruit trees will preserve genetic diversity, providing afternoon shade for crops and visitors and adding habitat for birds. Diverse flowery borders will be planted to attract butterflies, beneficial insects and people.
This year will see the development of a large community garden, approximately 12,200 sqft at Eagle Ridge Park. Activity is bustling behind the scenes, a list of needed materials is being chipped away at, workshops are being organized and work days wait for a dry spell in a wet, Washington Spring.
Thanks to our partnership with the City of Lake Stevens, SnoIsle Libraries, the Snohomish Conservation District, Chamber of Commerce, Home Depot and local Ace Hardware, most of our residents can learn to grow food and know what parts of plants are edible. They can know that the food they grow tastes good and is nutrient-rich, healthy for their bodies. They will also know that life in the soil is where all of this begins. By any measure, this is a giant leap toward community resiliency.
The Community Garden belongs to the community, to all of us. Historically, people have criss-crossed that piece of land, so the garden design incorporates a few ways to enter and exit. You can still cut across, though now on meandering paths.
Gates deter the deer and are locked from dusk to dawn. Please walk on paths, not on growing beds, and don’t pick without permission. You are always welcome to enter the Garden, perhaps stay awhile, watch the moon rise, or enjoy quiet contemplation.
And if you want to garden, there is room for people who want to grow and help for those who want to learn. There is a fee, $40 per plot per year. We provide some tools, organic fertilizer and mulch. You buy seeds and/or plants. Come and grow with us.
Our committee members are: Jim Haugen, Terry Myer, Diana Hale, Kathleen Gortner, and Heather Merritt For more information call: Jim Haugen (425) 512-5967, Terry Myer (425) 350-2658 or visit www.downtoearthcommunitygardens.com