community garden leadership handbook

8/9/2019 Community Garden Leadership Handbook

1/83

A mmuiy gard ladrip adk


2/83

A mmuiy gard ladrip adk

Produced by P-Patch Community Gardening ProgramSta and Volunteers

Design by cbgraphics, Constance Bollen


3/83

1. IntroductIon / 5

2. hIstory / 7

3. orGAnIZAtIon And LEAdErshIP roLEs / 21

4. orGAnIc GArdEnInG/ 43

5. APPEndIcEs/ 45

contents


4/83


5/83

WeLcoMe to coMMUnItYGARDenInG

Community gardening in Seattle

means the P-Patch Program. Weare ortunate to have a unique

program that unctions like ew others in the

country. Our program has 67 gardens with

over 1,900 plots and serves more than 4,000

urban gardeners. About 1,200 more are on

waiting lists, especially in high density neigh-

borhoods. The city supports the program by

unding sta, while plot ees roughly balance

the direct services oered to gardens. We also

run on about 15,500 hours a year o donated

time rom our gardeners and the substantial

eorts o the P-Patch Trust.

Community gardens are more than places

where individuals rent a piece o ground to

enjoy the many pleasures o gardening; they

are resources or the entire community. They

are living places nurtured and cared or by

all the gardeners who are members. They are

generally a well-loved part o a neighborhoodand play important roles providing open

space, recreation, constructive use o vacant

land, a visible connection to the environ-

ment, a tool or education and much more.

They are also part o the city-wide P-Patch

community. They represent our program to

the whole City and other neighborhoods,

some o which might be considering whether

they want a P-Patch. P-Patches are a sourceo ood to the citys ood banks through the

Lettuce Link program (over 10 tons annually).

Community gardening is truly a part o the

citys eco-system and connects each gardener

to the earth and the human community.

1IntRoDUctIon

Com.muni.ty: 1) A body o people having common organization or

interests or living in the same place under the same laws. 2) Society

at large, the people in general. 3) Joint ownership or participation.4) The people living in a particular place and linked by common

interests

5


6/83

6 a The P-PaTCh Manual

ti Maual

T

his handbook builds on an early

manual that was created and distrib-

uted by the P-Patch Trust and volunteers.

P-Patch Program sta have updated this

second manual to contain all o our collec-

tive wisdom about P-Patch gardening. We

also hope individual sites will also use this

manual as a repository or their own activi-

ties and their gardens distinctive eatures.

While individual site coordinators may keep

a copy or their own use, it is designed oreasy updating and we hope that it lives as a

useul tool in each gardens tool shed.

We would greatly appreciate the contribu-

tions o comments, suggestions, or additions

by gardeners and site coordinators. Please

make note o any changes or corrections

you would like to see and provide them to

P-Patch sta.

The backbone o our large and diverse

community gardening spirit is you, the

site coordinators. You are the glue which

binds the varied elements in your P-Patch.

Without your work, community garden-

ing in Seattle would pale. We hope that this

manual is helpul as you think o ways to

make your P-Patch all that it can be in yourneighborhood.

THANK YOU!

P-Patch Program Sta


7/83

PARt 1: 1973-1983

PIcARDo, PAssIon bAnD PeoPLe:30 YeARs of P-PAtchInG

By Judy Hucka

nearly everyone who gardened in

Seattles rst P-Patch back in the

early 70s remembers the oten-

repeated advice o Rainie Picardo, whose

amily lent their arm or the community

garden: You get back what you put in.

Picardo was mostly talking about soil, but his

words could just as well apply to the program

that his land helped make possible.

In the 30 years since the City o Seattle

bought the Picardo Farm and started the

P-Patch Program (the P stands or Picardo),

thousands o gardeners and volunteers haveput untold amounts o hours, work and love

back into the program that today includes

more than 60 gardens, with over 1,900 plots

on 12 acres o land.

Though the program considers 1973 as

its ocial birth date, its origins go back to

1970. The amous Boeing Bust was on, and

a lot o people were without jobs, moneyand ood. It was also a time o social activism

and the beginning to the back-to-the-land

movement.

All these actors came together or

Darlyn Rundberg Del Boca, a University

o Washington student. She decided it was

important or children to learn how to grow

ood, and wanted to encourage them to grow

vegetables or Neighbors in Need, a precur-

sor o todays ood bank program. She got

permission to use a portion o the Picardo

amilys truck arm in northeast Seattle, and,

with the help o City Councilman Bruce

Chapman, got the City o Seattle to lease the

land or the price o its taxes. She approached

ocials and students at nearby Wedgewood

Elementary School and the children, withthe help o their amilies, planted large

plots o beans, broccoli, cabbage, corn and

potatoes in the center o the arm. Families

that helped out were oered small 8-oot by

8-oot plots around the edges to garden or

themselves.

2hIstoRY

7


8/83


The idea o community

gardening sprouted along-

side the vegetables, wrote

longtime program activist

Barbara Donnette in a history published

or the programs 20th anniversary. As she

noted, the concept wasnt new and wasnt

limited to Seattle. Community gardening

was resprouting across the nation rom very,

very deep roots: village commons, European

allotment gardens, extended Asian amily

gardens and wartime victory gardens.Diana Falkenbury was a third-grader at

Wedgewood at the time. She and her amily

were assigned to tend a plot o broccoli, and

her mother Marlene, now 77, has been a

gardener at the Picardo P-Patch ever since.

There were no water lines in those early

years, and gardeners lled up milk jugs and

other containers to haul water to their patches.

Diana (now Diana Dunnell) remembers that

she and her brother took their shoes o on

hot days, and came home with black, black

eet rom the gardens amously rich soil.

We sure ed a lot o people that rst year,

Marlene remembers.

Ross Radley, another o the early Picardo

gardeners, also remembers the magic soil.

It was a nice place to start because every-thing you planted did wonderully. It made

even an average gardener like me into an

all-star.

For the next two years, the newly estab-

lished Puget Consumers Co-op took over

management o the community garden,

operating it much the way it

is today by dividing the arm

into small plots and allowing

community members to sign

up. Jack Rucker, who has had his plot at

Picardo since those PCC days, remembers

that or the rst years, plots cost $3 a year.

PCC was interested in community service,

and the community garden also t well with

its mission o provide resh, organic ood,

said Koko Hammermeister, a PCC employee

who was given the job o overseeing the newgarden.

In 1973, the City o Seattle, decided to

buy the Picardo Farm property, and in 1974,

through the eorts o City Councilman

John Miller and Mayor Wes Uhlman (who

had his own garden plot), the city autho-

rized a community gardening program to

promote recreation and open space. The

program was adopted by the Department o

Human Resources and community gardens

were oered throughout the city, united as

the P-Patch Program.

The number o gardens grew quickly to

10 in 1974, and to 16 by the end o the

decade. Work parties were held at most o the

sites to build water systems, tool sheds and

other improvements. However, Donnettenotes, the gardens were still considered an

interim use and some were lost to real

development.

Development wasnt the only threat.

Administratively, the P-Patch Program was

housed with the citys social services. When


9/83

hisTory a 9

a budget crunch hit in the late 70s and

early 80s, some city staers and commu-

nity members didnt think the gardening

program was as important as other social

programs that were competing or scarce city

unding, said Glenda Cassutt, who managed

the program or the city in that period.

Cassutt said two things saved it: the

ormation o an advisory council (precursor

to the Friends o P-Patch) in 1979 to oer

community support, lobbying support and

some und raising, and connecting withsimilar programs across the country or

moral support and ideas. It was still a new

idea, just beginning.

There was a great need to spread support

or the program beyond gardeners who

beneted rom it and to show that support

to the City Council, said Radley, a lawyer

who helped orm the P-Patch Advisory

Council. (It helped that Radley once broke

up the serious deliberations o the council

with a thermos o tea and P-Patch zucchini

bread, the beginning o a long tradition o

mixing passionate public testimony with

riendly garden oerings. Theres a joke that

the council nally agreed to save a spot or

a P-Patch when the Interbay gol course was

built only i gardening activists promised tostop giving them excess zucchini.)

P-Patch activists like to say the P in the

name also stands or passionate people, and

the program has produced more than a ew.

Jean Unger, who has gardened at Interbay

since 1974, says its the love o the earth and

the camaraderie o many wonderul riends

that has kept her at it. Over the years, shes

spent nearly as much time ghting to save

Interbay as she has gardeningcollecting

petition signatures, making signs and testi-

ying at countless meetings.

Marlene Falkenbury, who still grows

enough beans to can dozens o pints, raises

lettuce or a homeless womens shelter, and

cares or Picardos demonstration garden,

says gardening keeps her active and healthy.

Gardening is one o those wonderul aspectso lie that levels everyone. It doesnt matter

what your income is or your status, youre

just there to garden

(Some o the historical inorma-

tion in this article comes rom Seattle

HistoryLink Web site (www.historylink.

org), The Seattle Times and The City

Gardeners Cook Book, published by

the P-Patch Advisory Council in 1994.)

PARt 2: 1983-1993PRoGRAMs seconD DecADe

A tIMe of RebUILDInG

By Gemma D. Alexander

The second decade began in hardship.1983 was a really tough year, saysBarbara Donnette, a ounding gardener

at Eastlake. There was a severe economic

downturn, and P-Patch unds were limited

to plot ees. Services to the gardens, such as


10/83


rototilling and ertilizer were cut. The next

year plot ees were dramatically increased, and

vacancy rates at the 18 garden sites skyrock-

eted to 30 percent. The Seattle Times ran an

article entitled Has the P-Patch Program

Gone Fallow? accompanied by an image o

a gardener standing in waist-high weeds.

The P-Patch Advisory Council, precur-

sor to Friends o the P-Patch, was not idle

during this dicult time. It worked closely

with City Council to reinstate unding and

services, while obtaining block grant moneyto add Ferdinand and Angeline P-Patches in

Beacon Hill to serve the burgeoning Asian

community.

In the mid-80s, hard work and creativ-

ity began to turn things around or the

P-Patches. Enterprising gardeners at Picardo

placed signs along the road announcing

that plots were available, and built a tool

shed out o scrap materials donated rom a

construction site. A donated spade and ork

rom Smith and Hawkins were rafed o to

raise money or communal tools. In 1986,

Republican and Judkins gardens were built.

But still a sense that P-Patches were

an interim use o public space persisted.

Program coordinator Barbara Heitsch and

gardeners Nancy Allen andBarbara Donnette worked

tirelessly to add new gardens,

but several were lost to develop-

ment and other uses. Without

site security, many garden-

ers suered rom short-timers

disease, and werent willing to invest a lot in

their gardens or commit to their gardening

community. Events like the Great Tomato

Taste-o were developed as an attempt to

draw gardeners together, and Lettuce Link

began to coordinate the delivery o P-Patch

produce to ood banks. The Gardenship

Fund was established to help needy garden-

ers pay their plot ees.

Then, our P-Patches won national commu-

nity garden awards in 1986 and 1987. In 1987,

Seattle hosted the American CommunityGardening Associations national conerence.

About 150 people attended rom throughout

the country. National recognition gave the

program the legitimacy it needed. That year,

the land or the award-winning Pinehurst

Garden was donated to the P-Patch Advisory

Council. With Pinehurst a truly permanent

community garden, the P-Patch Program

gained credibility as a legitimate land use. The

sense that gardens were an interim use began

to ade.

The P-Patch Program wrapped up its second

decade as the largest municipal community

gardening program in the country. By 1993,

there were 30 gardens, with 600 people on

the waiting list. In honor o P-Patchs 20th

anniversary, the Day o Givingtradition was instituted, and

the popular City Gardeners

Cook Book was written. From

allow to ruitul, P-Patchs

second decade was anything

but orgettable.


11/83

hisTory a 11

PARt 3: 1993-2003PRoGRAM thRIves In thIRD

DecADe, bUt chALLenGes LooM

By Rich Macdonald

alove aair with community garden-ing might describe the third decade oP-Patching in Seattle. Starting with 30 gardens

and the Program nished with 65. Sta grew

rom two to ve and a hal. The Trust owned

one P-Patch in 1993 and nished with all orparts o ve. At the start o the decade the

Trust and the Program joined to address a

program needP-Patches in under-served

communities, and by the end, that program,

Cultivating Communities, had established

20 community, youth and market gardens

serving low income and immigrant commu-

nities throughout Seattle.National trends in greening, commu-

nity and ood systems excited local interest

that helped oster community gardening.

In Seattle, citywide planning programs saw

P-Patches as vital elements in city liveablity.

An expanding economy helped ensure

unding or new P-Patches. Two national

conerences rmed Seattles national reputa-

tion as a leader in community gardeningand ood systems work. The Trust grew and

changed, supporting programs to expand

community gardening, while continuing

to dene its mission. Gardens gained sel-

awareness, developing stronger leadership

and sense o themselves as a community. At

the end o the decade, in the middle o a

punishing regional recession, and with severe

cuts in all levels o city government, P-Patch,

gardens prospered and the program contin-

ued to expand.

For sheer numbers, the third decade was a

time o explosive growth. This growth included

the loss o two gardens and redevelopment o

almost ten including two re-developments o

Interbay! The single biggest gain in gardens

owed to Cultivating Communities, a project

o the Program, the Trust and the SeattleHousing Authority, which targeted residents

o low income housing, mostly in Southeast

and West Seattle. Other areas o the city gained

as well. The East end which had the ewest

gained the most including one P-Patch on

Capitol Hill, 1010 Thomas. Other gardens

expanded, moved or re-congured, includ-

ing Burke Gilman Place, University Heights,

Alki, Snoqualmie, Ferdinand, Magnuson,

Bradner and Interbay. Northeast saw the

smallest expansion, but they were both in

areas previously un-represented, Fremont and

Roosevelt. Northwest added Greenwwod,

Haller Lake, Gregs Garden and in the

heart o Ballard Thyme Patch. The densely

populated west end including downtown

added Belltown, Queen Anne, Queen Peaand Cascade. Southeast added Courtland

and Hillman City, an area decient in open

space, and Beacon Blu, our rst on Beacon

Hill. West Seattle nished with one new

garden, Longellow Creek, but plans or a

ourth at Lincoln Park.


12/83


Cultivating Communities, the most

signicant addition to Seattle community

gardening in the third decade, seeks to

equalize access to community gardening.

Oten barriers like income, language or lie

circumstances, hinder a communitys ability

to start gardens, but the benets o commu-

nity gardening, including ood security and

neighborhood improvement, should be

equally available. Cultivating Communities

also recognizes that communities have dier-

ent needs or community gardening. Thus itdeveloped three market gardens as a means

or low income and usually immigrant

communities to develop ties outside o

their community while earning a little extra

income. Youth gardens in these immigrant

communities similarly instructed youth on

nutrition while helping them take part in

the community o gardening, to which many

o their parents and grandparents belonged.

By the end o the third decade Cultivating

Communities had 17 gardens, including

three market gardens and three youth gardens

in the our Seattle Housing Authority sites

o New Holly, Rainier Vista, Yesler Terrace

and High Point and had begun orays into

other low income housing groups, most

signicantly helping Cambodian garden-ers terrace the Mt Baker Hillside garden.

A new challenge loomed at the end o the

decade to redevelop into mixed housing and

income the our SHA communities; that

planners worked closely with Cultivating

Communities sta to insure that all gardens

lost would be replaced in the new communi-

ties was a testimony to their value.

The P-Patch Trust underwent a remarkable

rebirth in the third decade, becoming a stron-

ger organization, a better advocate and an

able support to P-Patches. At the start it was

largely a monthly gardening orum or repre-

sentatives rom each P-Patch. The Advisory

Council as it was then called had a signicant

track record and already owned one P-Patch,

Pinehurst, but as the number o gardens grew

its size became unwieldy and its role less clear.It turned rst into a membership organization,

and under the name Friends o P-Patch wrote

grants to start Cultivating Communities.

Burnishing its advocacy credentials, the

Friends promoted a joint City Council and

the Mayoral resolution supporting commu-

nity gardens in 1993, and in 2000 launched

a ve year plan with the Program, which was

also adopted by Ordinance. Importantly, the

plan tied sta increases to the development o

new gardens. For P-Patches, the Trust adopted

the role o scal agent, handling money when

gardens held undraisers or wrote grants.

The Trust bought liability insurance to cover

P-Patches, and it rmly committed itsel to

plot ee assistance or those unable to pay. In

good years, the Trust manages a small grantand tool purchase program. Its 30th anniver-

sary T-shirt, the third by veteran artist Carl

Smool, is widely sought. By the end o the

decade the Friends o P-patch desired to

strengthen its land acquisition role, having by

this time become the owner or part owner o


13/83

hisTory a 13

our more P-Patches: Fremont, Hillman City,

Judkins and Greenwood.

Within the city the third decade o

Community gardening coincided with an

explosion o planning designed to guide

Seattles growth and give voice to its residents.

The ability o gardeners with the help o the

Trust to participate at important points in

these planning process directly beneted

P-Patch. Resolution 20194, pushed by the

Trust, called or city support o community

gardens including co-location on other Cityowned property. This resolution gave sta

support when negotiating with dierent city

departments. By the end o the decade more

than two thirds o P-Patches were under

public ownership, which was signicant,

because this decade also saw the rapid escala-

tion o property values and the loss o two

gardens on privately owned property. The

Citys Comprehensive Plan called or one

community garden or each 2000 house-

holds in Urban Villages, which is a very

useul justication to use with city ocials or

neighborhood residents and was essential or

development o Longellow Creek, Lincoln

Park, Roosevelt, and Thyme Patch all o

which are in or near urban villages. P-Patch

gardeners turned out or the citys neighbor-hood planning process. 23 oplans asked

or community gardens. Mention in two

plans was critical or unding used to acquire

Roosevelt and part o Judkins. Mention in

the other plans was a justication or devel-

opment o most gardens in the later hal o

the third decade. Nationally, P-Patch was able

to attach itsel to a large program to remake

public housing. In Hope VI, the our Seattle

Housing Authority sites were to razed and

reconstructed. Recognizing the importance

o the gardens to these communities, the new

plans included the gardens. Culminating the

decade and embodying many o these trends

was the P-Patch and P-Patch Trust Five Year

Strategic Plan. Pushed by then president,

ormer city council sta member and part

o the infuential contingent o SouthernIllinois University community gardeners,

Frank Kirk, the Five Year Plan adopted by

Ordinance by the City Council and Mayor,

pushed or development o three to our

new gardens each year. It also encouraged

hiring one new sta or every eleven gardens

developed. P-Patch beneted rom two voter

passed Parks bond unds which led to acqui-

sition o Queen Anne, Belltown, Queen Pea,

Maple Lea and Linden Orchard. Finally

a group o heroic Capitol Hill wannabe

gardeners made the case to city council in

the late `90s about the deciency o garden-

ing space in their neighborhood. The City

ound seven hundred thousand dollars,

which unded purchase o a site on Capitol

Hill and helped purchase parts o Belltown,Fremont and Greenwood.

A huge boost to the program came with

its move into the Citys Department o

Neighborhoods. Neighborhoods is a depart-

ment ocused on helping neighborhoods

be great people places. It is home to the


14/83


Neighborhood Matching Fund, a nationally

respected small grant program that encour-

ages neighborhoods to use their own resources

and receive dollars in return. The commu-

nity building ocus o P-Patch gardens t

neatly into Neighborhoods, which substan-

tially supported programming and increased

sta. The matching und grant not coinci-

dentally has unded development o every

new garden, except one, since its start in

early 1990s. These start up unds are a huge

boost to gardeners who otherwise would behard pressed to raise the ve to ten thousand

dollars in hard P-Patch development costs.

The matching und is a substantial acto in

the growth o the program.

Nationally, this decade witnessed a

national interest in community gardening

and greening and heralded a new movement

to address ood insecurity. Throughout the

city a number o disparate organizations

worked in the eld but had little contact. In

1998, many o these groups came together

to host or the second time the American

Community Gardening Conerence, which

brought in more than 400 people, many o

them local, to sample the national diver-

sity o the community greening movement.

Two years later, many o the same groupsgathered again to host the Food Security

Conerence, which brought representatives

rom around the nation to hear the story o

ood production, access and distribution in

the Northwest. By the end o the decade,

Seattle continued to enjoy its national

reputation as one o the largest municipally

supported community gardening programs.

Importantly, the third decade had a

number o challenges that ultimately helped

strengthen and raise the prole o the program

and spur the commitment o gardeners.

Much like Pinehurst gardeners in a previous

decade organizing along with the Trust to save

their P-Patch, in this decade Interbay and

Bradner both witnessed erce ghts or their

lives. They are inspiring stories that speak

to Seattles growing belie in its communitygardens. In the early years, P-Patches were

regarded as an interim use, but gardeners

do grow committed to their soil, and when

in the early 90s, planners visioned Interbay

as a gol course, gardeners were able, based

on previous advocacy, to secure a new place

at the site. When again in the late 90s, the

rm gol course plans emerged that didnt

accommodate a P-Patch, gardener advocacy

ultimately resulted in a City guarantee and

unding or a new and permanent site at

Interbay. Bradner is a similar story o persis-

tence and commitment that rises above

community gardening. At Bradner, garden-

ers spearheaded a planning process to turn

the entire 3 acre site into a P-Patch/ park/

demonstration garden. Unbeknownst tothe community, city ocials had housing

visions or the site. A huge ght erupted

and culminated in a city ballot initiative.

Today, Bradner is a splendid community-

designed and managed open space with a

P-patch, basketball court, childrens play


15/83

hisTory a 15

ground, incredible art work and state o the

art environmental construction.

Paralleling these other trends in the third

decade P-Patch gardeners registered an increased

recognition o their responsibility to their

P-patch and its place in the community. As the

number o gardens increased and sta stayed

relatively fat, P-Patches were orced to take on

more responsibility. Without rm statistics,

there is a general impression that site coordi-

nator management strengthened. The Trust

published the rst site coordinator manual.P-patches began to develop teams o leaders

to handle the many tasks going into running

a P-patch. P-Patches began undraising to buy

things they wanted. Sites, encouraged by sta, by

the Trust and in such planning tools as the Five

Year Plan, began to take the open to the public

part o their P-patch seriously. Additionally, in

the third decade many o the older P-patches

were ready or a makeover and the vehicle, as

you may guess, was Neighborhood Matching

Fund Grant. In this decade 22 gardens wrote

NMF grants in amounts ranging rom $2000

to $15,000. The grants included rom master

planning and improvements (Picardo), an art

ence and compost bins (Belltown), a Venus

sculpture (Picardo), bamboo trellis (Interbay,

Queen Anne), rock garden and communitygathering area (Angel morgan) among many

others.

At the close o the decade and looking

beyond, challenges, though inevitable can

also be a source o growth and strengthen-

ing. With the number o gardens continuing

to increase while sta does not, maintaining

a consistent level o service and ostering

site leadership in fuid gardens will always

be a challenge. New phases o open space

planning, like the ProParks levy, while a

great opportunity, challenges gardeners to

sustain interest over the many years o these

planning processes. Yet, P-Patch needs keep

its interest alive because many areas o the

city, downtown, south lake union, Capitol

Hill to name just a ew, are woeully short

o open space, let along community gardens.Interest in ood systems, and access to ood

and nutrition, particularly with youth,

is an area o interest or sta and poses

opportunities or youth gardening, market

gardening and production P-patches that

weve only begun to think about. With the

strong commitment o our more than 2000

plot holders, the growing resilience o the

P-patch Trust and our perennial love o the

land and sharing, P-patch can certainly look

orward to its ourth decade.

P-PAtch sURveY2001 ResULtsAn ArtIcLE wrIttEn for thE

novEmbEr 2003 P-PAtch Post

(Background: Every two or three years, P-Patchconducts a survey o its gardeners; this article

captures a snapshot o P-Patch gardeners in 2001.)

as many o you have completed your2004 survey, we thought you might beinterested in the results o the last survey,


16/83


conducted in 2001. Although the survey

can hardly be viewed as complete, given

mixed response rates and data entry issues;

it does, I think, oer a small insight into the

P-Patch community. Among the basic whos

gardening questions, 22% are new garden-

ers, suggesting a yearly turnover o almost

one quarter o the program. Another 14%

are rst year gardeners, and 11% second

year gardeners. The gures point out that

almost hal o P-Patchers have been garden-

ing or two years or less. At the other end,11% o gardeners have more than 10 years in

the program. Our program is pretty evenly

divided between renters/ multiamily dwellers

and home owners/ single amily home dwell-

ers (46% to 53%). Most gardeners (67%)

do not have room or vegetable gardening

at their home. Gardeners report that 13%

live less than one quarter mile rom their

P-Patch, while another 20% are still within

a mile. In an era o transportation concerns,

gardeners use a variety o travel modes: 23%

bike, 6% bus, 48% drive and 51% walk. The

principle mode diers by garden. At Thomas

St. Gardens, a small neighborhood P-Patch

on Capitol Hill, everyone walks. At the big

destination garden Picardo, Farm 75% will

use a car, but they also bike (30%), bus (9%),and walk (31%).

Many mixes comprise P-Patch households:

4% are single mothers, while 1% are single

athers, and 23% are couples with children.

Single women account or 25% o gardeners,

single men total only 9% and couples make

up 29%. Economically, P-Patchers earn a

range o incomes. In 2001, 25% o P-Patch

households had incomes below the ederal

poverty guidelines, compared to a 12%

gure or Seattle as a whole (1999). 29%

o gardeners indicated household incomes

greater than $52,000. Ethnically, gardeners

describing themselves as Caucasian consti-

tute 64% o our gardening population, while

those choosing an ethnic background o East

Arican, Southeast Asian or Korean make up

20% o our program.In the garden 10% o gardeners in 2001

reported spending more than 8 hours a

week in the P-Patch during the March

through October, 25% spent our to eight

hours, 48% were in the garden two to our

hours and 15% spent less than 2 hours a

week at the P-Patch. As to what gardeners

produced, a little more than one third grow

up to 20% o their weekly produce needs

in their garden during the months o April

to October; but one quarter harvest more

than 60% or their produce needs. During

the winter, a hardy 8% o gardeners report

bringing in more than 20% o their weekly

produce needs. Gardens like to share: o

those responding, 20% report sharing every

time they go to the garden, while almost60% report sharing at least once or twice

a month. Gardeners are almost as generous

with ood bank donations: more than 50%

donate once or twice a month, while 40%

report never donating. O the ew garden-

ers responding to the question about the


17/83

hisTory a 17

number o gardeners and visitors present,

71% report seeing one to three visitors and

gardeners each time they visit the P-Patch.

Gardeners like the P-Patch experience. 73%

state that i they had to move they would

check or a nearby P-Patch and 10% reveal

that they would only move near a garden.

The P-Patch Post is popular: 45% read it

aithully, another 32% report usually.

P-Patchers have strong belies about the

value o community gardening in general

and P-Patching in particular. Answeringthe question what is most important about

community gardening, 36% placed recre-

ation as number one, 16% most valued

the ability o organically grown produce to

improve nutrition, and another 16% lined

up behind the ability o community garden-

ing to provide neighborhood open space.

10% o gardeners most appreciated commu-

nity gardenings capacity or providing a

place to visit with riends and meet people.

Looking to their own motives or garden-

ing in a P-Patch, 29% indicate that growing

their own ood was most important, 18%

valued organically grown produce, closely

ollowed by 17% who garden or solace or

therapy. While gardeners may have thought

that recreation was an important generalbenet o community gardening, only 14%

list recreation as their chie reason or garden-

ing. 11% o gardeners value both the sense

o community and ability to commune with

nature. Answering questions specically

about the benets o the P-Patch Program,

23% o gardeners prize the ability to connect

with nature and the seasons, 20% thought the

all organic requirement is most valuable,

while 19% appreciate that their P-Patch is

close to home. 14% o gardeners applaud

the equitable nature o plot assignment,

while 11% think that P-Patches are good

ways to work with others in their neighbor-

hood. P-Patches make the world a better

place thought 8% o gardeners, but only 5%

prize a quality that distinguishes the P-Patch

Program rom many in the nation, that ourP-Patches are open to the public.

PARt 4: 2003- 2008hALf DecADe of hAPPenInGs

By Rich Macdonald

This hal decade started and ended onunortunate notes o economic reces-sionbut in between support and interest in

community gardening and urban agriculture

exploded. New gardens opened in sixteen

neighborhoods and work was underway in

ten more. These included Roosevelt, Ballard,

Westwood, Lincoln Park, Georgetown,

the Central area, and Northgate, amongothers. As usual, gardeners incorporated

their personality and interests. Sustainability

eatured in cobb and straw bale benches

and tool sheds at Linden and Maple Lea;

water conservation in cachement systems at

Bradner and a composting toilet at Picardo.


18/83

Street rights o way (Angel Morgan) and

Parks (many sites, thanks to the Pro Parks

Levy) and private land easement (Climbing

water) were all land upon which P-Patches

were built.

P-patch continued to rene its program.

Sta worked to address gardener dispari-

ties in some communities, establishing the

Hawkins garden in the Central area, based

in part on outreach to the Arican American

community. Marra Farm P-Patch reached

out to more Latino amilies, helping thatgarden better refect its surrounding commu-

nity. With a mayoral initiative to expand

market gardening to low income people,

P-Patch grew rom a community supported

agriculture model to include arm stands in

SHA communities and single tract market

arming at Marra Farm. A P-patch sta

strategic planning process, producing a new

tag line, sustaining grounds or commu-

nity growing and reocused on P-Patches

as resources or the larger community. This

included ending P-Patch programming at

one Seattle school and instead encouraging

youth involvement in gardens city-wide.

Redevelopment in Seattle Housing

Authority (SHA) communities meant

changes or the gardens there. Eight SHAsites closed and our gardens opened as

New Holly, High Point and Rainier Vista

redeveloped. More are scheduled in the

uture. These changes brought a new mix

o residents including middle income olks

and more East Arican immigrants to the

gardens.

City government and elected ocials

gave whole-hearted support to P-Patch

in this hal decade. City Council appro-

priated unding or garden development

at High Point, New Holly, and Rainier

Beach. They also supported acquisition o

the Spring Street site to replace a garden

lost in the Central Area. The Mayor and

Council worked together with the commu-

nity and the P-patch Trust to purchaseprivately owned parts o the Hillman

City P-Patch and assist with development

unding or Hazel Heights in Fremont. The

Neighborhood Matching und continued

to support community led garden develop-

ment and improvements. City government

recognized the importance o the program

and the role o sta by adding a new sta

position and a second P-Patch van in

2007. In 2008, City support culminated

in a $500,000 appropriation or a P-Patch

acquisition and development reserve und.

Although the economic downturn in late

2008 eliminated those unds, voters passed

a parks levy that included $2 million or the

acquisition and development o P-patches

and community gardens.The not-or-prot P-Patch Trust too

had a busy hal decade, advocating strongly

or community gardening with the Mayor,

Council, and City department heads. They

worked to acquire part o Hillman City


19/83

hisTory a 19

P-Patch and became owner o Hazel Heights

in Fremont, when an anonymous donor was

interested in donating the purchase price o

the property.

The enormous popularity o the program

refected a growing national interest in

sustainability and ood systems. Locally the

program waitlist doubled, growing rom 800

to more than 1700! As we enter the second

hal o this decade, P-Patch aces one o its

biggest and most envious challenges yet:

spending, in two years, 2 million dollars

in the voter-approved Parks levy. Interest is

huge and spending mostly on development

has the potential to double the size o the

P-Patch program.


20/83


21/83

InteractIon wIth

P-PAtch stAff

1. Plot registration, turnover, and orientingnew gardeners

2. Assessing plot activity and enorcement

3. Communication and gardener lists

4. Required P-Patch community hours5. Leadership development, resource

availability and technical assistance

6. Good Neighbor Coordinator/s

7. Annual Special Events

8. P-Patch Trust

9. Thet/Vandalism/Illegal dumping

10. Conict

1. Pl rgirai, turr

ad oriig nw Gardr

The P-Patch year essentially starts in lateall or winter when the P-Patch programsends out renewal applications. On average

about 75% o all gardeners return each year.Gardeners may keep their plot provided

that they maintain it and complete their

P-Patch hours. As applications return,

program sta compiles gardener inorma-

tion and complete new maps o garden sites,

accommodating gardener requests to transer

3oRGAnIZAtIon AnDLeADeRshIP RoLes

Introduction:

eveRYboDY hAs soMethInG to offeR:coMPonents of GARDen LeADeRshIP

The ollowing description o leadership roles is by no means meant to be complete. Seattle P-Patch

gardens employ many creative examples o management. Your P-Patch would not unction but

or the leadership roles assumed by gardeners every year. The degree o leadership varies rom

site to site. Individuals and/or groups oversee, acilitate, and delegate the tasks necessary to manage a

whole P-Patch. The ramework suggested below can be done either individually or as a team.

W a rk dw gard ladrip i r agri:

Interaction with P-Patch staff Essential tasks for garden management Special Projects

21


22/83


site or plots as much as possible. Site leader-

ship has limited involvement with renewal

applications, but sta share inormation and

consult as needed on shiting plot assign-

ments. Once renewing gardeners are in, sta

begin identiying vacant plots and calling

new gardeners rom the waitlist. The process

continues throughout the winter and spring,

with most sites lling by May 1. Ater that

the cycle o plot monitoring begins, when

sta and site leadership keep track o who

is gardening. Monitoring oten results in arash o plot reassignments in early summer

but they continue throughout the growing

season. There is oten another mini-rush o

plot reassignments in all as sta and site

leaders begin hearing about gardeners who

do not plan to renew or the next season.

The garden year completes in all with veri-

cation that plots have been winterized and

a total tally o volunteer hours. The hours

tally is an important measure o the incred-

ible community involvement in P-Patches.

Gardeners who have not meet the hours and

winterization requirements are notied and

the annual cycle begins again.

Most newly turned over plots are

reassigned by program sta rom the waitlist.

The waitlist varies; sites in the denser urbanareas have waits o several years. Most sites,

however, accommodate new gardeners ater

a short wait or by the start o the ollow-

ing gardening season. Sta recognizes that

the waitlist is not a perect tool or broad

neighborhood participation since it can be

a barrier or potential gardeners who may

ace challenges with the English language or

other lie circumstances. We encourage sites

to think o other ways to draw the neighbor-

hood into the P-Patch and make it a true

community space. We encourage participa-

tion by groups (seniors, special needs, and

children) as a means to reach segments o

the populations who might not be able to

participate otherwise.

Site leadership responsibility really kicks in

with new gardeners. When a new gardener isconrmed, they will be instructed to contact

the site coordinator or another designated

individual who will set up a convenient time to

meet in the garden. The new gardener receives

a tour o the P-Patch including their specic

plot (boundaries, history, soil condition i

known) and communal items and expecta-

tions including the shed, tools, common areas,

composting systems, yearly volunteer hour

sign-in sheets, and other site specic items.

Including a short history o the site in this

orientation encourages involvement by new

gardeners and develops an appreciation o

the surrounding neighborhood. The Program

sta will have orientated the new gardener on

program wide requirements, but it is good to

go over them again in person.Identiying plot turnover is a shared respon-

sibility between sta and site leaders. When a

plot becomes available, sta and the site coordi-

nator communicate with each other about the

vacancy and condition o the plot. Depending

on the previous gardeners stewardship, the


23/83

orGaniZaTion anD leaDershiP roles a 23

plot may need preparation by an individual or

at a work party. A plot thats ready to go meets

our program goal to encourage early success

and inclusion o new gardeners.

2. Aig pl aiiy ad

rm

naturally, a garden lled with well-tended plots inspires pride in bothgardeners and neighbors. A public program

like P-Patch, however, necessarily includes

a broad range o people whose dieringbackgrounds, lie circumstances, and expec-

tations infuence their gardening styles and

abilities. As an inclusive program, we try to

strike a balance between acceptance o dier-

ences and the need or attractive gardens.

Plot monitoring and turnover is oten a

coordinated activity between Program sta

and site leadership. The rules (see P-Patch

Rules in Resources) spell out the require-

ments that gardeners must meet to keep their

plot. I gardeners ail to actively garden

throughout the year, sta and site leadership

identiy the problem and work through a

process to remedy the situation or turn over

the plot. The process includes notices and

cure periods. It is especially helpul when

site leadership contacts under-perorminggardeners to nd out whats happening as a

rst step. Talk with your P-Patch sta about

the best method to assess plot activity in

your garden. Note that at some o the larger

sites, assistants or block leaders monitor

plots, and in that case the assistant would

communicate the above inormation with

lead coordinator/s who will then in turn

contact the oce sta person.

The ollowing is the ocial process

(though individual variation occurs) or

dealing with unattended gardens. P-Patch

sta works with site coordinators through-

out this process.

Step 1: Tour garden to assess gardener

activity.

Step 2: Send Prepare, Plant, Weedy, orWinterize communication (postcard,

e-mail, or phone call) to gardener who

is not tending their plot. The gardener is

advised o a one-week deadline or taking

action in their garden plot.

Step 3: Recheck the garden plot ater the end

o the deadline date.

Step 4: I the garden is not worked and i the

gardener has not communicated their

circumstances, then a warning letter or

loss o their plot goes out. It indicates

that they must garden within one week

or loose their plot.

Step 5: I the garden is not worked within the

above two-week time limit, program sta

send a drop letter and reassign the plot to

another gardener rom the wait list.Step 6: I a garden becomes neglected three

times in one growing season and is sent

communication by site leadership or

sta in each instance, the gardener can

be removed without the above steps on

the third oense.


24/83


3. cmmuiai ad gardr li

T

he program and the P-Patch Trust oten

share inormation or all gardeners;

it is important to assign someone the

task o posting mailings and educational

opportunities where all can see them. The

person should work closely with other

gardeners doing leadership activities to

spread the word on garden and program-wide

happenings. Creating a phone tree o people

willing to call everyone at the site is another

useul communication tool. Others include:posting fyers on site, post card mailings,

and/or e-mail. Please remember: Not every-

one has or uses email, so a combination o these

tools is best!Program sta can help with work

party and special event notication as well as

generating up to date gardener lists.

4. Ruird P-Pa mmuiy ur

an individual should volunteer to workdirectly with program sta to monitorand report P-Patch community hours. Hours

are counted annually, prior to renewal appli-

cations going out in all. Periodic updates

throughout the main part o the growing

season are helpul to remind people they

have to get in the required p-patch hours.

5. Ladrip dlpm, rur

aailailiy ad ial aia

For the most part, P-Patch leaders learn onthe job. Typically, gardeners become siteleaders by taking on more tasks that serve

that garden as a whole, as their comort in

the garden grows. For example, a gardener

may start by attending work parties and later

help with specic activities like a garden

event. As their comort level grows gardeners

might lead work parties or compost sessions,

manage a ood bank plot or collections, or

organize a garden event.

A principle role o site leaders is to recognize

and promote gardeners interest in assuming

more responsibility. Delegating responsibil-

ity is the chie tool to train new leaders and

insure that the tasks are equally shared andgarden leadership is inclusive. Many garden-

ers are content to simply attend work parties,

but to equitably share the tasks o community

garden management, every gardener should

take on some leadership role at some time.

P-Patch sta have no magic guidebooks

to instruct garden leaders, but we do have

some resources:

P-Patch Trust Site Coordinator Meet-

ings: These periodic meetings are a orum

or site leadership to meet and share ideas.

Oten they are organized around a topic, or

example, the Trusts Small Grants or Tool

Purchase program or undraising.

P-Patch Application Task Preference

List: This list (see Task Preerence List inResources), completed with each renewal

application, provides a beginning point or

assessing gardeners interests. Program sta

can provide a list specic to your garden or

do specialized searches. This tool is a start-

ing point or matching the tasks necessary


25/83


to run the garden with the gardeners who

want to do them. It is best used in consulta-

tion with other garden leaders and program

sta to consider whats known about the

gardener, whether they are suitable or the

task, and most importantly, who will ask

them to volunteer.

P-Patch Program Staffare a big resourceor site leaders. While they do not have magic

answers, they do work with many gardens

and can help site leaders think through

issues. They can also connect gardeners withleaders in other P-Patches, who are oten

very willing to share their expertise.

Collective Expertise of Other P-PatchLeaders: The P-Patch Program contains

a wealth o people who have managed

P-Patches or have other very useul experi-

ence. Most o them are more than willing to

share their expertise. Program sta can help

make the connection. In addition, within a

specic P-Patch, many ormer site leaders

may still be around and able to assist.

P-Patch In-Site Discussion Group:

This resource is an email discussion group

specically or garden leaders. It can be a

great place to share ideas and resources and

get answers to quick questions or useul tips

related to managing a community garden.

6. Gd nigr crdiar/

Periodically people need help with theirplots. They may go on vacation, get hurt,have a amily emergency, take over a badly

neglected plot, etc. A team o gardeners who

have identied they are willing to help out

when needed in these special situations is

very helpul.

7. Aual spial e

Spring Gardener Gathering: This pre-

season gathering is an important chance

in the early spring or each garden to get

together and plan or the up-coming year.

These gatherings take on as many dierent

orms as there are P-Patches; it is up to each

garden to work with program sta to createyour very own gathering. These meetings

should be garden specic and can be an

important tool or leadership to set goals

and expectations or the coming season.

Many gardens use the time to set up a series

o dates or work parties throughout the

season and get leadership roles lled or the

garden. These meetings are also a un way

to welcome newcomers and or gardeners to

connect with each other when interest is high

at the start o the gardening season. Since

not everyone can attend these meetings and

some people come into the garden later on

in the season your garden should have a way

to share decisions and communicate expec-

tations to those gardeners too. The P-Patch

Trust and Lettuce Link are potential visitorsto these gatherings. When possible, program

sta brings seeds to share and are there to

help.

P-Patch Harvest Banquet: This all

celebration is the P-Patch Programs annual

city-wide party. All sta, gardeners, and their


26/83


riends and amilies are invited to come to

share each others company and a antastic

potluck meal. Its a un, inormal time to

connect with people in other gardens and

to get a sense o the extent o the P-Patch

movement.

8. t P-Pa tru si crdiar

cmmi

The P-Patch Trust is a non-prot organiza-tion that promotes community gardeningin the city o Seattle through advocacy, landacquisition, scal agency, education, tool

provision, small grants or site improvement,

and plot ee assistance or low-income garden-

ers. The Site Coordinator Committee o

the P-Patch Trustis your venue or educa-

tional opportunities, networking between

gardens, soliciting ideas, voicing complaints,

and a orum to infuence policy o both the

City Program and the P-Patch Trust. The

committee holds periodic meetings that

ocus on education and networking. This

orum gives gardeners a voice in the larger

scheme o community gardening in Seattle.

Dates and other inormation will be provided

over the year rom the chair o the commit-

tee. I you have ideas, concerns, questions

contact the P-Patch Trust Site CoordinatorCommittee Chair/s listed in the Resource

Section under P-Patch Trust.

9. t/vadalim/Illgal dumpig

From time to time gardens are aected bythese undesirable events. Sources can be

within or outside o the garden. A ew simple

practices are the rst step to curb these activ-

ities. Encourage all gardeners to make these

practices the norm in your P-Patch.

thet

When you share your produce/owers:

Pick and give. Dont Invite! Invitingdierent people rom the neighborhood (kids

too) to pick when you arent there can give

rise to several problems. Others may assume

ree license. People outside the garden otendont understand that next year someone else

might be gardening your plot and wont want

uninvited picking. Misunderstandings occur

about plot boundaries and where picking is

OK. And nally, what may be a one time or

limited oer rom you is sometimes taken as

an open invitation.

Keep your plot well harvested. A

common excuse given by thieves is there

sure is a lot o ood going to waste here.A plot

un-harvested or a while may need a simple

reminder call. I the gardener cant get to it,

oer to glean and take the ruit to the nearest

ood bank. (Un-harvested produce also can

inuriate other gardeners.)

Get to know your garden neighbors

and encourage reporting o illegal activi-ties. P-Patch program sta can help with

signs. Encourage gardeners to get to know

other gardeners. Consider hiding vegetables

in the design o your garden by placing desir-

able plants in less visible location and use

perennials as cover. It helps to plant more


27/83


vegetables than you need. These measures

should reduce the amount o casual thet.

Some sites may nd they have an organized

and continuous problem. Collective action

may be needed, and the thet or vandalism

should be reported to the police. I you

observe thet or vandalism in the garden,

rst call 911. Get a good description o

person or vehicle i possible. I the person

is caught in the act have police issue a No

Trespass card when they arrive. Get the

incident report number and be sure to postinormation or other gardeners to see. I

you nd vandalism and/or thet ater the

act you can still report it to the police and

get an incident number. Sometimes i youre

having on-going problems it is good to let

the police know youre having problems so

they can try and do more visits to the site.

See Saety, Vandalism and Thet in Garden in

the Resource Section or urther strategies

and contact inormation.

The ollowing are real-garden examples o

dealing with thet.

GARDen thet cAn hAve conseqUences

by Bruce Swee-Interbay P-Patch

its early in the day, when nature is at peace

with the world. The plants are awaiting

their gardeners hand or grooming and

nurturing. Suddenly an unseen hand rips the

plant rom the earth, its prized eatures cut

out. Hours later, the gardener discovers the

loss. The stolen plants have let rustration

and anger, labor wasted, and the gardener

eeling violated.

This happens oten in the P-Patch commu-

nity. The standard ocial recourse is to le a

police report, which leads to limited results.

Its easy to lay blame and point ngers, and

i this is your solution, you can expect a lot

more o the same in the uture. Recently

Interbay, achieved a more satisying result.

With inormation gathered rom other

gardeners, we determined when the most

likely time our thie might show. His eatureswere identied along with his means o trans-

portation. Supplied with binoculars, camera,

and cell phone, I positioned my car outside

the garden. I waited and waited. When he

arrived, I immediately called the police,

then sat back and watched the satisying

results unold. He was caught red handed. I

managed to photograph the man, and post

his picture in the garden. His photo, initi-

ated countless other incidents involving our

gardeners and this individual. The lesson or

us was loud and clear, COMMUNICATE.

By bringing together assorted inormation,

we discovered we knew ar more than we

realized. Assist your P-Patch community

and report any incident, large or small to

leadership.We ound out that it is important i you

catch the thie to ask the ocer to issue a

trespass card. Some ocers will do so

without being asked, while others do not. It

is important that this be done so that a record

is created on the police computer system.


28/83


ILLeGAL DUMPInG AnD tRAsh

Trash at the garden happens. There is no

ormal trash service at most P-Patches; the

only gardens that have small trash pickup

are those housed on shared Parks property.

I your garden is not in a city park, it is each

gardeners responsibility to dispose o their

trash. Pack it in, pack it out.

Illegal Dumping does occur at various

gardens; in that case notiy illegal dumping

at # 206-684-7587. You should also notiy

your sta person. I you have large amountso debris you can contact Gretchen Muller #

206-684-0570 rom Seattle Public Utilities

he will periodically help out gardens with

ree dump passes.

Grati is generally the responsibility o

the garden. Notiying the grati report line

# 206-684-7587 is important or tracking

occurrences o grati. P-Patch sta may be

able to help with materials or clean up and

can reimburse or costs.

You can nd more inormation about both

dumping and grati or make reports online

is at http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/

Garbage/Reduce_Garbage_&_Litter/

10. ci

occasionally diculties between people

within and outside o the garden arise.

You may have diculty dealing with another

gardener. Two gardeners will have trouble with

each other and come to you. O course, people

should remember to treat each other respect-

ully. Anger can lead to dicult situations. I

it is a problem between two gardeners try to

get them to work it out between themselves.

As with most things P-Patch, listening and

common sense oten lead to the best solutions.

In any instance, i you arent sure how to deal

with a person or situation, dont hesitate to

call the program sta or suggestions and/

or help in resolving the problem. Confict

usually takes three orms:

Gardener to Gardener. P-Patches contain

a cross section o humanity. Minor disagree-

ments, misperceptions, and irritatingbehavioral dierences are inevitable. When

conronted with these situations, encourage

gardeners to work it out among themselves,

ater all they have to live with each other.

Encourage them to listen careully and treat

each other respectully.

Coordinator to Gardener. Some people

just get our goats. In this situation ask

another gardener or site coordinator to take

over.

P-Patch Neighbor to P-Patch or a

gardener. Most P-Patch neighbors welcome

the open space and community activities o a

P-Patch. Some have concerns. To name just

a ew: P-Patches can be noisy during work

parties, parking may be an issue, individual

gardeners may set o a neighbor or a neigh-bors dog may have ree reign in a P-Patch.

In all cases remain polite. Careul listening

will usually suggest a solution, or example,

changing a work party time, posting

gardener no parking signs or politely making

a neighbor aware that their dog is harming


29/83


the P-Patch. Neighborhood relations are

important and can aect more than just

your garden, refecting on P-Patches city-

wide. Please cultivate good neighborhood

relationships, and always keep the program

sta inormed.

Conict Tip: Occasionally, P-Patches pick

garden mediators or serious issues. Any conict

has at least two sides, and site coordinators may

not know where the truth lies or appear to pick

sides. I gardeners agree to mediate, then they mustaccept the solution negotiated by the mediator.

1. Iral mmuiai

Good communication is essentialin creating a happy community.Gardeners each have their own sched-

ules and are generally not in the garden atthe same time as each other. A way to let

everyone know about activities and issues

at your P-Patch is very important. Gardens

have many ways to communicate with their

ellow gardeners, they include: annual garden

booklets (P-Patch sta can provide samples),

simple email lists, phone trees, postcards (the

p-patch program sta can help mail these

out or you), posting in the garden, e-mail

newsletters, and program-hosted list serves.

The best communication comes in many

orms so that every person is reached with

a method that works or them. We strongly

recommend that gardens do not rely solely

on electronic communication; try a phone

tree or a postcard in addition. Whatever you

decide, remember to be clear on what the

orm/s o communication will be.

2. Wrk pari

Work parties and other events needcoordination and leaders. Anyoneleading a work party should work with other

garden leadership to determine tasks and

provide reminders. Four elements make a

successul work party: good leadership, clear

delineated tasks, multiple orms o notice,

and ood. (Food is a reminder to all o us that

work parties also serve a social role helping

build community in the garden.)

GooD LeADeRshIP

At the spring gardener gathering, people

can choose a specic work party date to lead.

Alternately, site coordinators can recruit workparty leaders prior to the spring gathering

rom the task list, supplied by the P-Patch

oce. The list identies those who showed

interest in leading work parties on their appli-

cation orm. Some people will naturally take

to leadership in the garden so look to those

essentIal tasks for

GARDen MAnAGeMent:

1. Internal communication

2. Work parties3. Compost system

4. Shed and Tool Maintenance

5. Managing the water system and conservation6. Communal areas

7. Inrastructure maintenance andimprovement


30/83


who have demonstrated

leadership abilities at previ-

ous work parties. Assigning

leaders at the beginning o

the year lightens work party

leader burnout. Be sure to

conrm a week or so prior to

the work party.

clearly DesIgnateD tasks

Common areas o the garden must be

maintained by gardeners. These includecommon fower and ood bank beds,

orchards, compost areas, and sheds. Work

party leaders should send a reminder o the

upcoming event to all gardeners and consult

other leaders in the garden to identiy tasks.

A specic project or list o tasks helps garden-

ers get right to work when they arrive. For

gardeners that can not make it to the work

party, you may want to post tasks at the site

or them to work on a dierent time

some IDeas for a sprIng work

PARtY IncLUDe:

Re-chipping/saw-dusting the pathways

Clean up winter accumulation o debris

Weed common areas and pathways

Organize tool shedAppraise tools (sharpen, clean, and oil)

Bring compost area into order

Prune plants that need it

Check and repair hoses and spigots

Update bulletin boards and signage

Fix damage that may have occurred over the winter

Prep food bank garden beds

soMe IDeAs oR A ALL

work party IncluDe:

Use compost and clean upcompost areas

Clean and organize tool shed/box

Check, repair, and roll uphoses or storage

Prune, prepare young trees andother perennials or winter

Plant in common areas

Divide plants and offer to other p-patches

Update bulletin board, etc.

ooD

Have someone or group o people assigned

to bringing snacks and beverages. This is

great task or those who are more physi-

cally limited. Another way is to advertise a

potluck in conjunction with the work party

to allow or socializing.

notIce

Good attendance requires sucient notice

and phone and/or email reminders prior to

date o work parties. Two weeks prior to

work party, drat text and send it to your city

sta person or a postcard mailing. Someone

in the garden should do an email a week to

ew days prior to date o work party. Thereshould also be people assigned to make a

phone call the night beore.

coMMUnItY voLUnteeR heLP

Large groups o volunteers rom the larger

community can really help get things done.


31/83


It is oten best to get help with large projects

you want to do, new construction, or large

weeding projects. When a community group

volunteers, you should oer them drinks,

maybe lunch, gloves, plenty o tools, and a

rst-aid kit. You should always send a thank

you note ater so make sure to get olks to

sign in with their contact inormation! Some

sources or volunteers are the United Way,

school service learning programs, corpora-

tion community service days, garden clubs,

aith organizations, girl and boy scout groups,eagles club type groups, etc.

Practice Tip: I your site has a small team

o garden leaders, have at least one o those

people attend all or part o each work party.

Work parties are a great way to connect with

gardeners inormally.

3. cmmual cmp sym

(See Composting and Soil Building in Organic

Gardening 101 manual in Resources or technical

inormation)

every garden is responsible or processingits own garden wastes, yet compostingis one o the biggest challenges or sites and

site coordinators. Given that composting inP-Patches generally relies on a shaky premise

that gardeners know what to do and will do

it, site leaders shouldnt get to upset when the

results all short o hopes. Common compost-

ing types that happen in p-patches are: cold,

hot, combination, and within a plot.

coMMon P-PAtch coMPost stRAteGIes:

1. Whole Site Work Party. This deault

strategy relies on periodic work parties to

chop up accumulated green material. Between

work parties, gardeners pile up organic

wastes. The pile, despite the best signage, is

usually a mix o chopped and un-chopped

material. At the work party gardeners chop

through the pile and add it to the compost

pile in appropriate proportions. Depending

on the level o experience, a well-constructed

compost pile will rest neatly in the bin at theend o the work party. There it will stay until

the next work party when it is turned, or can

be turned between work parties. This method

would all in the combination method, a little

hot, a little cold. The advantage to this is the

shared activity; the disadvantage is a longer time

to get usable compost.

2. Compost Teams. Sometimes a P-Patch

will organize a group that takes on the

compost bins as their ongoing task. These

individuals create their own weekly sched-

ule or building and turning compost piles.

They will also work with garden leader-

ship to create good signage and may hold

compost workshops to make sure everyone

knows what the expectations are. It is always

good, when doing this hot compostingmethod, to ensure the collection o brown

material (all leaves, coee cha, etc) or

use in the summer when green materials are

abundant while browns are harder to nd.

The advantage to doing this method/strat-

egy is ast usable compost or garden plots and


32/83


building community around composting. The

disadvantage to this method is that a limited

group o individuals are responsible or process-

ing the whole gardens organic waste.

3. Composting in plots.Some sites, where

organic matter piles up but no composting

strategy exists, have closed the collective

compost system and adopted a compost

in your own plot strategy. These sites oer

demonstrations o dierent methods, which

include trench composting (in a plots inter-

nal paths), hole composting, and Interbaymulch. (See Tips orComposting in Your Plot

in Resources ). This strategy remarkably cuts

down on organic clutter, opens up work parties

or more un tasks, and can insure that some

sort o soil building happens in each plot.

The advantage here is that each individual is

responsible or processing their own garden waste

into compost and the cut and drop method takes

less eort. The disadvantage, garden misses out

on a team building eort.

4. tl/sd

your garden will need to maintain andreplace communal gardening tools. It ishelpul to have a lead on this task to ensure

tools are cleaned and sharpened regularly.

Having a gardener assigned to maintain orderin the tool box/shed helps keep the tool shed

sae and helps keep tools properly stored and

in good working order. Keeping compost

machetes sharp helps lessen gardener atigue

when chopping. I its not clear who in the

garden can sharpen them, contact the oce

to nd out i anyone signed up or tool sharp-

ening on their preerred tasks. (See appendix

Helpul Tool Hints) Saety is the most

important element when using any tools in

the garden. The program has a tool library

with a supply o tools that can be checked out

or a large work party when additional tools

may be needed. Check with your program

sta person on how to check out tools.

5. Maagig War sym ad

crai

it is important to have someone to watchover the water system at each garden site.I no one has signed up to be water czar,

identiy a gardener with some plumbing

knowledge at your gardener meetings and

encourage them to lend their skills. The

program has some water repair kits available,

check with your sta person to see what is

available. P-Patch sta can also train garden-

ers on how to maintain your water systems.

Tasks or a water czar include:

Patrol for water leaks and waste: look

or leaks in hoses, connections, and watch

or water let running. Fix leaks right away.

Call the oce or authority to buy or obtain

plumbing parts in stock. I there is major

leak water should be turned o. I the leak isrom the water main call #386-1800

Turn water off around November 1.

The water should be turned o; water lines

drained at the rst sign o rost and then

back on again in the spring ater the threat

o rost is gone.


33/83


Conservation is the most cost-effective

approach to water use in our regions dry

summers and keeps the costs at a minimum

or the program. Every drop counts. Here

are some tips:

Water in the morning or late afternoonnotin the midday when water will evaporate andbe wasted.

Water deeply. It is better to give plantings agood soaking once a week than to give 34light surace waterings.

Water slowly and at the roots. Avoid sprayingyour plants rom the top where water is lostto evaporation. Certain vegetables, such astomatoes that dont like wet leaves.

Mulch bare soil. A layer of mulch and soilwith lots o organic matter retains moisturelonger.

Creatively include water collection into thegarden. Barrels can easily be attached to theshed roo s drainage system and then be usedto water hot composting systems.

For more inormation on watering and

collecting techniques call the p-patch oce

and/or the Lawn and Garden Hotline

@ 206-633-0224, lawn&gardenhotline@

seattletilth.org.

6. cmmual Ara

Common areas are resources or yourneighborhood and enrich your

P-Patchs natural environment. P-Patches

host many dierent communal areas. They

can include, but are certainly not limited

to, orchard trees, berry bushes, fower beds,

native areas complete with ponds, gathering

areas (benches, picnic tables, barbeques,

educational libraries, etc.), and herb gardens.

Keep low maintenance in mind when design-

ing common spaces. Drought tolerant and/

or native species can increase habitat and

ood or pollinators and benecial insects.

Weed, water, mulch, and prune these areas

as a regular part o garden maintenance.

Communal gardens oten are the gardens

outward appearance to the neighborhood;

up-keep is important. Work with the whole

P-Patch to come up with a plan. Sometimesdivided perennials are available rom other

P-Patches; call the oce, and program sta

can acilitate.

7. Iraruur maia ad

imprm

y

our P-Patchs inrastructure is very impor-

tant to the unction and look o the

garden. Identiy someone to plan and work on

undraising or the project and individuals with

construction skills. Basic construction skills, or

the willingness to learn, are helpul or mainte-

nance o ences, posts, sheds, hose hangers,

arbors, and compost bins. Any major construc-

tion projects on site should be approved by

program sta. There may be considerations

you have not thought o, agreements with thelandlord, saety and liability issues, expense

and unding options, permits and much more.

Some basic designs are included in this manual

WHERE?, and other resource inormation is

available at the oce.


34/83


1. d bak/Giig Gard

P-Patches have a long tradition o growinghealthy, organic ood to share withothers. Each year P-Patchers together donate

over 10 tons o produce to ood banks and

meal programs. Gardens are encouraged

to make ood bank gardening part o their

regular activities. The lead volunteer on

this task should work with the Lettuce Link

Program at Solid Ground and P-Patch sta.

Lettuce Link can help with inormation on

ood bank locations and hours, in-demandproduce, seeds/starts, and lots o helpul

advice (206-694-6754 or

http://www.solid-ground.org/Programs/

Nutrition/Lettuce/Pages/deault.aspx).

P-Patch sta can provide garden space, seeds,

notication and lists o people who are have

expressed interest in helping with the ood

bank gardening on their application.

Some ideas or dierent ways o organiz-

ing your giving garden are:

Dedicated Food Bank Giving Garden

Bed/s

Donation drop-off: Some sites coordi-

nate weekly collection rom individuals

in the garden and deliver to their local

ood bank.

Row for the Hungry: Some gardens

(especially those that are small) coordi-

nate to plant rows o within their

individual beds. A specic crop is

decided upon (like onions), planted, and

harvested at the same time or delivery

one or two times a year.

Many gardens have initiated policies

and systems or gleaning produce rom

peoples plots i produce is not beingharvested. Working with all garden-

ers to glean unused produce can also

be helpul with thet problems because

all ood is being harvested and used. I

someone is going out o town, they can

ask a ellow gardener to harvest or the

ood bank. The InSite listserve and

site coordinators committee are two

good places to learn rom other gardens

about successul systems.

Tasks or giving gardens include: planting,

caretaking/cultivation, harvesting, prepping/

cleaning, and delivery o donations to local

ood bank.

2. cmmuiy buildig adWlmig Puli i P-Pa

cmmuiy Gard

With all this talk about chores its easyto loose sight o what gardening ina P-Patch is all about: building commu-

nity and having un. Building community

sPecIAL PRojects1 Food Bank/Giving Gardens

2 |Community Building and Welcoming thePublic into P-Patch Community Gardens

3 Childrens and Demonstration Gardens4 Outreach5 Fundraising


35/83


includes inviting neighbors into the P-Patch.

There ways to do this using physical eatures

o the garden and with community activi-

ties. At the least, visitors should always be

welcomed and inormed that they should

call the oce i they want a plot. Program

brochures are available that explain the

P-Patch Program and P-Patch Trust; ask

program sta or some. You can create a

space or them in the garden or keep them

in the shed, either way, make sure the public

knows how to get involved. Many gardenshost special events, specically with the

intent to invite neighbors into the garden

and to make community connections.

Gardeners get the word out in a variety

o ways including posting inormation in

the garden, advertising in neighborhood

papers and list serves, windshield fyers,

and in-person invitations. Some gardens

choose to pair these events with undraisers

or their garden. This is just a short list o

events that some gardens host to get your

own ideas fowing:

Neighborhood Night Out Barbeques

or Potluckspart o the National Night

Out events

Solstice Dessert in the Gardengardeners each bring a dessert to share

with neighbors

Art in the Gardenartists and musicians

share their talents and turn the garden

into an outdoor gallery

Open Gardenlike an open house,

with gardeners hosting their neighbors

Plant Sales

U-Pick Lavender Day

Pony Rides

Chef in the Gardencooking demos

and tastings

Garden Fairjust like the county fair,

but in the city: produce contests, jams,

jellies, etc.

Kids Day

Music Night

Movie Night Welcome other Neighborhood Groups

to hold meetings, classes, evens in the

gardens common space

Some gardens have even hosted

weddings!

Wlmig Puli i P-Pa

cmmuiy Gard wi Pyial

Imprm

by Joyce Moty (Bradner Gardens Park

P-Patch)

seattle P-Patches are oten sited on publiclyowned land. Occasionally a critic maydescribe P-Patches as private use o public

land. Some non-gardeners are under the

impression that they are not allowed to enter

a P-Patch to look around. So what can wedo as gardeners to make the P-Patches serve

both our gardeners and the visitor?

All o the ideas listed below are just

starting points. Each P-Patch has its own

identity. P-Patches can be magical places

that create a eeling o enjoyment and well


36/83


being. Materials or some o the ideas may

include recycled or ound objects. Saety and

durability should be a major consideration

or urniture and structures.

(Note: For tips on good sources or supplies

and materials, see the P-Patch Programs

Organic Gardening Resources and Tips

booklet. The P-Patch oce can get you a

copy i you dont already have one.)

entRAnce sIGns

Include a WELCOME (available from theP-Patch ofce)

Name of the p-patch

Additional information: p-patch phonenumber, ordinance

eDUcAtIonAL sIGns

Organic gardening techniques

Salmon-friendly gardening

Plant identication

Composting information Leaf mold information

Events calendar

PLAnts In coMMon AReAs

Ornamental shrubs and perennials that canlook good all year long

Habitat plants for birds, butteries,hummingbirds and other benefcial insects:native and non-native

GARDen stRUctURes thAt teLeGRAPh the

MessAGe thAt one Is enteRInG A sPecIALPLAce

Arbors

Stepping stones or pavers to indicate a threshold

Fences and gates

Banners and ags

Benches or picnic tables

Bird houses, bat houses, mason bee houses

Scare crows

Guest book

Brochure box for information on a particular

garden, P-Patch Community GardeningProgram, and P-Patch Trust.

Art

The more we participate in the neighbor-

hood the more good will we generate and

this will create a more protective atmosphere

rom our neighbors. Being a good neighbor

means keeping things clean and well tended

around the perimeter o the garden.

3. cildr ad Dmrai

Gard

P-Patchs are a great place to learn aboutnature and where our ood comes rom.Some gardens create plots specically or

children. Others create a common space

that is conducive to youth involvement atvarying levels. Including signage or passive

education or creating a native plant, water,

herb, sensory/tranquil, orchard, butterfy

or winged wildlie demonstration gardens

are ideas to accomplish this. We encour-

age gardens to be creative. Check out what

others P-Patch sites are doing.

AdoPt A PLot

Gardens can incorporate a designated plot

or youth gardening. A local community

youth group/school can adopt this plot as

there own, being responsible or the caring,

maintaining, and harvesting. These plots

may need additional community garden

community garden leadership handbook

Documents