A Community Garden within a Community Garden: 

S.O.A.P. a GO! for 2014!

In addition to the 65+ pea-patch style garden plots, the Evergreen Community Gardens also features a large team plot, gardened by a dedicated group of people A community garden within a community garden.

 

A Part of the Evergreen Community Garden Club, 

a Registered Student Organization

tesccommunitygardens@gmailcom

https://www.facebook.com/ecogardens

Team gardener and Masters student Ashley on a hot summer day in 2012

 We have a HUGE plot in Evergreen Community Gardens dedicated to people who do not want an individual plot, but still want to get their hands dirty at Evergreen’s garden. It works great for anyone who thinks they might be gone for part of the summer, isn’t sure they want their own plot, can commit some time, but aren’t sure how much, and people who just like the idea of working on a team in a larger plot, with more crop options.

Originally proposed by graduate student and gardener, Matthew, the project is loosely modeled after the Wendell Berry Community Garden in east Olympia

Our beautiful sunflowers

Every year is a lot of fun. Last year we started with around 20 gardeners. A few moved out of the area and we ended up with way more of some food than we could use. Some things do really well, and some things kind of flop, so we learn as we go. Every season is different and there are no “experts”.

Team gardener and Masters of Environmental Studies student, Kim J. in our bean trellis

The basic plan behind the project:

• 10 to 20 gardeners 
• Regularly scheduled meetings especially during the planning and work party stages, but come and go as you please.
• Everyone who participates shares in the harvest

Most beloved of all farm managers, Rose, holding one of many harvest baskets

As of today the soil is still too wet to work but there are several things we can start on.

Here is a general list of gardeny things we can do:

• Get together and create our crop plan
• Go through seed catalogs
• Decide what we want to plant (so we can get seeds) and where we want to plant them (crop rotation from last year)
• Draw a plan on garden map
• Make a “To Do” check list to help guide gardeners who come at different times
• Tool familiarization

S.O.A.P. team starting seeds in the beautifully expanded greenhouse, 2013 season

• Start seeds in the greenhouse (can start now, on-going through the season)
• Some good things to start now are hearty greens (kale, collards etc), onions, etc. 
• Working the soil – creating seed beds
•  Clear out old beds
• Dig and/or double dig
• Add soil amendments (compost, etc.)
• Let rest for a week or so, then
• Plant our starts
• Garden Feng Shui

2012 team clowning at first work party of the season

• Creative use of space
• Thinning
• Vertical gardening
• Shape of the beds
• Ornamental/Insectary borders (flowers and herbs)
• Culinary herb patch 
•   What herbs do we want to grow
• Tending and maintenance
• Watering
• Weeding
• Pruning   
• Snacking
• Harvesting 
• Garden 
• Potlucks
• Helping with Community Garden upkeep
• Doing our part for the larger garden
• Pitching ideas/helping out with Harvest Festival

 

The S.O.A.P. garden group is forming now. There is still time to sign up. The first step is to
put together an Interest List.

All interested people should contact garden coordinators at tesccommunitygardens@gmail.com and they will compile a list of people interested in the Community Plot, or contact Matthew at nascentgrasshopper@gmail.com . We will be having on-going planning meetings and hope to have a work party in mid-February in preparation for April and May plantings.