P-Patch Community Gardens

UpGarden P-Patch

Through the efforts of community volunteers, support from the Seattle Center, and funding from the Parks and Green Spaces Levy, a new garden will soon sprout on the top of Mercer Garage. The garden will be located on the rooftop parking level of the Mercer Garage on Mercer St. between 3rd and 4th Ave N.

What's New?

Work is underway! Community members have been hard at work cleaning, prepping, and building on the garage roof in order to get UpGarden ready for planting by this summer. The team even had to haul an old airstream onto to roof, which they intend to use as a tool shed. To join in, check out the events calender on the UpGarden website for future work parties and other events.

Get Involved!

The best way to stay involved and up-to-date is through the interactive UpGarden website:http://www.upgarden.org/

Also be sure to sign up on the Interest List to let us know you're interested in this P-Patch.

Getting a Garden Plot

New garden plots are assigned based on involvement. While the City provides support, new gardens are built by the community. Neighbors come together to envision, design, and eventually construct a unique garden that meets their needs and reflects their neighborhood identity. Thus, community commitment through volunteering is the primary factor in assigning plots in a new garden. If you are interested in getting a plot join the Interest List and please see How Plots are Assigned.

For questions about tracking your volunteer hours, contact Hafoc Mercer: hafoc.mercerPatch@gmail.com

History

In the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces Levy, Uptown was designated as a priority area for new community garden development. Vacant land in this dense, urban neighborhood was difficult to come by. Luckily, a creative solution was worked out with the Department of Neighborhoods and Seattle Center. The Seattle Center has offered the community nearly half of the top level of the Mercer Garage as an experimentation site for rooftop gardening. Visible from both the top of Queen Anne Hill and the Space Needle, the garden will be a highlighted attraction during the Seattle Center's Next 50 Anniversary celebrations through 2012. The P-Patch will remain as a public gardening space for the next couple years until the Mercer Garage is redeveloped as part of the Seattle Center Master Plan. At the point the community intends to find a more permanent location in the surrounding neighborhood.

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE P-PATCH COMMUNITY GARDENING PROGRAM CONTACT:  
Laura Raymond, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Laura.Raymond@seattle.gov   206-615-1787