Mirrormont Pea Patch FAQs
What is a Pea Patch? A “pea patch” is a community garden. Over the past 30 years, Seattle’s P-Patch Program (P for the Picardo Farm, the first community garden in Seattle) has served thousands of gardeners in more than 60 gardens, with over 1900 plots on 12 acres of land.
What can you grow in a Pea Patch? Gardeners can grow all organic vegetables, not just peas — or anything else, except noxious weeds, trees and large shrubs. Produce may be shared with friends or donated to the Issaquah Food Bank, but may not be sold.
How big is the Mirrormont Pea Patch, and how large are the plots? The Pea Patch is 105 x 65 ft. We currently have 24 4-ft x 8-ft raised beds, and an open area that we will stake out into plots. Gardeners may apply for one or more raised beds and/or an unframed plot. A common area will include a Children’s Garden, compost piles, worm bin, tool shed and a picnic table. At this point, it is possible to adjust the unframed plot size to the number of interested gardeners, with the consensus of the Pea Patch Committee. If there is great interest, we could explore the potential for expanding in the future. Other community gardens vary from 80 sq ft to 400 sq ft; Seattle’s program charges an annual application fee of $23, plus $11 for each 100 sq ft gardened ($34 for 100 sq ft).
Who can obtain a plot? Any member of the Mirrormont Community Association may apply for a plot. There will be an annual fee to cover water and joint purchases. After plots are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis, a waiting list will be established. Preference for plots will be given to those who volunteer and contribute to establishing the garden.
What are the benefits to the community?
Healthy food to share: Many Mirrormont residents would love to grow vegetables without sacrificing trees to grow beans and broccoli. Gardeners will share their vegetables with friends and neighbors. One family has pledged all the produce from their plot to go to the Issaquah Food Bank, and other gardeners are planning to donate a portion of their produce.
Community building: Already the Pea Patch is weaving more community as we’ve met new neighbors at our meetings and at our weekly work parties. Volunteers talk while working; people stop by on their walks to ask what’s happening. Gardeners are excited about exchanging seeds and seedlings, sharing food, and having potlucks made from the abundance of the garden. The Pea Patch will be open to anyone who would like to walk through and see what’s growing throughout the year.
Education: The Pea Patch will be a place to learn together about growing food. Gardeners will exchange information about what works and what doesn’t in our microclimate. We plan to bring in speakers for events open to all Mirrormont residents. We will have open programs in the Children’s Garden to teach about the magic of seeds and the process of growing food.
How will the Pea Patch be funded and maintained? We have a $10,000 Small Grant from Community Partnerships & Grants (CPG). Only previous partners are eligible, and the MCA qualifies based on the success of the CPG-funded Mirrormont Park. This partnership grant, funds must be matched with sweat equity and other donations. Our contributions make possible a project that wouldn’t be feasible with the grant money alone. The P-Patch Trust in Seattle generally budgets $15,000 to start a typical pea patch.
The Pea Patch Committee has drafted rules for maintaining the garden. One rule is that each gardener will be required to contribute 8 hours annually to maintaining the common space (aside from their plot).