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Belltown P-Patch Celebrates 20 Years on June 18

Belltown P-PatchThe Belltown P-Patch, Seattle’s only downtown community garden, is gathering the community in celebration of a major milestone with 20 years of bringing beauty, color, and tranquility to downtown.

The community will hold a celebration on Thursday, June 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the garden, which is located at the corner of Elliot Avenue and Vine Street. There will be speakers from the City, as well as free food and drink. This event is open to all and gardeners from the P-Patch will be on hand to provide tours of this beautiful space.

The Belltown P-Patch is a gem in the heart of the city and is visited each year by hundreds of people from all over the world. It was a featured garden by the American Community Gardening Association in 2014. The cottages, originally built nearly 100 years ago, share the space and add a unique and historical backdrop to the space. They are now used by in-residence writers and gardeners.

“The Belltown P-Patch is a welcome respite from the bustle of the city and a focal point for the neighborhood, reflecting the diverse needs of those who live and work here,” said P-Patch gardener and anniversary organizer Natalie Reber. “The hands that bring together this beautiful and unique garden are many, and this celebration is about them and the many seasons of life that have been put into this space.”

Rich MacDonald, supervisor of the P-Patch Community Gardening Program, commented, “The Belltown P-Patch represents so much to this neighborhood. Not only does it provide green space in the heart of the city, it is a meeting place for neighbors, a refuge for our many homeless community members, and a tourist stop for visitors from all over the world.”

The Belltown P-Patch was a neighborhood labor of love from the beginning, as community activists, neighbors, and passionate gardeners worked with the City and surrounding businesses to purchase, cultivate, secure, and grow the space into the colorful and beloved garden it is today. Early supporter Glenn McGilvra provides a detailed history of the P-Patch in an essay originally published in the book Belltown Paradise (2005, Chicago University Press) but is available online.

The Belltown P-Patch is one of the 90 community gardens managed by our P-Patch Community Gardening Program. Community gardeners grow food on 14.9 acres of the land as well as  steward 18.8 acres for the public for a total of 32 acres. We have the largest municipally managed community gardening program outside of New York City.

For more information about the event contact Natalie Reber at 206-683-0160.