Down at the Pea Patch

The soil has been tilled, the plants are going in - when you pass the Renton Pea Patch at the corner of N.First and Williams, there are always a few green thumbs working the soil. The plots are all spoken for and have been for months - but there is always next year. The cost is cheap - $30, and you have a piece of earth that is 10 x 40 or 20 x 20 feet to make your own source of fruit and veggies for summer eats or pretty posies to liven your home from April to October.
These are strawberry plants that will bear fruit all season long - their second time around as gardener Charlotte, my host at the pea patch today, dug them up from her garden last year. They had a little visit in the hothouse before coming out into the sun with us today.
This is Farmer Dave and he is planting some onion starts right there. In a mere six weeks this tame looking pea patch will be in full bloom and thriving with goodies to eat.

The hothouse that sits adjacent to the pea patch is open to all the community gardeners to use, for a nominal additional fee and is a great way to get things going. Others use the hothouse and bypass the pea patch completely, taking their plants home for their own yards and gardens. Cooled by an evaporative air conditioner, the plant starts have a way to become healthy and strong before facing the potentially cold Northwest weather fronts.

Tomato starts, melon starts, berry starts - even flowers can all be found within the hot house.

Sometimes the tomatoes won't bear our little flirts of cool weather, and need to be protected from the elements with a covering like you see below. I don't know about you - but this shot had me thinking of a certain scene in the first X- Files movie - you know the one. Don't walk the fields late at night, folks. The veggies are all spoken for and they have hired a professional scarecrow already.

Renton Community Garden/ Renton Parks Dept. Wonderful stuff!