Just a few weeks ago we got wind that one Queen Anne resident, Charlie Hoselton, was working to turn two large medians along Gilman Drive W. and 13th Ave. W. into a 20-plot community built urban garden. Yesterday, Wednesday, March 24, Charlie got the necessary permits from the city to build what will soon become the FRIENDS of Gilman Urban Gardens, and eager to get planting, plans to break ground this weekend!

There will be work parties on both Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28 beginning at 9 a.m. to however long volunteers choose to stay. On Saturday Charlie envisions two work parties, one tackling tree removal and chipping, the other working on tilling and removing grass and other growth. On Sunday he plans to cut the garden pathways and spread mulch, which we be delivered directly to the site.

And if you’re interested in getting a plot at the new garden, it might behoove you to put in an few volunteer hours this weekend. Charlie writes,

Out of fairness, when it comes to site selection, those who are able to put in the most time in helping to prep the site will move higher up the list for picking the site that they want for their garden. Once the pathways are all cut in, we can start working out site selection, and gardeners can get busy on their own hunk of dirt.

Volunteers should bring a set of gloves and whatever tools they can carry over (rakes, shovels, wheel barrow if possible, etc.).

Truly a community built and tended garden, Charlie is working hard to develop a garden user agreement over the next few days (we’ll keep you posted). And due to the high cost of building the gardens, he will also be accepting donations this weekend from anyone who can (all donations, he says, will be applied to the site fee, which hasn’t been set yet but ranges from $50 each for a plot up to 50 sq. ft. and $150 for 150+ sq. ft. Charlie envisions these initial plot purchases to be a one-time fee for the funding of the building of the garden).

Charlie is also looking for donations of landscape rock, boulders, brick, non-chemically treated lumber (preferably Cedar or Redwood), retaining wall blocks and anything else that could be fit into the garden landscape.

Anyone interested in volunteering and having a plot at the Gilman Gardens should take a look at the garden site plan (.pdf). For questions or to coordinate for the work party this weekend, email Charlie at friendsofgilman.urbangardens@hotmail.com.