Federal Way’s first community garden is bursting with color and nutrients.
The garden, located at the Federal Way Senior Center, 4016 S. 352nd St., was introduced to the public May 1 during an open house. The food harvested will provide meals for senior citizens and low-income residents.
Mayor Jack Dovey hopes the garden is the first of many that will dot Federal Way’s landscape in the coming years.
“This is something we will look back on five years from now and say ‘Wow, that was a good start,'” he said.
The 10,000-square-foot garden is open to the public and will help supply the senior center’s food pantry. Peas, rhubarb, beans and fruit trees are just some of the items growing in the garden.
“There’s something about being able to work in the soil, see things grow and bear the fruits of your labor,” Dovey said.
In addition to serving the community, the garden is bringing neighbors closer together. The project grew from a program in which senior citizens mentor elementary school children at the senior center, and is a way for people of all ages and abilities to contribute to their community.
“There’s something else that is growing here,” Federal Way Senior Center Executive Director Nathan Brown said. “It’s people. It’s community.”
A section of the garden is designed for children. Another section features raised beds and wide paths, and allows for wheelchair access. A greenhouse rests in one corner. Two bee hives occupy the opposite corner. A fountain surrounded by arbors and birdhouses marks the middle of the garden. Bobbing daffodils and blossoming fruit trees lead up to the centerpiece.
The garden is a success because of the countless volunteers who turned out for the past year to work on the project. Master gardener Mike Stanley is credited with the layout.
Stanley, a retired Boeing project manager, first realized the value a community garden could have to senior citizens when he and his wife began caring for his mother-in-law, he said. He dreamed of building a community garden but needed space, money and volunteers to help him do so.
“I’m like a kid in that I got to do this,” Stanley said.
The senior center offered its land. Dozens of local businesses dedicated more than $20,000 worth of materials. Organizations that donated more than $500 to the garden were awarded plaques that were placed in the beds. Local service groups, churches and neighbors gave up thousands of hours to dig trenches, plant seeds and tend to the garden.
“It was the vision of one man, but it was the volunteers that made it happen,” Federal Way Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Pierson said.
Volunteers are still needed. The goods must be harvested and re-planted once the growing season is finished.
Check it out
For questions regarding the garden, e-mail Mike Stanley at michael_stanley@usa.net.
