Build your Block Challenge Finalists!

Unpaving Paradise is a finalist in the Umpqua Bank Build Your Block Challenge. Submit your vote in the Capitol Hill branch at the end of Broadway and help our P-Patch build a tool shed and composting center!

You can vote once a day until May 20.

More details on the Umpqua Bank facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/capitolhillumpqua



Thanks for your support!

Summit Slope Park Dedication

Join us Sunday, May 1 for our official grand opening celebration! The dedication of Summit Slope Park begins at noon. There will be a maypole, musicians and Umpqua Bank and Starbucks will provide some goodies. At 1:30 a Seattle Tilth Master Composter will teach us how to compost and build health soil. Hope to see you there!

The Gardening Begins

A few people started planting the day after we chose our plots, but March 19th seemed to be the first big push to get plants in the ground.

All pictures were taken by Shawn Brinsfield.

Taking Care of Summit Slope: UP P-Patch Gardeners and Starbucks Pitch in to Take Care of Park

picture courtesy of Benjamin Benschneider/The Seattle Times

This lovely picture of Judy's peas in our new park and P-Patch is part of a rather gloomy article in the Seattle Times about how the Parks Levy paid for new parks but not for their continued maintenance. While the Parks Department's continued budget woes are certainly of concern, Summit Slope Park and Unpaving Paradise P-Patch have some resources that not every neighborhood park can count on.

First is the dedicated band of volunteers that have worked to plan and fundraise for the park and p-patch over the last three years, many of whom will become gardeners at Unpaving Paradise P-Patch and so stay active in the space's continued care. Second is a pledge by the Olive Way Starbucks to start and head up Friends of Summit Slope Park, a group dedicated to ongoing park maintenance. Many thanks to both groups for being good neighbors and pitching in to keep up our little piece of public land.

Our Patch is Filled with Peas!

THIS WED! Dec. 1st - Burlap Quilting Bee for John and Summit Park

There is an important 'burlap coffee bean sack quilting' get together tomorrow, Wednesday, all day and evening (9am to 9pm) at the nearby Seattle Presbyterian Church.


Unpaving Paradise will be amending the soil at John and Summit Park this Saturday (Dec. 4th at John and Summit starting at 9am) with rich nutritive greens and browns. When finished UP will put the soil to bed for the winter by covering it with mostly pre-assembled quilted-together burlap coffee bean sacks. UP wants to give a 'nice look' to the garden for the local community to admire over the winter months. Therefore getting the 500+ coffee bean sacks stitched together in shapes mirroring and custom fitting the designed plots is important. Not only for appearance but to quickly and deftly cover the soil without walking on the soil and compacting it.

The plan is to have pre-measured template patterns on the church floor and then to quilt together the coffee bean sacks to fit the patterns. Many of the sacks have been already stitched together in strips so as to save time on Wednesday's assembling project.

The stitching is simple and requires no previous experience. We will have all materials ready for you. And feel free to be creative by sewing in thick colored yarn!

Please come and help out even if only for an hour. There are two volunteers so far who are coming. Consider lending a helping hand.

They have free church parking on the north side of the building and you are allowed to park for free from 7 to 9 pm in the pay parking lot just across the Street (Howell). The Church (located just behind the Seattle Central Community College) is a block south of East Denny. The quilting bee will be in the downstairs Fellowship Hall; entrance thru church's north side parking lot.

1729 Harvard Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122-2227

John & Summit Bedspread Work Party - Saturday, Dec. 4th

We have a Bedspread Work Party coming up. This time we'll be spreading coffee chaff, chocolate mulch and leaves on the beds, then covering the whole thing with burlap "bedspreads" for the winter. Come join the fun!

When: Saturday December 4th, 9AM (Rain, snow or shine . . . we're working!)

What: Distributing organic coffee chaff, chocolate mulch and leaves into the garden beds, then covering it all up with our burlap bedspreads

We won't need shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows this time, just small tarps, buckets and gloves. If you have small tarps, please bring them. We have everything else you'll need to help.

We really need your help! Come and bring your friends, too! We'll be moving soil in rain, snow or shine.

Delicious coffee and treats are being provided!

Please RSVP to Barbara at gingergooddog@gmail.com so we know how many to expect.

(Even if you forget to RSVP, come garden with us!)

A copy of a delightful flyer for you to view and post is coming soon.

See you Saturday!

Help fill the John & Summit P-Patch community garden at the

SOIL-MOVING PARTY!

Friday, Nov. 19 @ 11am
Saturday, Nov. 20 @ 9am

We'll work whether rain, snow or shine. Come by and help all day or just part of the day.

We have the tools, but please bring work gloves, shovels, 5-gallon buckets & wheelbarrows if you have them.

Treats and warm drinks will be provided.

We hope to see you there!

Save the Dates!

Please mark these dates in your calendar:

Friday & Saturday, Nov. 19-20

We'll be getting dirty! And we'll need everyone's help.

More Details to come soon, so check back.

Help get P-Patches included in the new Capitol Hill park

You're Help is Needed!

A new park is coming to Capitol Hill at the corner of Federal & Republican. Help is needed to get P-Patches included in the park. If you would like to get involved or stay informed, join the Federal & Republican listserv by emailing FedRepPark-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.