Some people on the Hill have space but don’t have the time to cultivate a garden. Some people want to garden, but they don’t have the space. Peter Rothbart saw need on one side and supply on the other, so he decided to connect the dots.
“A couple years ago, I was biking near the intersection of 14th and Howell, and I saw this guy looking over the traffic circle forlornly,” said Rothbart. The man had planted a garden in the traffic circle, but someone had driven right through it, leaving a “huge cavernous rut of a truck tire right in the middle of it.”
Later, he went to a barbecue in Madrona. One of his friends said she had a huge front lawn that would be great for a garden, but she did not have the time to do it.
“It just seemed natural to bring those two people together,” he said. So he gathered a team of web developers and created WePatch.org.
The goal of the site is that simple: Connect people looking for gardening space with those who have space to offer. Users can post listings either offering or looking for space. These listings are placed on a map, making it easy to connect with others in your neighborhood. Once connected, prospective gardeners and land owners can work out whatever agreement works for them. The site is national and has helped to connect gardeners with spaces in places as far as Baltimore and southern California.
The name is an homage to Seattle’s wildly successful P-Patch program. Rothbart is a fan of the P-Patches.
“I don’t think people in Seattle realize how blessed they are to have such a great community garden program,” he said. But demand for space is consistently far higher than supply, and waiting lists to get plots can be long.
Capitol Hill currently has a handful of gardeners and a few spaces listed.
“As more people use it, the more useful it will be for everyone,” said Rothbart. “It’s not just encouraged, it’s important that they offer that space.” Utilizing our urban land to grow food locally is an important way to overcome our nation’s oil-based food economy, he said.
The average last frost in Seattle is mid-March, so planting season is about to begin. If you have space, but no time, there may be someone down the street with time, but no space. The two of you should talk.
This is such a simple, elegant solution. And the best part, it builds and strengthens our Cap Hill community as more people connect and develop mutual values. Thank you, Mr Rothbart, for taking that first step!
this is a great idea! But, urbangardenshare has been doing it for a couple of years. Are these sites different or the same? Do we need two websites for this? As long as everyone knows they both exist, I guess we will find out!
I agree with Sherry, this is a fantastic solution. I wasn’t aware of the other site either; at first glance We Patch seems easier to use and a bit more intuitive, but I’m glad to learn that this kind of work is being done, no matter who does it!
That little strip between the curb and the sidewalk is AOK to use for MUCH more than decorative landscaping – it can be used for urban agriculture (food). Whichever landowner sits behind that section of strip has the right to utilize it as they see fit (so long as it’s not used for parking vehicles). Most rental landlords will welcome a tenant’s offer to improve her/his lot with open arms. ** Imagine how much acreage that would be, if you add up all the unused planting strips across the city…!!
And if the planting strip is 5′ wide or larger, you can even put in (fruit?) trees.
** part of me thinks it’s a shame the Boy Scouts of America
a) don’t have a strong presence in urban Seattle and b) have been parasitically poisoned by the mormons and homophobes,
because this would be such a eagle-scout-project -worthy thing to take on. I’d like to imagine an eagle scout coming to your door and saying “Hi, for my eagle scout project I’m going to turn this entire block’s parking strips into food&flower -producing minigardens – can I get your permission to improve your planting strip?”.
I have space but not enough time. I don’t know how to find somebody who might like to garden organically for veggies at my house. suggestions?