The new Madison-Avanti community garden on the grounds of Madison School will be breaking ground on Saturday February 6, 2010. Your help is needed — green thumbs not required! A work party is planned to remove sod, spread bark mulch and begin installation of the fence.

There will also be some garden related activities for kids that we will need volunteers to help with. Do you have a skill or resource that you would like to contribute to help our garden grow? Let us know!

Contact Katie Stoll at 464-4507 or [email protected] if you can participate in the work party or if you have any questions or comments to share. Note: you must have completed a Washington state background check to participate in the groundbreaking activities.

With many enthusiastic participants, including members of the ENA, plans for the Madison-Avanti community garden are progressing beautifully. We have been fortunate to receive the support of many giving and talented neighbors, including grant writers, construction professionals and experienced gardeners. Our neighbors at the First United Methodist Church of Olympia have been very generous by providing funding to help us get started.

Eastside neighborhood resident and landscape architect Kurtis Roberts has shared his talent to design an amazing garden which will essentially be an outdoor classroom. The design includes raised garden beds, ecological education beds (including native woodland and wetland plantings), and an amphitheatre seating area for presentations. Birdhouses, bird baths, garden sculptures, and magical arbors will welcome people into the learning space!

Visit the garden website to see the design, keep up with progress, and contribute your ideas.  Community involvement is going to be key to the sustainability of this garden.