Common Beds and Giving Garden Proposal

We are voting on a proposal from the common beds committee. Plotholders and volunteers can vote in the trailer starting 8/9 or electronically (check your email for the link). Voting deadline is 8/19/2012.

Download the pdf or read it below. They are the same except for formatting.

Proposal for Change in Common Beds and Giving Garden Beds
8/8/2012

Definitions:

Common Beds are for adding beauty to our garden for the neighborhood and the garden community. They are also for attracting pollinators such as bees, butterflies and birds.

Giving beds are for growing food for food banks and charity organizations such as Chicken Soup Brigade.

In the plans drawn up for our garden, there are several small common beds along the north and south walls and at the east gates. These beds are already planted and not included in this proposal. The center trellises have also been planted and are not included. This proposal covers the large common beds at the west top of the garden. There are four beds there, two L shaped beds, one long bed across the middle and one additional large bed at the very far west end.

The common beds committee is proposing that for this season, the long bed be given to the giving beds committee for their use. This can be reevaluated at the end of the growing season.

To develop the two L shaped beds, the common beds committee will do a planting plan using the flowers from the survey offered to the community. We are leaving copies of the pictures and descriptions of the plants on that survey in case you did not reply to the survey. Our proposed budget is as follows:

Plants: $200. The committee will actively work on getting donations from nurseries and stores such as Home Depot and Fred Meyers. Community members can also donate plants that are on the survey list.
Irrigation: $25
Fertilizer: $12
Root Barrier: $15
Total Budget: $252

Please be aware that the planting plan will include plants for difference season such as summer, fall, winter, early spring and spring. This process will take time so do not expect the final product for a few months.

The far west bed was designated for dwarf trees by the architects. Because of water issues and root issues which are being researched by the committee that bed is on hold for now. The large trellises at the far west end are also on hold for now because of the water issue and the issue of having enough soil area available for that large of a planting.