P-Patches and Passion Fruit

You’d think an administration that has fought to make entire religions seem unpatriotic would take a stance on gardening. If for no other reason than for the fact that Cuba is making us look bad. Cuba folks not some snobby European country like France, they’ve been making our diet look bad for a while, but Cuba. The very country we hold as the example of Communism’s instability has proven much more in tune with its diet than its “highly developed” neighbor to the North. Not by design, but by necessity, Cuban cities like Havana have begun to grow as much as 80 percent of their own produce within the city. No city in the U.S. compares although Detroit, among others, has begun to follow the example of urban gardening. Seattle is not immune to this newest trend and there are several outlets in the city where people are rebelling by rototilling.

One such program that I was introduced to recently was the P-Patch, you receive a small garden plot that for a nominal fee you can grow your own food using organic methods. The sheer size of the waiting list proves that this has been a long time coming (although P-Patches have been around for a while the idea of a local garden should have never left the city) and people are responding beautifully. I grew up in a family that gardened. The idea of eating seasonally is not an alien one to me, and I readily acknowledge the improved flavor and feeling of well being that comes with eating something that you have produced. That is why I was so exited to find an established way to continue my passion for gardening in college. I am looking forward to signing up for my very own P-Patch, an action which will no doubt help me on my quest to be largely self-sustaining when it comes to food.

Until my number is called I hope to be involved in yet another opportunity, connecting me with what I consume, in the form of volunteering at the University Farm. Although the rather grandiose name belies a small patch of earth in the middle of campus, the Farm is an important step towards responsible eating. It would be great if UW could follow such pioneering schools as Evergreen and supply its students with fresh local produce. They are readily accepting help and I hope to hone my gardening skills there, seeing what works in small areas, and picking up tricks for organic fertilizer and pest control. It was on my first trip to the Farm that I noticed a rather exotic looking blossom. I had seen it on my island home but insofar had been unable to identify it. Upon inquiring I was told that it was a passionflower the blossom of a passion fruit which to my surprise can grow quite well up here. I look forward to adding a passion fruit vine to my P-Patch and who knows what other plants I will discover along my trek.