Your next snack could come from a new public park in West Seattle. The Puget Ridge Edible Park has been years in the making but this summer neighborhood volunteers have started to put down roots.
"This is public property where anyone's welcome to come on the property," says Stu Hennessey, Puget Ridge community organizer. "At some point, anybody's welcome to come on and help themselves to the food."
Unlike a community garden where people often have to pay for a plot, this edible garden will be completely free. Hennessey says the idea started years ago but it's taken a while for it to come together with grants and land acquisition. Ultimately, the city bought the land for about $160,000, which is now a steal, says Hennessey.
Visit the Puget Ridge Edible Garden Facebook Page
The land had previously been used for agriculture so there are already plum, apple and pear trees. Blackberry bushes and grapevines are also on site. The West Seattle Nursery has donated plants so volunteers have been able to plant things like beans, pumpkins, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and winter melons.
And there's more to come.
Hennessey says in addition to planting more fruits and vegetables, the group would like to add sitting areas, play areas for kids and even some farm animals.
"Personally, I think we can just have our group chip at it and keep progressing each year and make it easier and easier," says Hennessey.
The Puget Ridge Edible Park will be the second edible park in Seattle. The first was the Beacon Food Forest, which is a 7-acre food forest in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
