Another New Season at Garden by the Sea
It looks like another amazing year for our community garden!
I personally have had the pleasure to be involved with this garden from inception as one of the founders, as a board member, and as a volunteer. I never knew I could be a gardener, let alone be a part of helping a community garden grow!
It encourages me every year to learn that Opening Day plot rentals come from people of all ages and backgrounds. Each wanting to learn how to be better gardeners or at least recognize the need for healthy organically grown fruits and vegetables.
Over the years, GBTS has had garden plot renters and volunteers that have been drawn to gardening as a way to counteract their own family’s lack of the freshest nutritious vegetables and fruits that are affordable. Many have also been drawn to that very special connection gardening gives you to the land itself.
Garden by the Sea was started knowing that people’s connection to the land was lost across most urban areas and that we wanted to reverse this in Ocean Shores. Another of our goals was to grow and donate food to our local OS Food Bank. Over the years we have donated hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of produce with help from community volunteers and leaders.
To help further educate gardeners, we developed a pollinator garden, planted native plants, developed a Wildlife Habitat, and practiced seed saving and rain capture. We also regularly hold educational and demonstration workshops for both children and adults.
To fulfill our mission and values, GBTS has establishing partnerships with WSU Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties Master Gardener Program as well as the Ocean Shores Library. Through these partnerships, GBTS has provided innovative and coastal specific gardening programs to the community.
Our Mission:
Garden by the Sea – A Community Garden is dedicated to the development of personal relationships through people growing organic garden-fresh food while addressing hunger and a healthy lifestyle in our community.
Our Value Statement:
We strive to build community spirit with the garden experience and education and by empowering volunteers through social responsibility and leadership.
Garden by the Sea’s growth is a testament to our founders, board members, advisors, volunteers and gardeners for their continued insight, training, and tenacity in creating and sustaining an independent nonprofit organization that promotes organic and environmentally sound growing practices. Over the years it has been our pleasure to share our planning and development of GBTS as a community garden with many others outside of Grays Harbor County.
It is also amazing to witness how our gardeners have learned to grow so many different varieties of vegetables and fruits particularly on the coast. We have seen success growing corn to green beans and artichokes to brussels sprouts, as well as many varieties of lettuces, tomatoes, kale and flowers from seed or bulbs. All protected within a Deer Fence!
All are welcome to join us! For more information on upcoming events or plot rentals, please check out our website:
gardenbytheseaoceanshores.org/garden-events/
gardenbytheseaoceanshores.org/plot-fees-regulations/
A version of this article was originally published in the March 2024 issue of the Ocean Observer.
