Thornton Murphy Community Garden thriving as second season starts

The first growing season at Thornton Murphy Community Garden last year produced bumper crops, and this year the garden will continue to grow.

“It was a successful first season,” garden manager Dennis Anderson said. “We opened up with 20 4-foot-by-8-foot raised beds. People registered for a bed for $25 per season and that includes water.”

Individuals are responsible for the care and tending of their garden boxes, but since it’s a community project, others can pitch in if needed.

“We have signs that say: ‘Please water me,’ Anderson said. “And we’re going to get signs that say: ‘Please pick me.’ ”

The signage will come in handy if gardeners embrace travel as pandemic restrictions ease.

The garden on the northeast corner of Thornton Murphy Park had long been in the works. The existing irrigation system and a fence to keep urban deer at bay, coupled with the support of the nearby Southside Community Center, made this an ideal location for Lincoln Heights residents with green thumbs.

“We gave away a lot of tomatoes and peppers at the Southside Community Center, last year,” Anderson said.

This year, the garden will offer even more opportunities.

“The exciting thing is we are adding 10 more beds,” he said.

The carpentry program at NEWTech Skill Center built the additional 4-foot-by-8-foot garden boxes.

“They’re 2 feet off the ground, so they’re even more accessible,” Anderson said.

The new boxes, also offered at $25 per season, are going quickly. Anderson said they have plenty of room to continue to expand.

“We’ve got lots of space,” he said. “We may end up being the largest community garden in Spokane.”

The students at NEWtech also constructed a 10-foot-by-15-foot storage/potting shed for the garden.

Anderson is hopeful that the new beds and shed will be in place before March 24 when the Southside Community Center is hosting a luncheon and workshops to raise awareness and funds.

The two featured classes will cover the harvest from beginning to end.

“A lot of times community gardens attract novice gardeners,” Anderson said. “So, Jan Baker is going to talk about the nuts and bolts of vegetable gardens, like what to plant when, and Anna Kestell is going to cover the basics of food preservation and show us what to do with the bounty.”

The NEWtech culinary program is catering the lunch.

Also in the works – an accessible pathway from the parking lot at Southside to the Thornton Murphy Garden.

“We’re applying for a grant for that,” said Anderson, who expressed his appreciation for the support from the City of Spokane and Spokane Public Schools via NEWtech.

“It’s been so gratifying to see this take off,” he said.