Seattle Living Memorial

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Just thought I would share...hope Jon doesn't mind me taking it upon myself to send this out....The interbay P-Patch Community Garden along with gardeners across Seattle's P-Patch program are going to compost the flowers from this weekends memorial service and use it at the Seattle Center to create a living memorial...

 

"Okay gang, it looks like we have  enthusiasm and support in the garden for taking on the composting of the flowers left by 75,000 people since Saturday at the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. It will be a big job and although the compost will go back to the Center for a new memorial garden it will be a good way for us to get the "community" in Community Garden to the fore.

Here is the time frame invovled:
Monday evening: 5:00-dusk get our bulk storage bins ready to receive over one million flowers and leaves(if we can locate a source).

TUESDAY:  The Community Close is planned for Tuesday, beginning at 10:00 a.m., at the International Fountain.   Residents are invited join Mayor Paul Schell, fire fighters, and police officers in a procession to remove the wreaths and items placed in the International Fountain on Saturday to honor the citizenry, fire and police involved in Tuesday’s tragedies.          


P-Patchers and other volunteers will then join fire fighters, police and Seattle Center staff in separating flowers and personal cards.  The hundreds of cards will be added to the more than 2,000 notes and drawings collected on Saturday to be sent to New York City and the District of Columbia.  Some will be preserved for a city memorial.  

The flowers and greenery in the International Fountain will be composted by volunteers at the Interbay Patch Community Garden.  On September 11, 2002, Seattle Center will invite the community to help plant a memorial garden in the compost made  from one million flowers in honor of the victims of this great tragedy. 

There have been requests to keep the vigil going throughout the week, but the flowers are starting to decay. "We don’t want the morning rains to destroy the personal messages and gifts.  We want to remove the flowers with the touch of human hands while we still can,” said Mayor Paul Schell.

P-Patchers are encouraged to bring pitchforks and wheelbarrows to the Fountain at 10:00 am on Tuesday and to wear your P-Patch shirt.  P-Patchers will supervise the spearation of flowers from non-compostable materials.

The Seattle Center will deliver the flowers to the garden.

SATURDAY: 9:00 AM to ....? P-Patchers and members of the public will mix flowers with "browns" (to be located), moistened and placed in the bulk storage bins for composting. As usual, we will gather at the  community table at noon for soup and Ciro.

As we learned in making the great OYSTERRIFIC COMPOST, many hands make light work. We have the know-how, we have room, we have a community that says, "Let's do it!" Compost is the ultimate metaphor of renewal.  Your support on any or all of the above-mentionned times is welcome and appreciated.
Humusly,
Jon Rowley
Interbay Site Coordinator
283-7566

 

Thanks,
Sandy Pernitz
Dept. of Neighborhoods, (City of Seattle)
P-Patch Community Gardening Program
(684-0284)
s*@ci.seattle.wa.us

 

"Let man heal the hurt places and revere whatever is still miraculously pristine."
David Brower