WEEKEND PREVIEW: Learn about sheet mulching while helping the West Seattle Bee Garden

As you can see if you check our West Seattle Event Calendar, you have multiple opportunities around the area to make a difference with a few hours of your time tomorrow during volunteer work parties in honor of Earth Day. One is at the West Seattle Bee Garden, where you can learn a skill – sheet mulching – that might be usable in your own garden if you have one. In case you haven’t seen it in the calendar, here’s a reminder from Lisa at the Bee Garden:

Help us turn a zigzaggy idea into reality – tomorrow! We’ve got our overgrown patch prepared and ready for cardboard, wood chips, compost and cover crop to transform the space into a child and pollinator wonderland! Our expert friends at Master Composter Sustainability Stewards will help guide our process and answer your questions on creating new garden spaces.

Our future plans for the Children’s Garden include: lots of flowers, celebrating diversity by highlighting culturally relevant plants, yummy things to nibble, fun textures to touch, arches to walk through and even seed saving to give back to the community. All we need are people to make it happen.

When: Saturday, 4/20, 10 am-2 pm (we may finish early)

We will have some tools in short supply, if you are able to attend and can bring a wheelbarrow and/or shovel and/or pitchfork, that is helpful but not required. Bring a water bottle and lunch, dress for the weather – close toe shoes please. Light snacks provided.

We have other jobs as well: endless amounts of horsetail to pluck, walkways to weed and rake smooth, watering. There’s something for everyone :)

Many thanks for supporting our community garden!

The Bee Garden is at the north end of High Point Commons Park, Graham/Lanham. It will be at the heart of the annual West Seattle Bee Festival on May 18!

2 Replies to "WEEKEND PREVIEW: Learn about sheet mulching while helping the West Seattle Bee Garden"

  • Gardener April 19, 2024 (10:28 am)

    There is an ongoing debate about using cardboard in the landscape.  I encourage readers to educate themselves and decide if cardboard use is for them or not.  https://gardenprofessors.com/cardboard-does-not-belong-on-your-soil-period/

    • JustSarah April 19, 2024 (3:18 pm)

      If you actually read the linked study (https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/20a84c9f-63cc-3d42-816a-d78ad8549ff5/), you’ll see that “Despite the different diffusion coefficients of the different mulches, CO2 and O2 concentrations in the soil under the various mulches were not significantly different as compared to the control, except for the polyethylene treatment.”

      So while the cardboard may slightly reduce airflow in the short term (which is arguably the goal…), it’s not terrible. Plus, it breaks down in a short amount of time, restoring airflow. Just use plain brown cardboard/corrugate (no coatings, like on diaper boxes or similar).While Linda Chalker-Scott has a lot of valuable knowledge, she also has a vested interest in generating some controversy for page views. I’d take this post with a healthy pinch of salt.

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