MGFTC is celebrating the completion of the first phase of a substantial project to replace the irrigation systems in all three of our Demonstration Gardens.
Phase One Completed – July 2024!
The MGFTC’s Irrigation Committee oversaw the completion of an updated irrigation system at Dirt Works and the Plant Sale Nursery. The Committee determined this would best be accomplished by having an irrigation vendor install the system. Work began in late spring and was completed in late July.
In accordance with principles of best practices in the garden and to show conservative water-wise use of resources, the Irrigation Committee chose to begin this project with Dirt Works Demonstration Garden. The Dirt Works Demonstration Garden encompasses an ornamental garden, a food bank garden, and a year-round plant nursery, and is approximately 35 years old. It sits on land owned by the City of Olympia, which charges the Program for water use.
Water leaks were becoming more common due to the aging infrastructure of the original water lines within the garden. The Committee determined that this project would save money as well as allow for wiser water use. In addition, the plant nursery was being watered by a complicated system of hoses that required volunteers to personally roughly manage hoses on a regular basis.
The committee received welcome consultation from the City of Olympia in its research. After consideration of various approaches to this project, they determined that the use of a professional vendor was the best option. Therefore, a contractor was engaged to do the work, which was 100% funded by the Foundation.
Good news! The water bill at Dirt Works / Plant Sale Nursery has already been lowered, and volunteers have found the need to wrangle hoses to water the gardens and nursery is no longer necessary!
Next Steps
Planning has begun to update the irrigation system at the Olympia Farmers Market Gallacci Garden in 2025. This is a smaller garden, open to the public 24/7, with its own set of complications.
Closed Loop Park Demonstration Garden sits over a closed landfill, which takes on yet a different type of issue. Our Grant Committee is planning to seek funding for these projects in the future.
Committee Members and Partners
A committee of volunteers, chaired by Marie Kirk, MG and Barbara Baker, Foundation Member, has been working for several years to plan this complicated process.
Representatives from each of the three demonstration gardens sit on the committee. The Committee is collaborating with municipal structures which are involved separately in the management of the gardens, including the City of Olympia, Thurston County Public Works Solid Waste Department and others.
The Irrigation Committee has matured in its approach to these projects and anticipates new challenges and successes in the future.