Features of Paradise Parking Plots

Paradise Parking Plots exists to improve food access, build community, and foster economic independence among the refugee and immigrant community in South King County. It's a place to grow delicious and healthy food, but it's also much more!

GARDEN BEDS

Before placing the garden beds at Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden, over 50,000 sq. ft. of asphalt needed to be de-paved off the underutilized parking lot. This task required the effort of hundreds of hardworking volunteers but has now allowed space to place 44 in-ground and 6 above ground garden beds.

Now, refugee and immigrant gardeners freely plant food that often reminds them of home. At PPP each garden bed can be rented from April 1st to October 1st for the price of $40 which is used to cover a portion of the municipal irrigation costs.

44 in-ground and 6 above-ground garden beds allow refugee and immigrant gardeners to freely plant food that often reminds them of home.

CISTERNS

Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden aims to be as sustainable as possible which is why we take advantage of rainy days! With the help of 4 cisterns, up to 16,000 gallons of rainwater can be stored at PPP, reducing our reliance upon and the costs of municipal water.

A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater.

With the help of 4 cisterns, up to 16,000 gallons of rainwater can be stored at Paradise Parking Plots.

COMPOSTING SYSTEMS

Three methods of composting makes the Paradise Parking Plots less reliant and more resilient.

RAIN GARDENS

Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden is home to five rain gardens, the largest of which was designed by local refugee youth. These Kent-based youth named the rain garden “Reclaiming Home”, signifying the reclamation of land from a parking lot, and the subsequent cultivation of plants endemic to their home countries.

The various rain gardens serve as a natural way to capture, filter, and infiltrate rainwater, and are crucial to cleaning up the waters of Puget Sound. Each of the five rain gardens were strategically placed around Paradise Parking Plots to capture as much water as possible. See the picture below to learn more about rain gardens.

Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden is home to five rain gardens.

HUGELKULTUR BINS

Even before the community garden officially began, there were already efforts being made to organically grow delicious, healthy food. Prior to the construction of Paradise Parking Plots, the hugelkultur bins were installed by World Relief through seed funding from King Conservation District, to engage the surrounding refugee/immigrant population. Their goal was to show the huge potential of the underutilized parking lot.

The first installment at Paradise Parking Plots demonstrated an organic growing technique and engaged the community during the initial phases of the garden.

BIOSWALE & FOOD FOREST

The Flood Mitigating Food Forest with Bioswale is a feature designed by the community, for the community. Planning for the bioswale and food forest occurred over a series of three consecutive meetings with gardeners, neighbors, Hillside Church members, and other members of the community. Upon completion, the bioswale will capture thousands of gallons of stormwater annually, decrease local flooding issues, and increase refugee food access.

Upon completion, this space will grow food and mitigate annual flooding.

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Features of Paradise Parking Plots

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