A community garden in Kirkland, Washington begun as a Girl Scouts Silver Award project that has grown into a shared space where neighbors cultivate food, build relationships, and care for creation together.
The Beginning
The community garden began as a Girl Scouts Silver Award project led by two members of Troop 45431, who partnered with St. John’s Parish to respond to food insecurity in Kirkland and create something lasting for the community.
From the start, the vision was not just a garden, but a shared space—one where people of all ages could learn, grow, and contribute to the wellbeing of others.
In June 2024, that vision began to take shape. Volunteers from the Girl Scouts and St. John’s worked side by side to clear the space, build and fill garden beds, and begin planting. Over the early summer weeks, the garden steadily came to life.
A Community Coming Together
The State Street Community Garden opened on September 22, 2024, with a ribbon-cutting celebration that brought together volunteers, neighbors, and community leaders. The event included a volunteer information session led by Girl Scouts Reina and JoJo, helping others learn how to take part in the garden’s ongoing work.
We were honored to welcome City of Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis, along with other city officials. Gardening expert, author, and media personality Ciscoe Morris also joined the celebration, marking the significance of this shared community effort.
Growing Through the Seasons
Each season brings new life to the garden. Volunteers return to clear the raised beds, enrich the soil, and plant vegetables, continuing the shared work that keeps the garden growing year after year.
The garden thrives because of many hands. St. John’s Preschool teacher Cortney Ohmann helped map out the beds and guide planting for the 2025 growing season. We are also grateful to St. John’s member Paula Chambers, Food Pantry lead Ken Lamb, and friends from the IMAN Center for their ongoing support, along with Donna Murphy and Trish Tiura for providing vegetable starts.
In 2025, the garden expanded with a new row of tomato plants along the 2nd Street side of the church office building. This addition came through the initiative and generosity of parishioner Janinne Fredlund, who donated planting buckets and tomato plants and helped bring the idea to life.
