The Fir Street Community Garden of Sequim, at 525 N. Sequim Ave, behind St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, consists of 35 plots including 11 raised beds for persons with disabilities. Six plots are available for lease in 2019 for $45 per year, which includes water, seeds, fertilizer, compost and a basic organic gardening class on March 30. For more information and photos, go online to www.sequimcogs.org. To make a donation, volunteer or lease a plot, call Jaimi Primrose at 360-808-3877.

Spring in Sequim seems to have been delayed by unreasonable snowfall and freezing nighttime temperatures, but gardeners know that spring will be here soon.

In anticipation of that eagerly awaited season, activity at the Fir Street community garden is starting to ramp up. Seeds have been purchased, and some seedlings are already growing in warm south facing windows to get an early start on Sequim’s short growing season.

Committed gardeners are itching to dig their hands into the rich loamy soils of the 35 garden beds available at this location.

The Fir Street Community Organic Gardens of Sequim (COGS) is a project entering its 12th year of providing opportunities for experienced or aspiring gardeners to learn about organic vegetable gardening, to have a place to put that knowledge to use, to grow fresh, appetizing and wholesome produce and to build new friendships in the community.

COGS Fir Street is located on the grounds of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church just west of Fifth Avenue. Although St. Luke’s is the primary sponsor of the garden, COGS Fir Street has been financially self-sustaining since its inception in 2007 and has recently arranged to move their fiscal sponsorship under the umbrella of the Olympic View Community Foundation.

The impetus for COGS came from Sequim High School’s Ecology Club. Students wanted to help save Sequim farmland, but direct action proved too costly. In the end, they felt that if they could help people learn to grow and enjoy their own organic produce, the increased demand for such foods would cause farmers to move into this production niche.

The goal was achieved, and now Sequim has a number of small farmers producing fresh organic produce.

June Robinson Memorial Park Garden, located on East Spruce Street and Sunnyside Avenue in downtown Sequim, also offers an opportunity for local residents to learn the rewarding skills and challenges of producing their own veggies.

Because demand for garden plots exceeded supply at Fir Street COGS, we approached the City of Sequim to determine whether they might open a new community organic garden. COGS and the City of Sequim created a joint venture with the new garden opening in 2010.

For more information about the June Robinson COGS, view our website at www.sequimcogs.org or call Ann Holgerson at 360-477-2037.