All play and no work

If you know me at all, you know I’m a country girl at heart. I have a need for dirt (see https://laurasplace.blog/2023/09/28/a-country-girl-traveling-in-peru/). One city I actually like is Seattle, where I used to do a lot of work. Amy and I are staying here for a few days on the way to Alaska.

We have gravitated to the Belltown neighborhood, just north of downtown. It suits our desire for quiet, ease, friendliness, openness. We can walk to the ferries, museums, the original flagship REI. Wherever we stroll, we stumble upon something wonderful. One time it was a funky little cinema showing Oscar-nominated shorts; another time, it was a hopping bistro where we and the bartender told stories all evening as we tested cocktails and tapas. You never know.

This afternoon we came upon a fairytale garden that warmed our souls.

We disovered it bit by bit. First we turned a corner and saw a garish pink wall. Fun–and maybe a little beautiful in an urban kind of way.

Then next to it we noticed a rock wall that was made into a garden. Hmm, something purposeful was happening here. Our eyes became more attuned.

Next, a whole series of extraordinary mosaic murals, which we saw spelled out Belltown. Serious art.

When we turned the corner, steps and a gate beckoned us. We had to walk in, even if we weren’t sure that whatever this place is was “open.” We saw roses old and new, irises, columbine, flowers we couldn’t name, patches of lettuce protected by chicken wire.

The space kept opening up. We discovered that much of the block had been dedicated to plants, to gardening, to the welcoming of beauty and generation of life–right in the middle of the city.

We came upon a sign.

It turns out this garden is 20 years old. And is it supported by the city’s Department of Neighborhoods. https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/p-patch-gardening/garden-list/belltown. Described as “a leafy retreat that softens the steel and concrete of our densely populated and much-loved Belltown neighborhood,” it has been maintained by volunteers, lovers of plants. There is a waiting list for plots.

We feasted our eyes, knowing that if we spent serious time in Seattle, we would want to get our hands in that dirt–step away from the cement, grow some beauty. Color, scent, texture, flavor. Life.

As we left, we turned back to snap a photo of the upper gate..

And in the background, we noticed a mural. Another beautiful surprise. We had to zoom in.

It’s so much easier to like cities when they accommodate ways to keep humans in touch with dirt–and the sea!–and the beauty and life they can grow.

Off to Alaska!