It's officially spring time and with the warmer weather brings sunshine and blooming flowers. Did you know that Licton Springs has a community p-patch at College Way & North 92nd St?

What is a P-Patch?

P-Patch is the name given to community gardens that are managed by the Seattle P-Patch Community Gardening Program. The P-Patch program oversees 88 P-Patches over 32 acres throughout the city. Though a P-Patch, neighbors can come together to plan, plant, and grow community.

What is the history of Licton Spring's P-Patch?

The Licton Springs P-Patch dates back to 1976 as a student-driven initiative at North Seattle College. While the original community garden ended up as a school parking lot, in 2013 the North Seattle College Sustainability Committee revived the initiative. After over a year of hard work from the community digging up land, building plots, and adding compost, a community garden of 67 plots and 15,000 sq ft was developed in Licton Springs!

How can I get involved?

For information about volunteering, events, and general p-patch activities, email [email protected] or visit the community website at www.lictonspringsppatch.wixsite.com/seattle. The next community work party will be on Sunday, 4/15 from 11am to 1pm at the garden. The next leadership meeting will be on the first Wednesday of May (5/2) at 6pm at the OCEE building room 229 on North Seattle College campus.

As the weather gets nicer - if you find yourself wanting to see some ducks you may think the best place to do so would be Green Lake or one of Seattle's many parks. However, the best place to catch a glimpse of the local duck population in Seattle is right here in Licton Springs. Located on N 90th St between Densmore and Ashworth Ave N and near the new school: Pilling's Pond remains as a reminder of Chuck Pilling's legacy. This is the spot where he became the first successful breeder of the hooded merganser, bufflehead and harlequin ducks. Here you can still find hundreds of ducks enjoying the pond. While there has been some concern about the future of the pond due to a sale, the new owners have expressed their desire to keep the legacy going and have allowed Dave Kunkle to continue the maintenance of this great North Seattle landmark.

NOTE: You can't enter the pond but can safely view the ducks from behind the wired fence.

So, as you enjoy this warmer weather, take some time to appreciate Pilling's Pond, its many duck inhabitants, and the legacy of Chuck Pilling.

In hopefully an early preview of what Spring has to offer this year, Licton Springs Park was a beautiful sight this weekend backdropped by clear Seattle skies.