WASHINGTON— PLANT (People Learning and Nurturing Together) Washington Community Orchard and Gardens has made plenty of progress since its origins in 2024 and this spring season they are taking steps to shape PLANT into becoming a place geared towards truly giving back to the community.
“I would describe this as a food farm,” PLANT board member Kerrie Willis said of PLANT. “I think community garden is part of what we do, but a food farm is really more at the heart of what we’re trying to get going.”
PLANT has an orchard of 20 fruit trees that were planted a year and a half ago. When the fruit trees mature it will become a place where people can come pick fruit for themselves. This, along with other areas of harvest like a fruit fence and edible shrubbery, will be the heart of the food farm.
“We would love to increase people’s access to nutritious, delicious, locally grown food, at no cost or low cost,” Willis said.
Since their conception, PLANT has undergone many additions and improvements. Some recent additions include arch trellises for plants to reach higher heights, raised garden beds, and a new garden shed being added near the end of March.
Tulips blooming at the Washington Community Garden on April 19, 2026.
Giovanni Coronel/The Union
Generous donations from groups and businesses like the Washington State Bank, Farm Credit Services of America, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation, People’s Garden Initiative and more have made all these new additions for PLANT, a nonprofit, possible.
“I’m incredibly happy and amazed at what we’ve built so far and I’m very happy with that.” Willis said. “If this was what it was, I would be thrilled. But, there’s a lot of other stuff that we can do and that people are excited about doing.”
PLANT has 24 raised garden beds that can be individually leased for personal gardens. These 5’ x 10’ garden beds are available on a first come, first serve basis. People make their own schedule of when to tend to their personal gardens.
The PLANT (People Learning and Nurturing Together) Washington Community Orchard and Gardens was formed in 2024.
Giovanni Coronel/The Union
A pollinator garden was also added in June of last year. This garden consists of about 100 feet of perennials. The spring season is a ripe time for gardening and if you visit the site you will already see flowers blooming.
“We want to create a space so that people can come and harvest their own,” Willis said. “Or can learn how to harvest their own. We want to have people catch the bug about gardening.”
From children to seniors, a community garden is truly inclusive to any age. There are plans for a space at the site for a children’s garden and classroom gardens for classes from the local schools to participate in.
Volunteers have also been vital to the progress of PLANT as they have gone above and beyond to help the community garden grow to what it is today.
A garden bed with blooming flowers at the Washington Community Garden.
Giovanni Coronel/The Union
“It’s important for me that the people who volunteer here look around and say, I did that, I’m helping to build this place,” Willis said. “That, to me, is really satisfying.”
This spring season is shaping up to be a fruitful one for PLANT whose growth since its beginnings would not be possible without its hardworking board members and members of the community coming out to show their support by taking part in the joy gardening can provide.
“If you want to grow your own food, right in your own backyard, and meet some really awesome gardeners and talk to them about what they’re doing, this is a great place to do it,” Willis said about the benefits of joining a community garden. “We would love to have you.”
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