Mulching at Midvale

Neighbors spread cardboard and mulch over the blackberries.
Photo by Derek Creisler

A dozen volunteers came together on a sunny day on May 3, 2025 to work at the "Midvale Gardens" on 192nd and the Interurban Trail.

The volunteers put sheets of cardboard over the places where the blackberry vines had been cut down, and spread a layer of mulch on the top.

The cardboard wil dissolve and the mulch will smother the blackberry roots.

The land was originally covered with blackberry vines six feet high, with holly mixed in. Drug addicts were burrowing under the vines, sleeping there and leaving hypodermic needles behind.

There is still more to be done, but neighbors and other volunteers, notably Diggin' Shoreline, have already turned it into a pleasant space by the Trail.

--Diane Hettrick