The Wisdom of Crowds: How collaboration shaped the Ching Garden design

By Kathleen Lumiere

One of Jennie Ching’s roses blooming again

The Ching Garden now has a community-driven plan! 

The design process mirrored what author James Surowiecki describes in his book "The Wisdom of Crowds." 

He explains that groups make better decisions when:

1. People have different opinions and backgrounds
2. Everyone thinks independently without being swayed by others
3. Knowledge is spread among many people rather than concentrated in just a few
4. There's a way to combine everyone's ideas into one final plan

Jones and Jones, landscape architects who designed spaces like the Bainbridge Japanese Exclusion Memorial and parts of the Kubota Gardens, were the keepers of the crucial fourth step. These skilled interpreters drafted the most consistent and appealing ideas into a single vision.

The Ching Team

The genesis of the Ching Garden project was a shared vision honoring Asian American cultural legacy in Shoreline, creating a "food forest" to build an edible ecosystem, and making a place to learn and garden in community.

A core group of volunteers, a permaculturist, a horticulturist, and architects from Jones and Jones walked the site, recording features of the landscape Joe and Jennie Ching had planted years ago: heirloom apple trees, plums, Asian pears, figs, wild climbing grape vines, kiwis, persimmons, roses, black bamboo, and Japanese umbrella pines.

Priya Marita Diaz at the Beacon Food Forest

Team visits to the Beacon Food Forest and Bradner Gardens Park provided advice and inspiration.

Community Design

In addition to a survey sent to volunteers, two charrette-style community meetings were held at Shoreline Community College.

Community meeting at Shoreline College
Photo by Kristina Logsdon

The community reviewed two possible designs: the "Infinity Plan" with paths shaped like a figure-eight, and the "Meandering Plan" with more natural, flowing paths.

After a short orientation, neighbors, plant experts, and enthusiasts split into small discussion groups. They later returned to share insights on which design elements they felt were most important.

These included traditional Asian structures with educational captions, gardening classes, Asian American cooking demonstrations, indigenous plants, and other cultural elements. 

Also desired was artistic fencing and lighting for hospitality and security. Many wanted gathering spaces for both large groups and small, friendly conversations, and covered areas for rainy Northwest days.

Success!

The process resulted in a design that delighted almost everyone, which amazed the organizers. The final design blends elements from both plans, with a comfortable buffer between garden activities and neighbors.

The design includes a welcoming entrance with Asian plantings, terraces that work with the sloping land, a central gathering area for community education, and special spaces like the clumping bamboo forest that feel magical for children and adults.

The main path now meanders more to capture the spirit of Asian gardens, that sense of surprise when discovering beauty, while still incorporating the symbolic significance of the infinity loop.

The Secret Sauce

What made this process work so well? The people contributing were well-informed and well-intentioned, and spoke for themselves. Everyone had special knowledge to contribute, and that information was captured and folded into the design.

The process echoed the community-building values of the Ching family, for which they are still remembered. As the Ching Garden takes shape, it will show not only the legacy of Joe and Jennie Ching but also the wisdom of the community.

Ching Garden design - Colleen Thorpe and Wesley Simmonds from Jones and Jones

To get involved, please contact Diggin' Shoreline. Saturday work parties begin again on May 31, 2025. Like the Chings, we welcome you to the garden!

Financial contributions are needed. To donate, please visit our fiscal sponsor, GROW. In the "Apply My Donation To" box, specify Ching Garden.