Lakeside LEEP Students contribute to Ching Garden development for third year

Hot, tired LEEPers pose for the group photo to celebrate their accomplishments

By Londa Jacques

Just as the heat of summer begins to sap the strength of our hardiest volunteers and vacations dwindle our numbers, here come our LEEPers to the rescue!

These energetic, enthusiastic 14-year-olds brought just the energy boost we needed. On July 24, 2026 Ching Garden and Diggin' Shoreline hosted our 3rd annual visit from the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program (LEEP). 

Maryn Wynne explains the work stations

The free program provides teens from all over the city of Seattle with engaging and fun activities and classes designed to build students' confidence, nurture excitement about school and learning, prepare students for high school academics, and connect them with new friends.

For the past two years these soon-to-be high schoolers have tackled some of the toughest jobs at the garden, filling dumpsters full of old tires, buried carpet, miscellaneous debris, blackberries and other weeds, and spreading huge piles of wood chips. 

Tackling the weeds on the south fence line

This year's work was equally tough, but possibly more rewarding. Our future leaders learned about the ancient gardening practice of hügelkultur, the ancient gardening technique of building rich deep soil.

The morning began on campus with an introduction to the garden’s history and plan for the day by Kathleen Lumiere. At the garden, LEEPers received an orientation to the various work areas and tool safety reminders, then counted off into six random teams. 

Layering wood in the troughs

The teams rotated through various projects every 30 minutes or so, including collecting fallen apples for composting, gathering logs, branches and twigs for hügelkultur building, pulling blackberry sprouts, digging weeds, and spreading wood chips. 

Sparking a lifelong appreciation of how food is grown, and a love of being outdoors in nature is at the heart of Diggin' Shoreline's mission, so hands-on learning and creating hügelkultur gardens in 6-ft long livestock troughs was the main goal.

In the morning each team had 30 minutes to layer woody debris in each of the six new troughs (courtesy of a City of Shoreline environmental mini grant). 

The teams shoveled planting mix into their trusty Dunn Lumber buckets (now in their third year of use -- thank you Dunn Lumber!), and filled the troughs, watered carefully between each layer. 

Filling the troughs with soil

Amazingly, all six teams completed filling the troughs just in time for lunch. We were right on schedule!

At noon everyone gathered under the new canopy (bought with funds raised by Diggin' supporters), where they cooled off, shared stories of their morning escapades, and ate their brown bag lunches. 

The Diggin' volunteers especially enjoyed the lunches provided by LEEP staffers. Rehydrated and rested, everyone went back to work!

In the afternoon, crews rotated again. Each team planted their troughs with cups full of tiny Asian green seedlings (pak choi, mizuna, komatsuna), and snow pea seeds. 

Cherry tomatoes, eggplants, and edible pansies from the annual plant sale were also planted. 

The teens learned that the plants would be harvested and given to food banks to help provide culturally relevant food to food bank customers.

Everything was finished just in time for our debrief and a group photo. Despite being dusty and fatigued, LEEPer enthusiasm had not waned as they gleefully shared their accomplishments and teased each other about who worked the hardest. Cheers and jeers erupted when it was announced that the girls had hauled the most soil.

Among the many cherished moments was the boy who lingered at the troughs spreading soil with his hands, saying he'd never really felt soil before. (Mission achieved!)

We thanked our LEEPers profusely for their efforts, and Lakeside staffers, in turn, thanked Diggin’ for our organizational skills. 

Of course, all were invited back to the garden's grand opening on October 3, 2026. 

Although most will probably not see the fruit of their labors in person, we promised to send pictures. 

We hope this is an experience LEEP students (and staffers) will remember with fondness in years to come.