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Community Partnership, city invite public to Top of Paradise community garden open house Sept. 11
Summary
City and Community Partnership Family Resource Center presented updates on a new community garden that opened this summer, announcing an open house Sept. 11, weekly volunteer sessions, accessibility features and produce donations to a local food pantry.
Corey Gorton, vice president of programs at Community Partnership Family Resource Center, told the Woodland Park City Council the community garden the organization operates with the city has become a “vibrant community space.” The group is hosting an open house on Sept. 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to celebrate the season and encourage more volunteers.
The garden includes 35 beds, hoop houses for high‑elevation demonstration growing and themed beds — described by Gorton as a “pizza bed,” “salsa bed,” “tea bed” and a traditional three‑sisters planting of corn, beans and squash. Gorton said organizers filled the beds with about 58 tons of donated soil and planted roughly 500–700 plants; volunteers have taken part in weekly “work and learn” sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “If you want to learn what’s going on, learn some gardening skills, or you’re just curious, please come out and talk to our master gardener, Sharon,” Gorton said.
The garden includes beds for the food pantry and accessibility beds for people with disabilities; produce harvested so far — Gorton estimated 15 to 20 pounds and said that number is increasing — is donated to the local food pantry. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the Colorado Garden Foundation have visited the site this summer, Gorton said, and both groups offered positive feedback on the partnership between the Community Partnership, the city and local nurseries that donated plants.
Council and staff briefly thanked Community Partnership for the effort. City staff said printed invitations and T‑shirts designed by the city communications manager will be available for the event. The council did not take any formal action on the presentation.
The open house will feature food prepared from garden produce — salsa from the “salsa bed,” flatbread using ingredients from the “pizza bed” and tea brewed from the herb bed — family activities such as rock painting and scavenger hunts, and a sign‑up sheet for volunteers or prospective bed renters for next season. Gorton asked residents who want to participate or be notified next year to sign the sheet during the open house.
