Meet the newest member of the Danny Woo Community Garden, Ms. Tran & and her husband! Ms. Tran has been on the gardeners wait list--a list that's over 40 people long--for two years. She and her husband have been long-time residents of the Seattle area, since escaping the communist regime in Vietnam by boat in 1985. In the US, Ms. Tran's husband worked as a farm laborer, harvesting rhubarb and berries for many years.

​Now in their retirement, Ms. Tran and her husband are delighted to acquire one of the highly sought after plots at the Danny Woo Community Garden, where she plans to grow greens, flowers, and squash. She and her husband haven't had a place to grow food since moving to their small apartment in Chinatown-International District.

The garden is honored to welcome Ms. Tran to the community!

As the largest green space in Chinatown-International District, we are so grateful to be able to connect our elder community to the land and provide a place to grow food, build community, and practice cultural preservation and resiliency. It is the joy that Ms. Tran and her husband exuded upon obtaining a plot and the opportunity to hear their story that reminds us, at the Danny Woo Community Garden, to continue to fight for equity and justice within Chinatown-International District. Our gardeners matter. Our land matters. Our community matters.

With just a few short weeks away from our 41st Annual Pig Roast we decided to dig into our archives and share some classic photos of this legacy event from over the years! Enjoy the photo journey and don't forget to mark your calendar for this year's event!

     Ms. Chen has been gardening at the Danny Woo garden since 2005. Fortunately, She has a lot of happy stories for you. Before obtaining a plot at the Danny Woo Community Garden, Ms. Chen worked as a doctor and had never gardened before. Over the 11 years that she's been a member of the garden Ms. Chen has developed a green thumb by learning from the managers and her fellow gardeners.
     Being able to garden at Danny Woo gives her so much joy. Her favorite thing to grow is green beans and she loves to be in the garden in the summer. She is a firm believer that planting is good for both her health and the environment. Ms. Chen is also interested in taking care of insects. In fact, She had built some nests for the bees. How kind she is?!
   When she is out in the garden Ms. Chen enjoys the fresh air and the blooming flowers. Her favorite fruit is the Asian pears that grow in the orchard that line her plot. She prefers to plant organic vegetable rather than non-organic because she feels it's better for her body. She loves that gardening gets her out of her home and keeps her physically active.

Thank you, Ms. Chen, for sharing your story! 

This week's story was authored by youth from ACRS's Job Readiness Program who have been working alongside our elder gardens all spring. The youth developed interview questions, conducted interviews with the elder gardeners, and translated their stories into English. This was a special project as part of the intergenerational programming in the garden.

The Danny Woo Community Garden (a program of InterIm Community Development Association) has TWO summer work study positions that are currently open. Both positions will play an integral role in several construction projects in the garden that will allow students to get hands-on experience in project design, construction management, and volunteer management with an agency that has over 45 years of history in Chinatown/International District.

Download the attached position descriptions for all the information. To Apply: Please send a cover letter and resume with three references. Resume packets can be e-mailed to [email protected] ​*Note: The deadline for applicants has been extended indefinitely until the positions are filled.

       Mr. Pan is one of my personal favorite gardeners (shh, don't tell the others). Perhaps it's his kind smile or the fact that his calm energy reminds me of my own gung gung (grandfather). Either way, Mr. Pan always has a second in between tending his two plots he's been growing on for 20 years to greet youth and visitors with a head nod and smile.
       At 92 years old, Mr. Pan is one of our most senior gardeners. He's seen the garden grow and change since first setting down roots at the Danny Woo Community Garden in 1996. On a tour of his plots, Mr. Pan proudly points out the 20 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers he nurtures during his daily visits to the garden. He's got everything from roses, lettuce, and even sweet potatoes growing within a 15 square foot space. Fortunately, Mr. Pan's long career as a Design Engineer in China taught him how to optimize his small growing space.
       Unlike most of his fellow elder gardeners, Mr. Pan does not live in the neighborhood. But commuting to the garden and making time to be outside is his top priority. And he shows no sign of slowing down. Upon wrapping up our interview, Mr. Pan got straight to work, throwing around a 30 pound bag of chicken manure and moving agilely between his two plots.

Thank you for sharing your story, Mr. Pan!

This story was transcribed from an interview between the elder gardener and a staff member from the Danny Woo Community Garden. Verbal consent to share the above information was obtained before publishing the post.

  Mr. Wu has been gardening since 2014. He feels comfortable when he is planting. During his interview he said he likes the manager because she is very nice and friendly. Before his days as a gardener Mr. Wu was a teacher, which is where he first discovered gardening. After leading children's lessons in the garden he realized how amazing it was, so he started planting at his home in China.
   This season he's planted beans, eggplants, chilies and greens. He likes to plant in the summer because the warm weather helps his plant. We often run in to Mr. Wu and his wife, a volunteer with a local Chinatown/International District social service agency, in the garden while they are watering, weeding, and tending to their plot.
   Mr. Wu enjoys the sunshine. When he is in the garden and he treats the plants as his children. When he is watering them it reminds him that he is feeding his children. His favorite food is apple. He  likes organic food because it makes his body healthy and he believes gardening is good for his body. He also appreciates that gardening helps him stay trim and physically active.

Thank you for sharing your story, Mr. Wu!

This week's story was authored by youth from ACRS's Job Readiness Program who have been working alongside our elder gardens all spring. Youth developed interview questions, conducted interviews with the elder gardeners, and translated their stories into English. This was a special project as part of the intergenerational programming in the garden.

​Shuyao has been a member of the Danny Woo Community Garden since 2011 when she began growing alongside her husband. Amidst her plot that overlooks Beacon Hill you'll find chives, tomatoes, leafy greens, and squash. Prior to immigrating to the US in 1988, Shuyao spent over 5 decades in Beijing working in corporate communications. Although she'd never had her own edible growing space before joining the Danny Woo Community Garden, she has fond memories of spending time on her grandparent's farm in China. Nowadays, you can find Shuyao generously sharing vegetables and water with passersby who are in need. Shuyao's giving heart extends beyond the garden and into her volunteer work with the ​Foster Grandparents Program.

In recent years, Shuyao's husband's battle with cancer has prevented him from visiting the garden as frequently as he used to. But when he is able to garden alongside his wife the sunshine and fresh air bring him so much joy. Shuyao often walks to the garden from her home--a 2 or 3 mile jaunt--and she loves being able to share what she grows. "Sharing makes me healthy and long days in the sunshine gives me health." Nevertheless, as Shuyao makes her way through her mid-seventies she can sometimes find challenges with gardening on the terrace. Luckily, neighboring gardeners are always willing to lend a hand when her back refuses to cooperate.

Thank you for sharing your story (and your delicious chives) with us, Shuyao!
​ Stay tuned for more Tales from the Terrace.

This story was transcribed from an interview between the elder gardener and a staff member from the Danny Woo Community Garden. Verbal consent to share the above information was obtained before publishing the post.