Community Organic Gardens of Sequim has spring clean-up day

By Emily Matthiessen • April 9, 2025 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Members of Community Organic Gardens of Sequim on West Fir Street gathered for their spring clean-up, with only two members absent. According to Jamie Primrose, these Labrador violets are some of the oldest plants in the garden, which opened in 2008 on a piece of land belonging to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Gardeners rent plots, usually for the long-term, and have potlucks, cleaning parties and other gatherings. According to co-founder Bob Caldwell, “Besides growing plants, we’re growing community.”
Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen Members of Community Organic Gardens of Sequim on West Fir Street gathered for their spring clean-up, with only two members absent. According to Jamie Primrose, these Labrador violets are some of the oldest plants in the garden, which opened in 2008 on a piece of land belonging to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Gardeners rent plots, usually for the long-term, and have potlucks, cleaning parties and other gatherings. According to co-founder Bob Caldwell, “Besides growing plants, we’re growing community.”

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen

Members of Community Organic Gardens of Sequim on West Fir Street gathered for their spring clean-up, with only two members absent. According to Jamie Primrose, these Labrador violets are some of the oldest plants in the garden, which opened in 2008 on a piece of land belonging to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Gardeners rent plots, usually for the long-term, and have potlucks, cleaning parties and other gatherings. According to co-founder Bob Caldwell, “Besides growing plants, we’re growing community.”

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The Community Organic Gardens of Sequim (COGS) is divided into plots which people pay a small yearly fee to call their own, and communal areas that are of shared responsibility. They come together for work parties, like this one which they hold in early spring every year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Doug Cockburn of New Dungeness Nursery donates a Yellow Transparent Apple to COGS during their spring clean up. “It’s famours for being a universal pollinator,” said Cockburn. Regena Fionn digs a hole for the apple while Christine Scattergood waters the soil at his base in a part of the garden they take joint responsibility for, seperate from their own plots.

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Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Bob Caldwell, one of the three founders of the Community Gardens of Sequim said, “I was president of Friends of the Field,” a non-profit dedicated to saving farmland, when two girls from Sequim High School’s Ecology Club approached the organization about saving farmland. It was decided that it was too long a process and a community garden was proposed.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The swallows had already returned to this old nesting box in COGS by Sat. April 5. Gardeners spoke of other birds that appreciate the layout as well.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Members of the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS) gathered together on the first Saturday in April to clean up the communal areas of the garden, interact and prepare for the coming year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ COGS member Jamie Primrose said that the garden was built around an original path through The Episcopal Church’s field, “with the intention that people would continue to walk through.” COGS gardeners said that indeed, many community members use the path to appreciate the garden.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Jamie Primrose weeds the beds around the pavilion in the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS).

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Doug Cockburn of New Dungeness Nursery donates a Yellow Transparent Apple to COGS during their spring clean up. “It’s famours for being a universal pollinator,” said Cockburn. Regena Fionn digs a hole for the apple while Christine Scattergood waters the soil at his base in a part of the garden they take joint responsibility for, seperate from their own plots.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Doug Cockburn of New Dungeness Nursery donates a Yellow Transparent Apple to COGS during their spring clean up. “It’s famours for being a universal pollinator,” said Cockburn. Regena Fionn digs a hole for the apple while Christine Scattergood waters the soil at his base in a part of the garden they take joint responsibility for, seperate from their own plots.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Bob Caldwell, one of the three founders of the Community Gardens of Sequim said, “I was president of Friends of the Field,” a non-profit dedicated to saving farmland, when two girls from Sequim High School’s Ecology Club approached the organization about saving farmland. It was decided that it was too long a process and a community garden was proposed.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Bob Caldwell, one of the three founders of the Community Gardens of Sequim said, “I was president of Friends of the Field,” a non-profit dedicated to saving farmland, when two girls from Sequim High School’s Ecology Club approached the organization about saving farmland. It was decided that it was too long a process and a community garden was proposed.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The swallows had already returned to this old nesting box in COGS by Sat. April 5. Gardeners spoke of other birds that appreciate the layout as well.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ The swallows had already returned to this old nesting box in COGS by Sat. April 5. Gardeners spoke of other birds that appreciate the layout as well.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Members of the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS) gathered together on the first Saturday in April to clean up the communal areas of the garden, interact and prepare for the coming year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Members of the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS) gathered together on the first Saturday in April to clean up the communal areas of the garden, interact and prepare for the coming year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Jamie Primrose weeds the beds around the pavilion in the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS).

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ Jamie Primrose weeds the beds around the pavilion in the Community Gardens of Sequim (COGS).

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ COGS member Jamie Primrose said that the garden was built around an original path through The Episcopal Church’s field, “with the intention that people would continue to walk through.” COGS gardeners said that indeed, many community members use the path to appreciate the garden.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen/ COGS member Jamie Primrose said that the garden was built around an original path through The Episcopal Church’s field, “with the intention that people would continue to walk through.” COGS gardeners said that indeed, many community members use the path to appreciate the garden.