Meridian Playground was once the orchard for the Good Sisters of the Home of the Good Shepherd. Some of the original fruit trees remain. The Friends of Meridian Playground (FOMP) propose to replant fruit trees to fill in for some that are now missing. The Seattle Dept of Parks and Recreation has agreed, so now the question is how many and where. FOMP is asking for your opinion through an online survey.
We have lost 28 of the trees that were accounted for in the 1982 Park Master Plan. The question to you is just how many should be replanted, where should they be and just which fruit trees should be included. As you can see on the map, up to 14 trees could be added back on the north side of the park (marked as Zone A, along N 50th St) and up to 14 trees could be added back on the west side (Zone B, along Meridian Ave N). On the map the dark “bursts” indicate existing mature trees, the white or outline bursts indicate relatively recent plantings of fruit trees and the green and red bursts are where new trees could be planted. Note that even with all the planting proposed the existing open play areas and the Farmer’s Market area are not reduced.
Since it is an historic site, FOMP would like to preserve the remaining old varieties by grafting new trees from the existing ones before they, too, die out. They would also plant new heirloom variety trees. For those, FOMP would select varieties that extend the harvest season and broaden the profile of varieties represented in the park
So how many trees to plant and which varieties? Go to the survey to give your opinion. There are some open ended comment spaces where you can say if you want all the possible tree planting spaces filled or only some and what are your favorite varieties of apple, pear or plums. You can also volunteer to help plant the trees, care for them or harvest the fruit.
The orchard is an asset of the Urban Food System Program, UFS. The fruit from the orchard is harvested and used, as much as possible within the nearby neighborhoods, such as for the Wallingford Food Bank. FOMP will establish a core group of Meridian Orchard stewards to help with orchard and harvest stewardship, which includes fruit distribution and utilization. All are encouraged to get involved.
UFS and FOMP were able to clean up the fruit from the ground last Autumn. The best fruit off the trees was distributed during the Farmers Market for people to take what they liked. FOMP plans to continue that practice this year but would also like to come up with other ways to utilize both the early season fruit and the later, mature fruit.
The fruit that falls early in the season is called “windfall”. It is not ripe and can be considered self-thinning by the trees. People have complained about this fruit going to waste, but the windfall fruit is usually unripe, buggy, heavy bruised, and possibly contaminated. While generally not considered desirable, this fruit can be put to use as animal fodder or for making apple cider vinegar or other products that include processing that would de-contaminate it and where not being ripe is less of an issue. FOMP is looking for people who want to use it. If you are interested in using the windfalls, please let them know and FOMP will arrange for it.
Most of the varieties currently growing in the Meridian Orchard do not come ripe until at least late September. At that point FOMP and UFS will start harvesting directly from the trees to distribute for cider presses, fresh eating, pie making and however else folks might like to use the fruit.
You can reach FOMP at [email protected]. FOMP does cleanup work at Meridian Playground on Wednesdays. You can get on their email list to be notified of the exact days and times each month.