Earth-Friendly Gardening Techniques Make Plants Grow!

The Closed Loop Park Demonstration Garden is developed and maintained by Thurston County Solid Waste and Cooperative Extension - WSU/Thurston County Master Gardeners and Composters.

Closed-Loop Park provides a special setting for educating Thurston County residents about landscape management practices that reduce impacts on land and water resources. To achieve this earth-friendly goal, Thurston County WSU Master Gardeners emphasize:

• Selection of plant material that is disease resistant and insect tolerant;
• Proper soil preparation;
• Proper planting techniques;
• Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques and plant health care;
• Water conservation using timed micro-irrigation systems that are installed in each garden section on hose bibs;
• Composting to conserve valuable landfill space and turn garden wastes into valuable organic matter;
• Suppression of weeds using:
  • Weed barrier material
  • Hand pulling
  • Mulches.

Visitors to Closed Loop Park can see how gardens and composting achieve a viable balance. The following types of composting activity are on display:

• Worm bins for composting kitchen waste;
• Composting bins for garden wastes;
• A straw bale system for winter composting.

Regarding this page: Contact our webmaster at closedloop@comcast.net

January 2006

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WSU Cooperative Extension

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