Welcome to the Garden! We want this year to be a great growing experience for everyone, so there are a few rules and regulations we need to lay out for everyone to be aware of. Garden beds are $20.00 each, payable to the Church of the Nazarene. Garden bed costs must be paid by June 11. These fees help defray the cost of watering over the summer. The water will be available as soon as the main risk of frost is over.
1. You may use organic amendments in your garden. You may not use any chemicals in the garden. If in doubt, ask. We try to grow as organically as possible.
2. Beds must be planted by June 12 or they will be planted for the community food bank/neighbors in need and you will forfeit your bed. If you do not plan to plant anything in your bed by June 12, and still wish to keep your bed, please contact us to make special arrangements.
3. You are responsible to keep the weeds down in your bed and the bark area surrounding your bed. This is important so that no one individual has to go do a ton of weeding all over the entire garden. Many hands make light work. Do not dig in the bark pathways! Weed barrier and water pipes are down underneath the bark. We will be working on replacing the old, worn out weed barrier with new over the next couple of years. Just pull the weeds around your bed by hand. (Please note that we also want to have fun this summer and not spend the entire summer weeding. We aren't going to freak out if you have a few weeds in your bed. Just make sure and pull them before they go to seed and spread all around.) There are several large trash cans in the church parking lot where you can put weeds and garden debris. There is also a compost pile at the back of the garden, but please do not put weeds or diseased plants in the compost pile.
4. We ask that you try and visit your garden bed once a week. When you are there, please water all the garden beds as you water your own. The garden usually gets watered on Wednesdays and Sundays when church activities are going on. If you can visit on a different day, that really helps us out. There is no automatic water to the garden, so if we all water when we are there, no one has to go every day. If you are out of town please let us know so we can try and water on the day you would normally go.
5. Please keep all pets out of the garden area. The only exception to this rule would be service dogs.
6. Please be considerate of others who might come after you and don't plant invasive plants. There is plenty of mint in the strawberry bed and you are welcome to take some for your own personal use. But please don't plant things like mint or Jerusalem Artichoke in your garden bed. If there is an invasive plant in your bed, you will be asked to remove it or we will remove it. Most common garden food plants are not invasive, but some herbs are. You are always welcome to ask if you have questions.
7. Don't take anything out of other people's garden beds. Even if their cherry tomatoes are perfect and yours are tiny and green and nasty. :) Sometimes people will not be able to use everything in their beds. If that happens to you and you have way more kale or zucchini than you can use, please let us know and we can spread that word that people can take a little of your bounty. Or you can take it to the food bank. Or try and pawn it off on your friends.
8. The tools at the back by the compost are available for your use while at the community garden, just put them back when you are finished.
9. Make sure and close the garden gate when you leave and turn off the water at the church. Remembering to turn off the water at the church is essential if we want to be able to continue using the church's water.
10. At the end of the season, each person is responsible for cleaning out their own garden bed.
We know that it sounds like a lot of rules, but most are rules of common courtesy. Be nice, be fair, help others, and have fun! Oh, and we are available if you want to learn or ask questions. We love to help people learn more about gardening and growing. No questions are too silly or ridiculous. If you don't ask, you don't learn.
One last thing. The little herb/flower bed at the front of the garden is for everyone to enjoy. If you need a few herbs, feel free to help yourself. There are usually rosemary, thyme, chives and sage. Sometimes cherry tomatoes. Just don't take so much that other's can't do the same. The flowers are to stay in the garden to bring in bees and beauty. Can't wait to see you at the garden!
No comments:
Post a Comment