Woodstock Community Garden Rules

 

1. A signed gardening agreement and the $15 annual contribution are due by a specified date in April or it will be presumed that the gardener is not returning this season.

 

2. All plots are to be cleaned up and planted by June 1st each year. Any plot not prepared and planted by that date will be considered abandoned and assigned to another gardener.

 

3. This is an organic garden and no herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers or pressure treated wood are allowed.

 

4. No plastic sheeting permitted on plots or paths.

 

5. All gardeners are responsible for the paths adjoining their plot. Gardeners will weed and wood chip their paths and keep paths weeded and wood chipped throughout the season.

 

6. Gardeners are to plant their plots with consideration for neighboring gardeners. Tall crops or trellises should be positioned only where they will not shade neighboring plots. Vegetables and flowers should be planted a sufficient distance from boundary lines to allow for growth. Plants that shade or otherwise intrude on a neighboring plot will be required to be removed.

 

7. Garden members are to care for the tools they use, cleaning them after use, and returning them to the shed before leaving the garden.

 

8. Plots should be tended regularly to control weeds. No plot may be consistently or excessively weedy, or untended.

 

9. If any plot has numerous weeds and is not being regularly tended a written notice will be sent to the gardener.

 

10. Gardeners who receive a written notice concerning their weeds need to weed and tend their plot or tend their paths as soon as possible (within 2 weeks maximum) or their plot will be considered abandoned and assigned to another gardener.

 

11. Garden members may not enter another gardener’s plot or pick produce from another’s plot without prior permission.

 

12. All garden members are required to make a service commitment of at least 4 hours per plot each year, to help maintain the communal areas, shared tools and other community garden tasks.

 

13. Water is to be turned off at the main spigot before gardeners leave the garden.

 

14. Gardeners are to lock the padlock on the gate if they are the last gardener to leave the garden.

 

15. Driving through the rec. field is a privilege and is only permissible to transport large and heavy garden items. We are only permitted to drive during Spring and Fall and this should be kept to a minimum. The gate must be locked after entering and exiting. We are not to drive through the field during children’s baseball.

 

16. Garden members may not bring dogs or allow guests to bring dogs into the garden.

 

17. If strangers or passers-by enter the garden, any gardeners present are responsible for ensuring the strangers behave appropriately whilst in the garden.

 

18. May 15th each year, any plots not assigned will be offered to gardeners who would like an additional plot for the year. Gardeners will need to pay the $15 annual contribution for the plot and maintain adjacent paths.

 

19. Members are expected to clean up their plots and the surrounding paths at the end of the season removing debris, vines, tomato cages, etc.

 

Garden Guidelines

 

Gardener's Etiquette

 

Respect for each other's plots. Plant tall crops or use trellises only where they will not shade neighboring plots. Do not walk on or pick from other people's plots without permission.

 

Pets. Do not bring pets to the garden. No dogs inside the garden gate.

 

Locks. The garden gate needs to be locked when the last person leaves the garden. Please do not share the combination with anyone who is not a member. Shut the gate while working in the garden to keep dogs out.

 

Shed. Items in the shed belong to the community as a whole, unless they are marked otherwise. If you wish to keep personal tools in the shed and you do not wish others to use them, mark it as such. Please clean tools after use and return them to the shed.

 

Composting. Follow composting guidelines posted in the shed.

 

Bugs. Pest control is a community concern. If your plot has an infestation it can affect other plots. Please take care of the problem right away and inform the designated bug patrol person. Likewise if you see an infestation in someone else's plot, inform them and/or the bug patrol.

 

Conflict resolution. If problems arise with another gardener, please try to address them directly with the other person. If this does not bring resolution, please bring the conflict to the next meeting.

 

Community Events

 

Garden meetings. Garden meetings are held monthly or bi-monthly. They are both a forum for ideas and concerns, and an opportunity to be involved with decision making. We ask everyone to do their best to attend the meetings. See the woodstockcommunitygarden.pbwiki.com or the ring binder in the shed for meeting minutes and for the schedule of meetings for the season.

 

Community projects. When community projects and work days are planned, members are asked to volunteer some work hours. See ring binder and the bulletin board in shed for dates of workdays.

 

Misc. Tips and Suggestions

 

Poison ivy. There is a lot of poison ivy outside the garden fence on the west and south sides of the garden. BEWARE.

 

Disabilities. If you are physically challenged in any way, we encourage you to make use of help from other gardeners. If you need help, please ask. If you need to leave your car near the garden, please park it adjacent to the east side of the tennis courts, keeping the roadway in front of the garden clear for emergency vehicles.

 

Visitors. People will sometimes walk by the garden and ask to come in. It is up to you whether you want to invite someone in to look around. We do ask that you inform them that plots are planted by individuals and ask them not to pick any flowers or produce. Of course you are free to offer samples from your own plot. If someone is in need of food, please refer them to Family of Woodstock on Rock City Road, which has a food pantry for the public. If someone has questions about joining the garden, refer them to the phone number on the sign by the gate.