Dear Gardeners,
This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a harvest festival but also a time for reflection and gratitude. We've had a good season and I hope you will be celebrating with dinner that includes some produce from the gardens. The tundra swans are in town (check out the big white birds that are often in University Bay between the Natatorium and Picnic Point) and that means that the season is coming to a close. We had a good year that ended a bit abruptly with the early cold temperatures and this is the last email message for the year.
Applications for next year will be on the website in mid-December. The due date for prioritization of plots is February 15, 2015 but getting applications in early is always a better idea. Every gardener needs to apply each year. After Feb. 15, we assign plots to on-time applications and start a waiting list for any that come in later. Every year, someone is disappointed to be reassigned a different plot or need to wait for a plot later in the year. Put the reminder in your calender and be sure you get the best chances for getting the plot you want.
If you have a small plot and want to get a second small plot or move to a larger plot, please just make a note on your application about your preferences. I follow the prioritization listed in the application, but within those rules, I try to meet gardener requests if I can.
The deadline for workday completion is Dec. 1 and we have no plans for workdays this week, so it would be best to send a check for the "no workday option" if you haven't completed your workday for 2014 ($32 for a large plot; $16 for a small plot). Please check with me if you have any questions. Checks can be made out to Division of University Housing and mailed/dropped off at Eagle Heights Community Center, ATTN: Gardens, 611 Eagle Heights, Madison, WI 53711. If the workday is not settled by Dec. 1, there is a $10 late fee for large plot and $5 late fee for small plots. Additionally, your priority for getting a plot is lowered so please take care of any outstanding workday obligations before Dec. 1.
The gardens were a source of good food, exercise, nature and friends all season. If you enjoyed the experience, please consider being a more active partner in the next year. The gardens only function because so many people contribute time and effort to keeping things going. The garden committee is only one way to contribute, but it is open to everyone and a good way to help provide suggestions and assistance in the future.
In this time to be grateful, I thank everyone who contributed so much this year. We have a more than 50 year history in the gardens, but each year brings new challenges and opportunities. Your efforts to pitch in and make the gardens a better place are really appreciated. I am often moved by the breadth of support and effort that make the gardens such a bountiful and healing place.
I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with good food, family and friends and hope to see you all in the spring.
Gretel, Garden Registrar