From the Registrar: August 14, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Garden jury: We will move the garden juries to Sunday again this week due to the forecast for rain on Saturday. There will be a garden jury at each garden this Sunday, 8/16 at 8 am. There will be two groups at EH and one at UH, each with four volunteers. The groups will meet at the sheds. Please consider volunteering for a jury and reply to this email if you would like to sign up.

• The garden jury is a jury of peers that assesses plot conditions. The juries report plots that appear excessively weedy or abandoned. There are four gardeners on each jury. The weed juries also remove communal tools and carts left behind plots.

• Juries are scheduled every other weekend. Garden jury is counted as workday time. Gardeners can sign up for three jury sessions or combine jury time with alternative independent workday time for their three-hour workday requirement.

Spots open for Sunday workday at UH: Volunteers are still needed for the workday to clear vacant plots at UH this Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm for clearing vacant plots. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 10 am. Please reply to this email if you're interested in this workday.


Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing

From the Registrar: August 12, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
Every plot is responsible for one workday each year. A workday is a three-hour contribution to the garden community made by working in common areas or vacant plots. The requirement can also be fulfilled by paying a $45 no-workday fee in lieu of doing a workday. Gardeners at Eagle Heights and University Houses can do their workday at either site for credit.

Group workdays are scheduled throughout the season. Gardeners can sign up for any of these by replying to the email announcement to reserve a spot. For gardeners that aren't able to make any of the scheduled times, we can arrange for an independent workday.

 
All gardeners that apply to renew their plots for the following year must be in good standing, which includes fulfilling the workday requirement for the previous season. Please tell me if you have any questions.

 
Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing

From the Registrar: August 12, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
July Garden Committee meeting: This month’s committee meeting will be today, Wednesday, August 12th at 7 pm. The Gardens are run by a volunteer committee, and all gardeners are welcome to participate. The committee meets via Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 pm. Join via this link: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/92582024098?pwd=Uy9iQXZMK1dzNmZJRFY2c09xakdTdz09


Workday opportunities: There are some upcoming workday opportunities. 

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Friday, August 14th from 8 to 11 am to continue work on the leaf pile. The group will meet at the leaf pile at 8 am.

• There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens (UH) this Sunday, August 16th from 10 am to 1 pm for clearing vacant plots. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 10 am.

Plot markers and corner posts: Please don’t move your numbered plot marker or the yellow corner posts of your plot. Confirm that all four metal corner posts are in place around your plot, and the numbered post is in the front and let me know if they can't be found. Sometimes these posts go missing or are moved and used as plant supports. It is harder for the jury to identify plots and to confirm borders when they are out of place.


Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing

From the Registrar: August 5, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

This is a reminder to clear weeds and plants from borders and fences. The border areas are often overlooked, or borders are unclear, and gardeners may not know what areas they are meant to care for. Recent garden juries requested that a notice be sent out about this again due to many overgrown and weedy borders and fences.

In many cases, the issue noted was bindweed growing on fences, which grows very quickly and can be hard to control. Sometimes other plants like squash are growing over fences.

Please let me know if you would like clarification of your plot borders or if you have any other questions or concerns. We realize that in some cases gardeners are dealing with weeds encroaching from neighboring plots, and this can be a difficult situation.

Thanks, and happy gardening,
Lily

From the Registrar: August 4, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
Workday opportunities: There are some upcoming workday opportunities.

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Thursday, August 6th from 10 am to 1 pm for clearing vacant plots. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 10 am.

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Friday, August 7th from 8 to 11 am to continue work on the leaf pile. The group will meet at the leaf pile at 8 am.

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Saturday, August 8th from 10 am to 1 pm for clearing vacant plots. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 10 am.

*Respond to this email if you’re interested in any of these workdays, and spots will be assigned in the order of replies. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves.

Invasive weed reminder: Invasive weeds are thriving and beginning to flower in the gardens at this point in the season. Please check your plot for Artemisia annua, Canada thistle, Velvet leaf, Bindweed, Foxtail, and Pokeweed. See the weed guide here for photos and information: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Eagle-Heights-Community-Gardens-Weed-Guide-final.pdf

Workday reminder: Every plot is responsible for one workday or one $45 no-workday fee payment per season. If you’re not sure if you’ve done a workday yet this season, I can look it up for you. We will continue to schedule workdays throughout the season, and I can also help you find an independent workday if none of the scheduled times work for you. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

 
Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing 

From the Registrar: July 31, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Garden jury: We will move the garden juries to Sunday this week due to the forecast for rain on Saturday. There will be a garden jury at each garden this Sunday, 8/2 at 8 am. There will be two groups at EH and one at UH, each with four volunteers. The groups will meet at the sheds. Please reply to this email if you would like to sign up for a garden jury.

• The garden jury is a jury of peers that assesses plot conditions. The juries report plots that appear excessively weedy or abandoned. There are four gardeners on each jury. The weed juries also remove communal tools and carts left behind plots.

• Juries are scheduled every other weekend. Garden jury is counted as workday time. Gardeners can sign up for three jury sessions or combine jury time with alternative independent workday time for their three-hour workday requirement.

Weed fences and borders: Many of the borders between plots at both gardens are very overgrown with weeds. All plots are responsible for keeping the borders weeded all the way to the edges. If you have a fence, it must be cleaned as well. Invasive plants like bindweed can cover a fence in a short time, and fences need to be weeded frequently. If you have climbing plants like squash, check to make sure they stay in your plot and don’t climb over a fence or into your neighbor’s plot or into the border area.
Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing

From the Registrar: July 21, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
Workday opportunities: There are some upcoming workday opportunities.

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Thursday, July 23rd from 10 am to 1 pm. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 10 am.

• There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens (UH) this Saturday, July 25th from 7:30-10:30 am. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 7:30 am.

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) next Monday, July 27th from 1-4 pm. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 1 pm.

*Respond to this email if you’re interested in any of these workdays, and spots will be assigned in the order of replies. All of these workdays will be for general weeding, cleaning, and mulching. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves.

Water repairs: There are a few minor water repairs needed at EH in the 200s, 500s, and the 900s rows. Repairing the water lines requires turning them off, and depending on the complexity of the repair, the water could be off for a couple of days in some areas. We hope to start these repairs once the dry spell is over to keep the water available.

Freezing beans: Green bean plants can be very productive, and you may find you’re harvesting more than you can eat. In this case, green beans can be frozen for later use. For the best result and to preserve quality and flavor, blanch them before freezing. This is a useful guide to freezing vegetables from PennState Extension: https://extension.psu.edu/freezing-vegetables

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

Maintenance request form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Previous emails: https://eagleheightsgardens.blogspot.com/

Gardening resources: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing