From the Registrar: May 19, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunities: There are three upcoming workday opportunities:

• There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Saturday, May 23rd from 9 am-12 pm. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves.

• There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens (UH) next Monday, May 25th from 8-11 am. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 8 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves.

• There will be a garden jury at each garden this Saturday, 5/23 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.

*Email me if you’re interested in any of these workdays, and spots will be assigned in the order of replies.

Wood chip update: As most of you are probably aware, we have run into a lot of issues getting enough wood chip deliveries to the gardens. We will begin accepting wood chips that may contain black walnut to maintain a supply for gardeners. Black walnut trees produce juglone, a chemical that can inhibit the growth of other plants. We have avoided them in the past, but this has prevented us from getting enough chips. Wood chips containing black walnut work for paths. Gardeners that want to put wood chips directly around sensitive plants could opt to age the wood chips for six months in their plots before use. I’ve made some requests and hope to get deliveries soon.

 
Standing water: Please turn containers upside down in your plot so they don’t collect rain. Standing water in plots will increase the mosquito population in the gardens by providing a place for them to lay eggs. With recent rains, there are many containers full of water throughout the gardens.

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: May 13, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at Eagle Heights Gardens (EH) this Saturday, May 16th from 9-12. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching. Ten volunteers are needed. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Email me if you’re interested, and spots will be assigned in the order of replies.

 
Plant sale this Sunday! The warm weather plant sale with Blue Moon Community Farm will be this Sunday, May 17th at Eagle Heights Gardens by the entrance from 10 am to 12 pm. This sale is for all gardeners at EH and UH gardens.

 
Here is their plant list: https://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/media/site/364a87f158-1773592094/blue-moon-seedlist-v2.pdf 

• Plants are $4.00 per unit (pot or 4-pack)
• Volume discount (mix and match) 6 for $22.00, 12 for $42.00, flat of 18 for $60.00
• They accept Cash, Checks, Credit Cards, and Venmo

*If you would like to purchase some row cover for your transplants, please email me.

Garden juries: The garden juries are small groups of gardeners who walk through the gardens and report plots that appear weedy or abandoned. There are four gardeners on each jury. The weed juries also remove communal tools and carts from plots.

 
This year, rather than a full-season time-commitment, garden jury meetings will be scheduled like workdays, with sign-ups sent out a few days in advance. Juries will be scheduled every other week on Saturday mornings at 8 am. 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.

 
Cancellations: You can receive a refund if you cancel your plot assignment by the third Friday in May, which is this Friday 5/15. Cancelled plots will be reassigned to new applicants.

 

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: May 7, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunities: There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens (UH) this Sunday, May 10th from 8:30-11:30. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 8:30 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching. Fifteen volunteers are needed. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Email me if you’re interested, and spots will be assigned in the order of replies.

Canada Thistle: We are hearing a lot of reports of Canada Thistle thriving in the gardens this spring. Please look around your plot for thistles and pull up any plants you see. They have not started to bloom yet, but they will soon. Once they bloom, they will go to seed and spread. Canada Thistles are very invasive here and are not only a problem for the Community Gardens, but for the neighboring Nature Preserve and Biocore Prairie. There are some photos of Canada Thistles here to help with identification: https://blogs.cornell.edu/weedid/canada-thistle/

Let me know if you are interested in being a thistle monitor for an independent workday. Thistle monitors keep the Canada Thistle at bay in the communal areas between weeding workdays. Volunteers work independently for the season to pull thistle from areas like the blackberry patches and borders for a total of three hours (this time can be divided up).

Tick reminder: Remember to check for ticks after spending time in the gardens. There have already been a number of reported ticks found this season. More information on ticks can be found here: https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu/wisconsin-ticks/

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: April 29, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunities: There are two upcoming workday opportunities. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested in either workday and spots will be assigned in the order of replies. 

• There will be a workday at University Houses Gardens (UH) this Sunday, May 3rd from 8:30-11:30. The group will meet at the UH garden shed at 8:30 am. The workday will be for weeding and mulching. Ten volunteers are needed.
• There will be a workday at the Peace Garden at Eagle’s Wing on Thursday, May 7th from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. Volunteers will meet at the Community Center. The workday will be for weeding, mulching, and moving topsoil. Eight volunteers are needed.

Row cover: If you’re planting transplants, they might benefit from some row cover. Row cover helps protect against transplant shock by shielding new plants from direct sun. Additionally, cool-weather plants may be frost-tolerant, but might not survive prolonged freezing temperatures, and row cover can give a little protection from this. (A frost is possible with a temperature under 36° F. A freeze can happen under 32° F, and a hard freeze under 28° F). It’s still possible to have colder weather before Spring is over. Row cover also protects small plants from pests like flea beetles. https://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/row_cover_handout.pdf

We have row cover available ($5 for a 20 x 7 foot piece). Please email me if you’d like any.

Hoses and tools in paths: Mowing of the paths has just begun, so please remember to keep all your belongings in your plot. Hoses left in the path may be mowed. At Eagle Heights your hose needs to be in your plot and disconnected from the spigot, and at University Houses it needs to be returned to the reel or post. Plants that are growing outside plot borders could also be mowed.

Communal tools: Please remember to return all communal tools to the sheds when you are done using them for the day so other gardeners can use them. Also, if they are left in the mulch piles, they can be buried, and this causes the wooden handles to rot.
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: April 21, 2026

Hello Gardeners,


Plant sale this Sunday! The cool weather plant sale with Blue Moon Community Farm will be this Sunday, April 26th at Eagle Heights Gardens by the entrance from 10 am to 12 pm. This sale is for all gardeners at EH and UH gardens.


Here is their plant list: https://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/media/site/364a87f158-1773592094/blue-moon-seedlist-v2.pdf

• Plants are $4.00 per unit (pot or 4-pack)
• Volume discount (mix and match) 6 for $22.00, 12 for $42.00, flat of 18 for $60.00
• They accept Cash, Checks, Credit Cards, and Venmo

Row cover will be available during the plant sale. The pieces are approximately 7 ft x 20 ft and they are $5 each, cash only.

Water: The water was turned on today at Eagle Heights Gardens. The UW plumbers have run into a problem with turning on the water at University Houses Gardens but are trying to resolve it as quickly as possible. Our water systems are heavily used and exposed to the elements, so leaks are fairly common. Repairs are made as quickly as possible to try to limit outages. Please report any water leaks or issues with our online maintenance reporting form (see below).

*The water in the Gardens is safe for watering plants but is not considered potable.*


Maintenance reporting form: Use this form throughout the season to report maintenance issues. Using this form (rather than emailing the registrar) sends the information directly to all employees promptly. The link to this form is also on our website, and I will include it with email updates: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyjHBH_xBH229AVwmqTE-2L3znGrLwn3TNJfw2ri9T01MMfA/viewform

Use the maintenance reporting form for things like:

• Water issues: Leaks, dripping faucets, non-functioning water, etc.
• Reporting trees that need removal
• Trees fallen on plots
• Broken things in common areas

*Please note that this form is only for maintenance requests.*


Flooding in UH weed pile area: Campus Facilities and Landscape Architecture are aware of the flooding in the weed/wood chip piles at UH gardens. This is storm water runoff, and we hope to have this addressed soon to make the area more accessible for gardeners and prevent standing water.


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: April 16, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
Peace Garden workday date change: Due to weather, the workday to help Eagle’s Wing clean up their garden was postponed until Monday, April 20th, from 2:30-5:30 pm. There are a few volunteer spots open. Please email me if you are interested in this workday.

 
Plant sales: Kristen from Blue Moon Community Farm would like two volunteers to help with each plant sale. Volunteers need to arrive no later than 9:45 and stay after to clean up, so the total volunteer time will be from 9:45-12:30. Please let me know if you’d like to help with either plant sale. It will count as a workday, and the limited spots will go to gardeners in order of replies.

The sales will be held at Eagle Heights Gardens next to the shed: Cool weather plant sale: 

• Sun 4/26 10 am-12 pm
• Warm weather plant sale: Sun 5/17 10 am-12 pm

Here is their plant list: https://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/media/site/364a87f158-1773592094/blue-moon-seedlist-v2.pdf 

• Plants are $4.00 per unit (pot or 4-pack)
• Volume discount (mix and match) 6 for $22.00, 12 for $42.00, flat of 18 for $60.00
• They accept Cash, Checks, Credit Cards, and Venmo

Lakeshore Nature Preserve: Both Eagle Heights and University Houses Gardens are a part of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. The Gardens consist of the garden plots, common areas, tool areas, weed piles, and mulch piles. Please never dump weeds in the protected Preserve areas or take anything out of them, like sticks for plant support.

The Preserve hours (and the garden hours) are 4 AM to 10 pm every day. Bikes are permitted on the garden paths, but not on the Nature Preserve paths. Dogs must be on a leash in all parts of the Gardens and Preserve.

Facebook group: We have a private Facebook group for gardeners to connect with other gardeners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eagleheightsgardens

Ticks: Although it is still early, it’s a good idea to start looking out for ticks. The primary concern with ticks in Wisconsin is generally deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. Please check for ticks and be careful. The UW Department of Entomology has extensive resources about ticks: https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu/

Ticks often make their way to humans via smaller animals, like mice and voles. They like lots of cover to hide from predators, so tall weeds and brush will attract them.

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily


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

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

Hello Gardeners,

 
Seed Fair: Join us for the annual Seed Fair at the Community Center this Saturday from 9am-11am! Each garden plot can get 15 free packets of seeds (plus extra flower seeds). You do not need to sign up to come to the Seed Fair. We will also have pieces of row cover for sale ($5/ea. cash only) and gardening advice available.

If you drive to the Fair, you can park in the Community Center parking lot. If the lot is full, you will need to park in the gardener parking spots on Eagle Heights Drive or at Frautschi Point and walk over to the center. There is a map on this page: https://www.housing.wisc.edu/apartments/resident/community-center/

Upcoming plant sales: Blue Moon Community Farm will return to the Gardens again this year for plant sales. The sales will be held at Eagle Heights Gardens next to the shed. I will share more details about the sales soon. There will be two sales:

• Cool weather plant sale: Sun 4/26 10 am-12 pm
• Warm weather plant sale: Sun 5/17 10 am-12 pm

Spring planting: Generally, April 15th marks the point when the weather is right to begin planting cool season crops outdoors here. Some good options for spring seeds to plant are: Lettuce, Spinach, Peas, Carrots, Chard, and Kale. See this chart for planting information: https://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/vegetable_planting_guide.pdf

This comes from the gardening manual on our website, which is a great resource: https://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf

Workday opportunity: The Community Gardens are working with the Eagle’s Wing Childcare Center at the Community Center to fix up their classroom garden. We are coordinating a volunteer workday for community gardeners to help there to get their workday credit for the season. 

• There will be a workday on Wednesday, April 15th from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Peace Garden at the Community Center. Eight volunteers are needed. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign the spots in the order I receive replies. The work will include clearing brush and weeds, removing raspberry plants, and adding soil to beds. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. The group will meet at the Community Center at 2:30 pm.

If you are new to the gardens: Each plot is responsible for one workday each season (or you can choose to pay a fee instead). The workdays are scheduled and led by the garden workers throughout the season. I send emails out with the days and times, and you can sign up by replying to me. Sometimes the spots fill up quickly, but we will keep scheduling more. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Thanks, and happy gardening,
Lily