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

From the Registrar: April 1, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 
Important date reminders: 

•  Opening day in the gardens will be this Saturday, April 4th.
• The Seed Fair will be held at the Community Center next Saturday, April 11th from 9 am to 11 am.

Row cover sale: We’ll be selling row cover at the Seed Fair. The pieces are approximately 7 ft x 20 ft and they are $5 each, CASH ONLY, exact change if possible. Here is some information about row cover: http://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/row_cover_handout.pdf

Plot markers and corner posts: Please don’t move your numbered plot marker or the yellow corner posts of your plot. The numbered markers help new gardeners find their way around the gardens and are needed for the garden juries to correctly identify plots. Yellow corner posts permanently mark plot boundaries.

Plants and fences can extend to the border only in the fronts of plots. On the other three sides there must be six inches of space left as a path (so there is a 12-inch path between plots). Please check your borders at the beginning of the season so things can be moved early in the year, before plants begin to grow. Plants can grow larger than expected, so they should not be planted too close to the borders.

 
New guidelines for vole and mouse control: With permission from the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, the Garden Committee has approved new guidelines for vole and mouse control. Gardeners may now use snap traps to trap voles and mice in plots, but ONLY if these guidelines are followed: 

• Traps must be placed inside a piece of PVC pipe that is 2-4 inches in diameter and at least 12 inches long to protect other wildlife like birds.
• Traps must be located in the interior of a plot, two feet from any plot borders.
• Only snap-traps are permitted. Sticky traps and in-ground mole traps are NOT permitted.
• Gardeners that use snap traps assume responsibility for safely setting them up and regularly checking them. Gardeners must also safely dispose of any trapped voles or mice in the designated area by the weed piles (these will be marked) or in an area of their plot visible to hawks and other predators.

Please email me if you have any questions about these guidelines. Here is an example of a snap trap: https://www.victorpest.com/victor-safe-set-mouse-trap-2-traps-m070b

Thanks, and happy gardening,
Lily

From the Registrar: March 12, 2026

Hello Gardeners,

 

Welcome to the Gardens for the 2026 growing season! 

Please note these important upcoming dates:

 
Opening day in the Gardens: Saturday April 4th
Seed Fair: Saturday April 11th from 9 am to 11 am at the Community Center

 
Opening day: Shared tools and carts will be available, and the portable toilets will be delivered to both gardens before opening day. Parking on Eagle Heights Drive will allow 4-hour parking for the Gardens on the south side of the street. Parking will be available in the small lot by University Houses Gardens. The water will not be on until late April/early May. Orientations for new gardeners will begin on opening day. A schedule of various dates and times will be available soon for sign-ups.

Seed Fair: Please join us for the annual seed fair at the Community Center on Saturday, April 11th from 9 AM to 11 AM! Each plot can choose 15 free packets of seeds. This is a fun community event and a great way to get your garden started. I hope to see you all there!
If you are interested in volunteering to help at the Seed Fair, please let me know and I will assign available spots. The volunteering time commitment will be from 8:15 AM to Noon.

Planting Season: Even if it is warm on opening day, there will still be a danger of frost into May that could kill many plants. Mid-April is typically when a lot of cool-weather plants go in. Refer to this guide for planting dates:
http://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/vegetable_planting_guide.pdf

If you want to start cleaning up and preparing your garden before the planting season begins, try not to walk on or disturb the soil too much while it’s still muddy. This will compact the soil, which is not good for plants. Marking your paths early in the season to avoid walking in the planting areas can help keep your soil healthy.

 
Start on page 38 of the garden manual for information on preparing your garden: https://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf

Garden waste guidelines: Many plots will need cleaning in the spring. Please make a note of where different waste should go in the Gardens so we can keep things running well: 

• WEEDS/PLANT MATTER: Go in the weed piles. *Dirt, trash, and sticks cannot be put in the weed piles.
• TRASH: Goes in the trash dumpsters. If weeds and plants are put in the dumpsters, we may receive a fine.
• STICKS: Go in the stick barrels/piles. These piles are for gardeners to take sticks as plant supports. Please do not take sticks out of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve surrounding the Gardens.

Plots available: We still have some openings at both EH and UH gardens. If you know anyone that is interested in having a plot this season, please share the application with them, or refer them to me with questions. https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardeners/plot-applications/

Thanks, and happy gardening,    

Lily    

From the Registrar: November 14, 2025

Hello Gardeners,


Check in about your plot status: This is a good time to check in with any questions regarding your garden plot. Garden applications for 2026 will be available beginning December 15, 2025. All returning gardeners must apply no later than February 15, 2026 to renew a plot or move to a new location. I will send another reminder email when applications open.

Before December 15th 2025, you can still add a secondary gardener to your plot so that person is eligible to renew the plot for 2026. If you’re unsure who is listed on your plot for this season, I can look this up for you.

Weed pile reminder: Please remember that no trash can be left in the weed piles. This includes any row cover and landscaping material. These must go in the dumpster.

If you have any questions about the renewal application process, please email me.

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: October 31, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

 
Leaf mulch: We have started receiving leaf mulch deliveries, and we expect quite a bit more at both gardens. This is a good time to add mulch to your plot. It’s not too late to plant garlic either. If you haven’t grown garlic before, it’s quite easy:
http://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf (page 80)

 
Parking: The parking will remain open on Eagle Heights Drive until November 15th. If it snows before that and UW Apartments Grounds has to plow, we may lose the parking signs earlier. Parking at University Houses Gardens will also remain available. Please remember that Lot Z next to Eagle Heights Drive is not available for gardeners at any time. You may get a ticket from the University if you park there.

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: October 20, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

Water off for the season this Wednesday: The water systems at both gardens will be shut down this Wednesday. If you would like to fill up some containers to put in your plot for watering cool-weather crops, please do this before Wednesday morning.

Frost warning: The weather forecast is showing frost starting this week. Here is some information on the frost-tolerance of some of the more commonly grown crops in the gardens:

Plants that cannot survive a frost include: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash (winter or summer), beans, and cucumbers.

Plants that can survive a frost include: Cabbage, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, peas, lettuce, beets, carrots, chard, onions, spinach, and radishes. *While these are frost-tolerant, they will not survive prolonged freezing temperatures. *

A frost is possible with a temperature under 36° F. A freeze can happen under 32° F, and a hard freeze under 28° F. If you hope to prolong the growing season of any of your plants, row cover can provide some protection from colder temperatures.

Leaf mulch: The leaves are falling late this year, so we are not expecting deliveries of leaf mulch for another couple of weeks.

If you are done with your plot: If you are finished with your garden plot for the season and you don’t plan to renew, please let me know. There are a number of gardeners that are still looking for workday opportunities, and preparing vacant plots for the fall is something volunteers can work on.

Portable Toilets: The portable toilets will be picked up from both gardens next week, and they will be brought back in March of next year.

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/