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
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
From the Registrar: August 4, 2026
Hello Gardeners,
Workday opportunities: There are some upcoming workday opportunities.
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
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.
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
Friday, July 31, 2026
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.
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
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.
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
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
From the Registrar: July 21, 2026
Hello Gardeners,
Workday opportunities: There are some upcoming workday opportunities.
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
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.
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
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
From the Registrar: July 8, 2026
Hello Gardeners,
July Garden Committee meeting: This month’s committee meeting will be today, Wednesday, July 8th 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
Garlic harvesting: July is the usual month for harvesting most varieties of garlic here. It will often be mid to late July, but some garlic is ready now, and this is a good time to check. If garlic is left too long in the ground, the cloves can separate from the bulbs, and they will not store well. If the ground is very wet, and mature garlic is left in the soil, it can rot. It can be hard to tell when garlic is ready. A good metric to go by is harvesting when the plants are half brown. Another way to check is to dig up one bulb and see if it looks mature.
Once garlic is harvested, it should be cured for storage. Garlic stalks should be left attached for the drying process. Leave garlic spread out in a shaded, cool, well-ventilated area until it is completely dry. Hanging garlic upside down for curing if it has been rainy recently can help ensure that the bulbs dry well.
Fence etiquette: There are many fences in the Gardens, and this is ok if they are well-maintained. However, many fences in the gardens are overgrown with weeds. 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, please make sure they stay in your plot and don’t climb over a fence or into your neighbor’s plot.
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
July Garden Committee meeting: This month’s committee meeting will be today, Wednesday, July 8th 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
Garlic harvesting: July is the usual month for harvesting most varieties of garlic here. It will often be mid to late July, but some garlic is ready now, and this is a good time to check. If garlic is left too long in the ground, the cloves can separate from the bulbs, and they will not store well. If the ground is very wet, and mature garlic is left in the soil, it can rot. It can be hard to tell when garlic is ready. A good metric to go by is harvesting when the plants are half brown. Another way to check is to dig up one bulb and see if it looks mature.
Once garlic is harvested, it should be cured for storage. Garlic stalks should be left attached for the drying process. Leave garlic spread out in a shaded, cool, well-ventilated area until it is completely dry. Hanging garlic upside down for curing if it has been rainy recently can help ensure that the bulbs dry well.
Fence etiquette: There are many fences in the Gardens, and this is ok if they are well-maintained. However, many fences in the gardens are overgrown with weeds. 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, please make sure they stay in your plot and don’t climb over a fence or into your neighbor’s plot.
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
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
From the Registrar: July 1, 2026
Hello Gardeners,
Garden jury: Due to the holiday, the garden jury will be moved to Sunday this week. There will be a garden jury at each garden this Sunday, 7/5 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. Reply to this email if you would like to sign up for Sunday.
Pollinators: Keeping an organic garden provides a place without pesticides for pollinators to live.
Jumping worms: The term jumping worm refers to a number of species of earthworms in the genus Amynthas. These worms are invasive here and rapidly break down organic material. This makes the soil crumbly, and some plants, particularly native plants, can have difficulty growing in these conditions. See this DNR article for more information: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/jumpingWorm
Garden jury: Due to the holiday, the garden jury will be moved to Sunday this week. There will be a garden jury at each garden this Sunday, 7/5 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. Reply to this email if you would like to sign up for Sunday.
- 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.
Pollinators: Keeping an organic garden provides a place without pesticides for pollinators to live.
- This is an excellent resource from the UW about supporting pollinators in your garden: https://pollinators.wisc.edu/
- This site also has good information on pollinators: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinators.
Jumping worms: The term jumping worm refers to a number of species of earthworms in the genus Amynthas. These worms are invasive here and rapidly break down organic material. This makes the soil crumbly, and some plants, particularly native plants, can have difficulty growing in these conditions. See this DNR article for more information: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/jumpingWorm
Several years ago, jumping worms were discovered in our leaf mulch pile and have now spread throughout most of the gardens. Even if you have not seen any in your plot, it’s best not to transplant any plants out of the gardens to avoid introducing them elsewhere.
Although jumping worms pose some problems, don’t let them discourage you from gardening! Fortunately, we have not had many reports from gardeners about issues. There is research being done, and for now, the top priority is to try to avoid spreading them out of 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
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
Friday, June 26, 2026
From the Registrar: June 26, 2026
Hello Gardeners,
Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at the Peace Garden at Eagle’s Wing on Tuesday, June 30th, from 2 to 5 pm. Volunteers will meet at the Community Center. The workday will be for weeding and path cleanup. Seven volunteers are needed.
Parasitized bean beetle larvae: The parasitic wasps have been released in the plots of gardeners that volunteered to host them, and soon we will begin to see them attacking the bean beetles. Rather than the live, yellow larvae of the Mexican bean beetles, the larvae parasitized by the wasps are brown. Please don’t crush the parasitized larvae if you find them on your beans! These are exactly what we want to see, and more wasps will hatch from them.
Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides): This is an extremely invasive plant with a purple flower that is currently blooming. While it does have a nice flower, it will quickly take over. If you see this flower in your garden, please remove it right away and don’t allow it to flower or go to seed. No parts of this plant should go in the weed piles. It should be bagged and put in the trash. Photo here: Weed Guide
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
Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at the Peace Garden at Eagle’s Wing on Tuesday, June 30th, from 2 to 5 pm. Volunteers will meet at the Community Center. The workday will be for weeding and path cleanup. Seven volunteers are needed.
Parasitized bean beetle larvae: The parasitic wasps have been released in the plots of gardeners that volunteered to host them, and soon we will begin to see them attacking the bean beetles. Rather than the live, yellow larvae of the Mexican bean beetles, the larvae parasitized by the wasps are brown. Please don’t crush the parasitized larvae if you find them on your beans! These are exactly what we want to see, and more wasps will hatch from them.
Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides): This is an extremely invasive plant with a purple flower that is currently blooming. While it does have a nice flower, it will quickly take over. If you see this flower in your garden, please remove it right away and don’t allow it to flower or go to seed. No parts of this plant should go in the weed piles. It should be bagged and put in the trash. Photo here: Weed Guide
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
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