Hello Gardeners,

WORKDAY – Given the fact that it is ridiculously cold, and everything is covered with several inches of snow, our workdays are at an end for this season. When weather allows, we will be closing down the gardens, and putting away most of the carts and tools for the winter. No, we will not put them all away – we will leave some tools and a few carts out for gardeners who still have work to do.

GARDEN CALENDAR – DATES TO KEEP IN MIND:

December 1        Deadline for paying the no-workday fee if you did not do a workday. (Please note – gardeners who received plots this fall are not required to do a workday.)

If you are paying the no-workday fee, please write a check for $32, payable to Division of University Housing, and drop it off at the Community Center, or mail it to Eagle Heights Gardens c/o Community Center, 611 Eagle Heights, Madison, WI 53705. If you use the drop box, please put your check in a green envelope, or else write “gardens” on your own envelope, so it doesn’t get mixed up with rent payments.

If you’re not sure whether or not you did a workday this year, or are required to, or already paid for the no-workday, send me an email, and I’ll check for you. About 200 gardeners have not done workdays or paid, so far.

December 15        First day to apply for a garden for 2020. The new applications will be available on our website (http://eagleheightsgardens.org), and can also be picked up in paper form, in English and in Chinese, at the Community Center. They will look suspiciously like the 2019 forms, although I hope someone has the presence of mind to change the date….

February 15        Deadline for returning gardeners to apply to renew the gardens they had in 2019. (New gardeners may apply for gardens at any time.) If you get your renewal application in after the deadline, I will renew your plot if it’s still available. But you’re taking your chances. After February 15, I will start assigning plots that have not been renewed to new gardeners, so if you’re late, your plot might be gone already. If you want to garden again next year, but you want to move to a different plot, you should still get me your application by the deadline – you have priority over new applicants, and I’ll get you settled in a plot you like before I start on the new applications. Also, I cannot renew your plot if you have not taken care of this year’s workday.

March 21         Opening Day for 2020 (approximate date) – tools and carts will come back out of the sheds for the season. (Water will not be turned on until April or May, depending on the weather.)

March 28          Seed Fair at the Community Center – each garden plot will be allowed 15 free packets of seeds. Row cover will also be for sale.

This will be my last weekly message for this season. (Don’t look so happy!) However, I will send an email out next month to remind people when the 2020 applications come out. And please email me if you have any questions about anything. I’ll still be around.

THANK YOU! – Thank you to everybody who had a garden this year, and especially to everybody who did a workday. The workday crews worked hard, and did a lot of great work. Thanks also to Will and Megan, and our other garden workers. Thank you to our Co-Chairs, members of the Garden Committee, and the many members of our garden community who take care of common areas and do many many other extra tasks to keep the garden going. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Have a good winter.

Kathryn