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

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

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. 

• 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