From the Registrar: September 23, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at Eagle Heights this Sunday, September 28th from 8-11 am. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 8 am. The workday will be for digging out and removing an old water line. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign spots in the order I receive replies.

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: September 17, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

Gardening in 2026: Every year, all gardeners must reapply for their garden plots if they want to return the following season.

• 2026 applications will be available beginning December 15th 2025. Returning and new gardeners may turn in applications beginning that day. For new gardeners, applications are processed in the order received.
• For 2025 gardeners, the deadline to apply for renewal will be February 15th 2026. Returning gardeners in good standing have priority to return to the same plot (or to switch if they want).
• Renewal applications received on or after 2/16 are not guaranteed. I will try to help if I can, but gardeners have lost their plots due to late renewal applications in the past. After Feb 15th any plots that have not been renewed will be reassigned to new gardeners, and we usually have a long list of new applicants.
• If you already know that you do not plan to renew your plot, please let me know.

Only assigned gardeners from 2025 are eligible to renew a plot for 2026. If there is someone gardening in your plot with you this year and they’d like to keep the plot next year, you must make sure they are listed as the secondary gardener BEFORE December 15th 2025. Renewal applications in the name of someone not previously listed on the plot can’t be processed.

Please let me know if you have any questions about applying for next season.

Winter squash: Winter squash is ready when it turns the right color for the variety, the vines die back, and the stem is hard. Some gardeners harvest earlier to prevent pests from eating the squash, or theft, which can both be problems in our gardens. If you can wait a bit longer it will help the squash store well. Here is some information on harvesting and storing winter squash:

https://savvygardening.com/harvesting-winter-squash/

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/vegetables/winter-squash/winter-squash-eating-guide.html

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: September 3, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

Independent workday opportunities: Please contact me if you’re interested in doing an independent workday. This workday is the same three-hour time commitment, but it can be done on your own schedule if completed within the allotted time.

Workday requirement: Every plot is responsible for one workday or one no-workday fee payment. I will be sending out two group emails to let everyone know what their status is. I will send one email to the primary gardeners of plots that have already fulfilled the requirement, and another email to those that have not yet fulfilled the requirement. More group workdays will be scheduled, and independent workdays are always an option. Often at this time of year, there are abandoned plots that need to be cleared, and that is a common independent workday. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

Remember to harvest! It can be difficult to keep up with the garden as the season winds down, and many plots have ripe produce that is going bad. Please remember to harvest, or designate a friend to pick up the vegetables in your plot so that they don’t go to waste.

Zucchini ice cream: If you find that you have more zucchini than you know what to do with, here is a recipe for zucchini ice cream shared by a gardener: https://recipecan.com/zucchini-ice-cream-recipe/

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: August 26, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday at EH this Friday, August 29th from 9 am -12 pm. Ten volunteers are needed. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for weeding and weed whacking. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested in one of these workdays and I will assign spots in the order I receive replies.

Weed piles: Please only dump weeds inside the designated weed pile areas at both gardens. Recently piles of weeds have been found dumped in other areas of the gardens. This creates extra work, as these weeds have to be moved to the piles.

Saving tomato seeds: Tomato seeds from your garden can be saved for starting seedlings the following spring. If you would like to save seeds from your favorite varieties of tomatoes to plant again next year, it is a fairly simple process. A gardener shared a guide that’s easy to follow here: https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-save-tomato-seeds-1403292
Additionally, this page from the UW Minnesota Extension has useful information about seed saving from a variety of crops: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/saving-vegetable-seeds

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: August 20, 2025

Hello Gardeners,

 
Workday opportunities: There are two upcoming workday opportunities at Eagle Heights Garden:

• There will be a workday at EH this Friday, August 22nd from 9 am -12 pm. Four volunteers are needed. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. The workday will be for digging a trench and weeding.
• There will be a workday at EH this Saturday, August 23rd from 8-11 am. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 8 am. The workday will be for weeding and weed whacking common areas.

Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested in one of these workdays and I will assign spots in the order I receive replies.

Bean beetles: The Mexican bean beetle eats the leaves of bean plants, and occasionally also the beans. The bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) is in the same family as ladybugs, and the adults resemble an orange ladybug. The larvae are yellow and spiny: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/mexican-bean-beetle-vegetables/

Due to the lateness of season, we will not be ordering parasitic wasps this year to combat the beetles. The wasps cannot survive a frost and will not overwinter. We hope to be able to order them next season. For the remainder of this season, monitor your bean plants for beetles. If you find eggs, larvae, or adult beetles, either crush them or dump them in soapy water. At the end of the season, it’s recommended to remove bean plant debris from your plot to reduce the number of beetles that overwinter in the soil.
Maintain pathways between plots: Please remember to maintain a six-inch weeded and clear path on the sides and back of your plot. Plants from inside the plot should not hang over the path. These paths are necessary for gardeners to access the water and they help prevent the edges of plots from becoming overgrown.

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: August 12, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Please respect other gardeners’ spaces: Do not enter other plots, remove things from other plots, or put anything in other plots. Unfortunately, we have received quite a few reports lately of gardeners having their plots entered or damaged by others. In some cases, it seems that people are borrowing hoses and tools without the permission of the gardener. In other cases, gardeners have had things thrown in their plots, damaging their plants. No one but the assigned gardener and people they have given permission to may enter, remove anything from, or put anything in a plot.  

Preserving food: If you’re looking for ways to preserve your extra produce, there are a lot of great options. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has guides for canning, freezing, drying, fermenting, and more: https://nchfp.uga.edu/#gsc.tab=0    

Protecting your tomatoes from pests: If you are struggling with voles taking bites out of all your ripe tomatoes, there are a couple of things you can try: One method is to harvest any tomatoes within the voles’ reach early (as soon as they begin to change color). If you take them home, they'll finish ripening on your kitchen counter. This is quite reliable and low maintenance. Another method is to save plastic fruit clamshells and clamp them around the fruit as it ripens. The tomatoes can remain on the plant, and the voles can't get to them. This works very well but can be time-consuming if you have a lot of plants. Both methods will also work for peppers. 

 

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: August 1, 2025

Hello Gardeners,  

Workday opportunity: There will be a workday next Wednesday, 8/6 at Eagle Heights Gardens from 9 am –12 pm. The group will meet at the EH garden shed at 9 am. Ten volunteers are needed. The workday will be for weeding and weed whacking common areas. Volunteers should wear long sleeves and bring gloves. Please email me if you’re interested and I will assign the spots in the order I receive replies.   

No unattended use of water permitted: Please remember that you must be present while watering your garden. This means no sprinklers left running if you are not at your plot. Leaving a sprinkler running prevents other gardeners in the community from using the spigot. It’s also more efficient to water in person. Much of the water that comes out of a sprinkler evaporates, especially if it’s running during the hot part of the day. Overhead watering is also more likely to spread plant diseases. The most effective way to water your garden is to soak it close to the ground.   

Weeds: It has been difficult to keep up with the weeds this season. Please take the time now to remove taller and/or flowering weeds from your plot, including the sides and back. The paths and edges between plots have become overgrown in many places.  

There are a couple more plants to add to the list of things to look out for: 

• Pokeweed is native to the United States, but it is poisonous. The plants produce berries that will spread many more pokeweed plants throughout the garden and surrounding areas. Wearing gloves is recommended when removing plants. Berries should be bagged and thrown away, so they do not re-seed. Photos here: https://mbgna.umich.edu/post/blog/native-plant-week-american-pokeweed 

 

• Giant Foxtail is an invasive grass and there is a lot of it in the gardens, particularly between plots. Photos here: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/wisconsin-weed-identification-giant-foxtail-setaria-faberi/ 

 

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/