From the Registrar: March 23, 2024

Hello Gardeners,

New gardener orientation times: All new gardeners need to sign up for an orientation. I’ve listed the orientations below that we have scheduled so far. Please reply to sign up for a time at the site where your plot is located. If none of the times work for you, please tell me, and we can arrange something else.

• Eagle Heights orientations:

1. Saturday March 30, 10 am 
2. Saturday March 30, 12 pm
3. Sunday March 31, 9 am
4. Saturday April 6, 11:30 am
5. *Saturday April 6, 11:30 am Chinese language orientation* (Please note that this orientation will be held entirely in Chinese. All other times will be held in English.) University Houses gardeners are welcome at this orientation also for general information.
6. Sunday April 7, 10 am
7. Wednesday April 10, 5 pm

• University Houses orientations:

1. Saturday, March 30, 9 am
2. Sunday, March 31, 9 am
3. Monday, April 1, 5 pm
4. Saturday April 6, 11:30 am
5. Sunday, April 7, 9 am
6. Wednesday April 10, 5 pm

Last year it snowed 12 inches on opening day at the gardens, and orientations had to be postponed. Hopefully that will not happen this year, but we will keep an eye on the weather and let everyone know!

Facebook page: We now have a private Facebook group for the Gardens: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eagleheightsgardens

All gardeners are welcome to join the group if they are interested. We are hoping this will be a good way to help gardeners connect with each other. All regular communication will continue to be via email, and please continue to use the Registrar’s email to contact me: ehgardens@rso.wisc.edu.

Water: The water at both gardens is usually turned on in late April, when we can be certain there’s no chance of the pipes freezing. I will send out a notice when we have requested that the plumbers turn it on. If you need water for early planting, bringing jugs of water to your plot is helpful.

Important date reminders:

• Opening day in the gardens will be Saturday, March 30th.
• The Seed Fair will be held at the Community Center on Saturday April 6th from 9 am to 11 am.

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

From the Registrar: March 12, 2024

Hello Gardeners,

Welcome to the Gardens for the 2024 gardening season!

Opening day: Opening day in the gardens will be Saturday, March 30th. The portable toilets will be delivered to both gardens before opening day. The parking signs on Eagle Heights drive have been changed to allow 4-hour parking for Eagle Heights Gardens on the south side of the street. Parking is available in the small lot by University Houses Gardens.

*Orientations for new gardeners will begin on opening day. I will send out a schedule soon with dates and times.

Seed Fair: The annual Seed Fair will be held at the Community Center on Saturday April 6th from 9 AM to 11 AM. Each plot will be entitled to some free packets of seeds. We receive the seeds as generous donations from seed companies each year. I hope to see you all there!

If you are interested in volunteering to help at the Seed Fair, please let me know. The volunteering time will be from 8:15 AM to Noon and it counts as a workday. I will assign available volunteer spots in the order I receive replies.

Some branches of the Madison Public Library are also handing out free seeds if you’re interested. Details can be found here: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/collections/dane-county-seed-library

Where does waste go in the Gardens? We would like to start this season by making sure that everyone knows where to put different kinds of waste in the Gardens. This is extremely important for keeping the Gardens operating. Partly due to incorrect dumping in the past, we now have some large weed piles that must be sorted by hand before they can be taken away.

WEEDS/PLANT MATTER: Go in the weed piles. Only plant matter can be dumped in these piles. Dirt must be removed from roots. If there is dirt, trash, or sticks in the weed piles they cannot be taken away to a composting site. Sorting the piles is time consuming, and paying for removal can be costly.

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 outside the Gardens.

Planting Season: Most years, on opening day it is still too early to do much in the gardens. This year is very warm and may be an exception. However, it could still snow again before spring is here. Even if it is warm in general, there will still be a danger of frost into May that could kill many plants. If you are new to gardening, or if you want a reminder about different planting dates, this is good resource:

http://eagleheightsgardens.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/vegetable_planting_guide.pdf

You can find many other useful documents on this page also if you’re interested:

http://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardens/organic-growing/

If you do decide 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 wet from the snow thawing. 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.

If you are interested in more information about preparing your garden, please start on page 38 of the garden manual: https://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf

Thanks, and happy gardening,

Lily

From the Registrar: December 14, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Applications for the 2024 gardening season will be available starting tomorrow, December 15th! Paper copies will be available, and applications will also be on the website to print (they will not be available yet if you check today):

https://eagleheightsgardens.org/gardeners/plot-applications/

If you gardened in 2023 and you want to renew your plot for 2024, you will need to submit a renewal application and fee payment no later than February 15th of 2024.

Please be on time if you want to renew. I want to help everyone keep their garden plots if they want them! 2/15 is a fixed deadline, and it’s not within my power to make exceptions. If a renewal application is received after 2/15, it must be put in line with all new applications and there is no guarantee that a plot will be available. I try to help late applicants if I can do so within the rules, but sometimes gardeners do lose their plots due to turning in their renewal application late. If you plan to mail your application, please get it in the mail in advance of the deadline.

Please note also that all payments must be made payable to "Division of University Housing", and we can only accept the following forms of payment: checks (no starter checks), cashier's checks, and money orders. UW Housing processes all of the Garden fees and these are their requirements.

The Community Center will be undergoing some remodeling in December, and as a result the location for drop-off of completed applications will vary:

• From Dec 15, 2023 to Dec 22, 2023 the Community Center will be open. Applications will be in the foyer and applications and payment can be put in the secure drop box.
• From Dec 23, 2023 to Jan 1, 2024 completed applications and payment can be dropped off at the Apartment Facilities office:

      2997 Haight Rd
      Madison, WI
      53705

• Beginning on Jan 2, 2024 the Community Center will be open again and the drop box in the foyer can be used again.
• Applications and payment can also be mailed to:

      Eagle Heights Gardens c/o Community Center
      611 Eagle Heights
      Madison WI, 53705

(If you mail your application during the time period that the Community Center is closed it will be redirected to the Apartment Facilities office and I will pick it up there).

Please email me with any questions.

Planning next season’s garden can be a nice way to get through the cold weather and short days! This garden planning tool from Johnny’s might be helpful if you’re interested: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/methods-tools-supplies/market-gardening/planning-plotting-your-market-or-backyard-garden.html

Best,

Lily

From the Registrar: November 2, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Parking availability extended along Eagle Heights Drive: University Apartments has agreed to extend the gardener parking along Eagle Heights Drive for Eagle Heights gardeners until Nov 15th due to the delay in leaf mulch deliveries. After 11/15 no parking will be permitted there for the remainder of the winter. Parking is also still available at University Houses.

Leaves delivered: I’m pleased to be able to say that the leaf mulch deliveries have begun. It also looks like we will have some nice weather this weekend to put the Gardens to bed. It’s not too late to plant garlic if you haven’t yet. http://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf (page 80)

Please remember to return all tools and carts to the sheds after you use them. They will be put inside for the winter. If they are abandoned in the snow all winter the handles will rot.

Translation and/or proofreading request: We are in need of some translation and proofreading for the 2024 applications. We need the following:

• A translator to update the Chinese application with changes for 2024.
• A proofreader for the 2024 Spanish application.
• A proofreader for the 2024 Turkish application.
• Other translations of the application in any language are always welcome! If you are interested in translating the application into a language that we do not have available yet, please let me know.

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/org

From the Registrar: October 27, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

Closing day extended and leaf mulch update: Closing day at the gardens will be extended a week. It will now be Sunday November 12th. We have just learned that leaf mulch deliveries can be expected to begin next week but most of the deliveries will be in mid-November. We will ensure that carts and tools are available for those that want to spread leaf mulch on their plots once it arrives.

Freeze warning: There is a freeze warning for tonight. If you still have plants that are sensitive to cold, today is the day to harvest everything and bring it indoors. The forecast after today only looks colder, and we may get some snow in the next week.

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/org

From the Registrar: October 19, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

2024 Garden registration fees: Due to increased operating costs the registration fees for Eagle Heights and University Houses Community Gardens will be going up in 2024. The increases are more substantial for UW staff, alumni, and community members. We have increased the fees for UW apartment residents and students at a lower rate. It is our priority to support these residents and students in the gardens and provide the lowest fees to those who need them. Eagle Heights and University Houses Gardens are funded by plot registration fees. We must be able to meet operating costs, and fees have not increased since 2011.

To apply for a garden plot as a student, you must meet the same criteria that UW Apartments uses to determine residency eligibility for students. From their website:

“In order to live in University Apartments, graduate students must carry a minimum of two credits per semester for an academic year. If a student is a dissertator, three credits per semester for an academic year are required. Undergraduate students (with families) must carry a minimum 
of six credits per semester for an academic year”.
Students should submit a course schedule with their garden application. Applicants may appeal to the Garden Committee regarding their student status.

The no-workday fee will also increase for all groups. Please see this chart for new fee details:

Application fee per plot as follows (status of primary gardener):	Large plot	Small plot
Eagle Heights, University Houses, and Harvey Street Residents*/UW Students*	$38	$26
UW Faculty and Staff/ UW Alumni/ Community Members (everyone else)	$74	$57
No Workday Option (per plot in addition to the above fee)	$45	$45

Closing day: Closing day at the gardens will be Sunday November 5th. Most of the tools and carts will be put away for the season at this time, but we will leave a few things out for gardeners that want to continue working in their plots. Please make sure that you do not have any community tools in your plot.

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

Reminder about applying for 2024: Please put the renewal deadline for 2024 on your calendar now. It will be February 15th, 2024. If you want to renew your plot for 2024, you must turn in an application by this day at the latest. All gardeners must fill out an application every year. I will send more reminder emails when the applications are available and again before the renewal deadline. Late applications have to be treated as new applications, so please do not miss the deadline if you want to keep your 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/org

From the Registrar: October 13, 2023

Hello Gardeners,

I hope that everyone has had a productive and enjoyable gardening season! It’s coming to a close, but there are still some things that can be done this year.

Putting your garden to bed: It’s time to put the gardens to bed for the season. You can start by pulling out plants and weeds and taking them to the weed pile. Spreading mulch over your plot after the plants are cleared will help protect it from erosion and add organic matter to the soil. Try to avoid stepping on the beds when you remove plants, to prevent compacting of the soil. Remove as much dirt as possible from the roots of plants before taking them to the weed pile. Not only are we not supposed to have dirt in the weed pile, but it is also not good for your garden to remove it from the plot. Also, please remember that NO PLANTS ARE ALLOWED IN THE DUMPSTERS.

Leaf mulch: We are expecting deliveries of new leaf mulch any day now. UW Housing and the Village of Shorewood will be bringing some to both garden sites. I do not believe that we will be able to get any horse manure this year.

Water: The water in the gardens will be shut off by the UW plumbers sometime in the next week and will not be turned on again until the spring.

Garlic planting: Mid to late October is the best time to plant garlic in Wisconsin. It's possible to plant it in the spring, but it won’t do as well. If you plant it in the fall, it can begin to grow right away in the spring and take advantage of a longer growing season. Garlic should be planted late enough in the fall that it won’t grow shoots. You can get garlic cloves for planting at a garden store or a Farmers' Market. It’s better not to plant garlic from the grocery store unless you can be certain it hasn’t been treated in any way. There is some helpful information on planting garlic in the garden manual on our website:

http://www.eagleheightsgardens.org/tips/garden_manual_v_1.12.pdf (page 80)

Workday cleaning up an individual plot: If you still need to do a workday and would like to help put a garden to bed, please consider this opportunity on Saturday 10/28 from Noon-3pm. Two volunteers are needed.

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/