†e Seeds Since 1978 Eugene’s community gardens have been growing friendships, community involvement and an appreciation of the land. By giving participants the opportunity to cultivate their own gardens, the Community Gardens Program helps people experi-ence a special connection to the earth and their community. Community gardeners can:

• provide food for family and friends,

• enjoy the beauty of a garden in bloom,

• learn about gardening,

• share information with other gardeners,

• work the land and harvest the fruits of their labor.

It is the program’s mission to provide a rewarding gardening experience for all who rent a garden plot and join the community gardens family. The rental comes with access to a plot, water and tools. Each gardener then decides what to plant in his or her plot and how to cultivate it.

Garden Rules• Start your gardening in the spring or notify the

community gardens program coordinator before May 31 if you intend to cancel your rental agree-ment. No refunds are available after May 31.

• Maintain your garden plot. Plan on four to five hours a week during the peak gardening season to maintain a plot. During the winter, plots may be mulched or planted with annuals, perennials or cover crops. If a plot appears abandoned, attempts will be made to contact the gardener. If the plot remains untended, the rental fee, deposit and use of the plot are forfeited.

• Keep common areas or roadways clear. Haul out debris, and store community tools in the tool shed and other equipment at home.

• Organic gardening methods are strongly en-couraged. Chemical fertilizers may be used, but pesticides or herbicides are prohibited.

• Be respectful. Do not vandalize plants or harvest produce from another garden.

• Respect the privacy of people who live near the gardens. Do not ask to use their phones, toilets or other private property.

†e ToolsThe average size of a plot is 20 by 30 feet. Rent is $60/year and includes access to tools and water. All plots are staked and numbered.

Each garden site has a manager who can help answer questions, share expertise and assist with problems or concerns that arise.

Skinner City Farm also offers the unique oppor-tunity to rent organizational plots. The fee for these plots is $120/year and they are suitable for a group of people because they are larger than individual plots (roughly 1,400 square feet). For more infor-mation, call the Skinner City Farm gardens manager at 344-8322.

Raised beds are available at Alton Baker Community Garden for $20/year. These are 50 square feet and intended for individuals who need increased accessibility. Call 682-4800 for more information.

†e LandThere are six community gardens throughout Eugene with a combined total of more than 300 plots:

• Amazon at 27th and High • Mathews at 15th and Hayes • Whiteaker at the end of North Polk • River House at 301 North Adams • Alton Baker on Day Island Road, east of the Alton Baker Park parking lot • Skinner City Farm at the corner of Lawrence St. and Cheshire

Alice Aikens loves to help things grow. As a volunteer manager for the Amazon Commu-

nity Gardens and steward of her own plot, she has many opportunities to watch both flourish. Alice has been an active part of creating community at Amazon Community Gardens for more than a de-cade. Alice values the feeling of community within the garden and appreciates that it extends beyond the gardening family. Annually, she and the other Amazon gardeners donate more than 2,000 pounds of surplus produce to Food for Lane County. The gardens also attract visitors of all ages. They come to sketch, write or photograph. “Sunflowers— they love the sunflowers,” says Alice, who also finds inspiration amidst her flowers and vegetables as she paints with watercolor. For her, gardening is a three-dimensional art and she takes visual aesthet-ics into consideration when planting. “Every year is like a new palette,” she says and looks forward to every year’s unique canvas.

Plot AssignmentsInformation is available about plots after March 1. Plot assignments are made in the middle of March. For more information or to request a plot, contact:

City of Eugene Parks and Open Space 1820 Roosevelt Boulevard Eugene, Oregon 97402(541) 682-4800volunteersinparks@ci.eugene.or.uswww.eugene-or.gov/parks

Información en EspañolDesde 1978 los jardines de comunidad de Eugene han crecido amistades, enredo de comunidad y un aprecio de la tierra. Al dar gente la oportunidad de cultivar su propio jardín, los jardines de comunidad ayudan a la gente experimentar una relación especial con la tierra y con la comunidad. Los jardineros de comunidad pueden:

• provear comida por la familia y los amigos,

• gozar en la belleza del jardín en flor,

• aprender a cuidar el jardín,

• compartir información con otro jardineros,

• trabajar la tierra y cosechar los frutos de su trabajo.

Un terreno mide a un promedio de 20 por 30 pies. La renta es $60/año y incluye acceso a unas her-ramientas del jardín y a agua. Inscríbase por un ter-reno empezando en el medio de marzo, a la dirección indicada arriba. Aprende sobre terrenos disponibles después del 1º de marzo.

Community Gardens Program

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