Announcements

Garden applications for 2010 are currently posted on the website. The due date for new applications was Feb. 15, 2010 although applications will be accepted at any time. Plot assignments will be posted in the gardens and available at the seed fair on March 20, 2010. All plots are currently assigned and a waiting list has been established. Garden meetings for spring 2010 will be the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm. See sidebar at right for dates of upcoming meetings. All gardeners are encouraged to attend meetings and help run the gardens. Hope to see you there!

Last Updated March 6, 2010

About the Garden

The University of Wisconsin’s Eagle Heights Community Gardens (EHCG) was established in 1962 to offer Eagle Heights residents and the UW and Madison communities the opportunity to have an organic garden and participate in garden activities. EHCG is one of the oldest and largest community gardens in the United States.

The EHCG are located in a peaceful natural setting adjacent to the University of Wisconsin’s Eagle Heights Housing and within the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. At last count - the pool of gardners speak approximately 60 languages. The gardens feature gardening practices from around the world. The setting provides also a wonderful place for meeting fellow gardeners, family picnics and walks, and bird watching.

Important Dates

Upcoming Garden Meetings:
WEDNESDAY, March 24, Eagle Heights Community Center Rm. 135, POTLUCK, 6:30 pm.
2010 Garden Seed Fair
March 20, Saturday at Eagle Heights Community Center from 10 am to noon. Free seeds and information on gardening for registered gardeners.
Orientation sessions
Open to all gardeners (both sites-meet at the garden sheds)
March 20, 2010, Saturday at 12:30 pm
March 21, 2010, Sunday at 1 pm
March 23, 2010, Tuesday at 5 pm
2010 Workdays
Notices for sign-up will be sent by email prior to the workdays.
March 27 2010. Erosion wall building.
March 28 2010. Erosion wall building.
Workday Obligations
Dec. 1, last day to fulfill workday obligation or pay the no-workday fee for 2010.
2010 Workshops
March 6, Saturday, at the Eagle Heights Garden Shed at 1:00 -- Fruit tree pruning workshop. All are welcome, no charge. Bring pruning shears and saws if you have them.

Our Purpose

The University Apartments Community Gardens are an opportunity for the UW Madison community and area residents to enjoy nature, build community, learn about gardening, and feed their families. Specifically our purposes are:

Nutritional – The gardens are an important source of fresh produce for many students and their families
Recreational – The gardens are an opportunity for many people to enjoy nature and interact with the earth.
Educational – We help our gardeners learn about the natural world, new gardening techniques, and ways to garden in an organic or environmentally friendly manner.
Community building – The gardens are a place where students, university and community members from diverse age groups and cultural backgrounds can interact, learn from each other, and share in the creation of an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly space.

These purposes are an outgrowth of the broader goals of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, of which the gardens are a part, and its mission to "shelter biologically significant plant and animal communities for teaching, research, outreach, and environmentally sensitive use, and safeguard beloved cultural landscapes."