Announcements
Plot assignments for the 2008 season are available here.
The gardens are currently full. Applications are still being accepted for the waiting list. The application is available by clicking here. Please do not send the plot fee with your application.
Garden committee meetings are held every month at 7pm on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Eagle Heights Community Center. All meetings are open and we welcome visitors and new committee members.
Check the forum for other announcements and news on gardening events in our gardens and around Madison.
Last Updated August 20, 2008
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 Workdays for 2008 Garden Season:
- August 23rd
- September 6th
- October 25th
- Upcoming Garden Committee Meetings:
- August 26th
- September 23rd
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."