Healey Urban Garden
We are just about ready for another year of gardening at the Healey Urban Gardens! Last year these gardens were built with the help of the U of I's Metropolitan Food Systems program and U of I Extension to give residents a way of growing their own food.
The garden has 29 beds, both raised and flat, a water spigot on the south end for watering, and a gate with bunny wire around the perimeter.
There is also a compost bin available for residents and gardeners to use. (If you would like to learn more about composting check out our blog post).
A volunteer group of residents helped us design the gardens as well as develop rules for the garden:
- Gardeners should only use the plot assigned to them.
- Gardeners should prevent their plants from growing into paths, or other gardeners’ plots. They should also prevent plants from excessively shading neighboring plots.
- Gardeners should not let weeds in their plot go to seed.
- No one besides a gardener should interfere in that gardener’s plot, except with permission. Other exceptions are to remove weeds close to seeding or parts of plants spreading into paths or other plots.
- Gardeners are welcome to have guests help with their plots
- If a gardener does not want to maintain their plot any longer, they should contact Royse + Brinkmeyer and ask to relinquish their claim to the plot.
- Gardeners should not harvest others’ produce without permission, even if that produce seems at risk of going bad.
- Gardeners should return the shared tools to the area they got them from after use.
- Gardeners should not store their personal tools in the public space.
- Gardeners should check in with Royse + Brinkmeyer before applying any pesticides. The supervisor will ensure that the specific pesticide is safe and acceptable to the gardeners in nearby plots.
- Gardeners should not leave watering systems on when they are not in the garden.
- Gardeners should not use lights to work in the garden when the sun is down.
- Mint should only be grown in containers like pots.
- Smoking is not allowed in the garden.
- Pets are not allowed in the garden.
- Gardeners should wear masks and keep them six feet apart. The maximum capacity of the garden is 15 occupants: if the garden is full more people should not enter.
Plots are $30 for the season, we aim to build two more gardens in 2022 that will likely not open until the fall!
If you would like to reserve a plot for the 2022 season, fill out this form.