The following maintenance guidelines outline the requirements of the Englewood Community Garden and its site property. The guidelines have been established by the City of Englewood Department, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), and the Englewood Community Garden Steering Committee and acts as a basis for a use agreement between the parties. In turn, the City of Englewood and DUG provide gardeners with the authority and permission to use the garden site. We, as a community, have a responsibility to keep our garden managed effectively. DUG gardens have a volunteer Steering Committee to assign plots, organize maintenance, set and govern rules as well as coordinate related activities.

The City of Englewood requires (DUG) to ensure participants keep their garden sites clean, attractive and orderly at all times.  The garden must have a year-round unified appearance to landowners, city officials and the general non-gardening public.  To this end, DUG established the following requirements of all participants.

The benefits of a well-maintained garden are at a minimum three-fold:

1. The use agreement for the garden remains in good standing with the City of Englewood
2. Owners, neighbors and non-gardeners enjoy and recognize the garden as a community asset
3. Your garden will harbor fewer pests and weeds, and will be healthier from season to season

Please remember the Englewood Community Garden is a community that requires everyone to do their share.  View participating in a community garden as a privilege.  It’s difficult to dedicate our limited resources to the “clean-up” of existing gardens.  

• End of March – Garden Orientation (watch email for date)
• Mid-April – Weather pending, water to garden will be turned on
• June 1^st – Garden plots need to be planted
• Mid- October – Weather pending, water to garden will be turned off for the season
• November 1^st – All garden plots need to be cleaned up

1. The Garden Plot: The Englewood Community Garden is an organic garden. This means the use of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers (i.e., Miracle Grow) is prohibited. If you need help with controlling insects, mildew, etc. please contact a member of the Steering Committee and they will be glad to offer some suggestions. Organic fertilizers can be used in the garden.

Keep your plot clear of weeds, dead plants, tools, debris, and trash. Use the compost bins for disease-free plant materials and trash barrels supplied by the City of Englewood for any other materials.

Please be considerate of your neighbors if you are growing extra tall or spreading vegetables.

For safety reasons, keep paths clear of chairs, tools, hoses, plants, and other materials.  Please remember to store your gardening supplies in your cubby in the tool shed or take them with you.  Do not leave them lying in or next to your garden plot. Security is very important.

2. Plot Boundaries: “Boundary fences” around individual plots are established with 2 x 4 boards. These boards are permanent markers for each plot and cannot be moved.

3. Vertical Structures:  Structures to encourage vertical growth including arbors, trellis, tree branch frames, fence sections, and cages can be used during the growing season if they are functional, orderly, safe, and attractive. Vertical structures used for growing need to appear in good condition and contribute to the garden’s overall pleasing appearance. Please use tomato cages, beanpoles, stakes, or small trellis(s) made of thin wood or wire.   

4. Watering: Please remain on the premises while watering your garden so that excess water will not drain out of the garden plot boundary.  Please do not water another plot unless you have been asked to do so.

As water conservation is very important to all of us, please make every effort to water deeper and less often rather than shallow and frequent. If you avoid drying plants out excessively, it will cause less stress to the plants.

5. Winter Clean Up: Each fall, turn compost and organic material into the soil and cover it with a layer of mulch to regulate soil temperature and retain moisture throughout the winter. Please do not cover plots with plastic sheeting. All plots must be cleaned up by November 1.  The following items area not authorized to be left standing during the off-season, and must be removed from the site when not in use:

6. Compost Bins: Please use compost bins in the community garden for all dead leaves, plant material, etc. These bins will be maintained by a volunteer subcommittee and everyone will be notified when plant material is available for use. Please place any diseased plant material in the trash bins supplied by the City of Englewood.

The Parks and Recreation Department will also supply compost for use in the garden. Other than the compost bin material and the P&R compost, please do not bring other compost materials into the garden.

7. Your Garden: Everyone must take responsibility for maintaining common areas of the garden such as:

• Compost bins and tool shed
• Pathway and courtyards
• Street fronts, sidewalks and alley
• Community trees, flower beds and plots
• Trash containment areas

8. Permanent Structures: All non-seasonal/permanent structures in the garden must be approved by the Steering Committee prior to construction and installation. If you have suggestions and recommendations, please let us know.