Andover Community Garden

Our mission is to educate our members about organic gardening and to provide opportunities to them so that they can grow and harvest vegetables, herbs and flowers within a welcoming community setting.

Garden plots are open to all residents of Andover and surrounding towns who join our Association. Plots that are turning over are offered yearly to people on the waiting list on a first come, first serve basis. 

Each Association member contributes an annual plot fee to cover maintenance. To be part of our association, you must be willing to agree to our requirements. These are fairly standard rules for community gardens, with requirements such as gardening organically and participating in workdays and cleanups; and we do try to help new folks with this request by giving lessons/ideas for how to garden organically. Once rented, you plant up your plot, harvest and maintain your own plot for your own family’s use during the gardening season. 

Please remember: the garden is “take in, take out.” 

The town does not provide trash collection at the garden, so anything left behind—whether in the compost bins, the shed, or the donation container by the gate—ends up being someone else’s responsibility.  The bin near the gate is not a trash can. It’s clearly labeled, inside,” No Trash”. It is for washed, lidded food containers only, which we use when donating to the Village Pantry.  

The compost bins are not a dumping ground for general waste. Compost is a crucial part of our gardening system, but we struggle with managing the large volume of plant material. Thankfully, the Town of Andover allows us to use their compost facility across the street and even delivers compost back to us upon request. They’ve asked us to make sure we can trash out of the material we bring 

What Cannot Be Composted:

• Plastic of any kind (bags, plant labels, packaging, pots)

• Rubber gloves

• Cooked food or meat/dairy

• Weeds with seeds or invasive roots

• Diseased or pest-infested plants

Reminders:

• High Plain: Please check the whiteboard for updates! New tips and suggestions will be added based on garden conditions/concerns 

• High Plain: Please remember to turn the water off! We pay for the water we use and waste in the garden, so please always double-check that you have turned off both the hose reel closest to your plot and the main hose reel from which you initially turn on the water.

• We unfortunately have had items stolen out of a member's car at the High Plain Road garden. Although this did not occur within the garden itself, we share the parking area with a wide swath of community members, including dog walkers, hikers, and people dropping off yard waste. Always be cautious of your valuables and lock away any essential items when possible.

Lisette & the ACGA Board