Andover Community Garden
Mission
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. You can request a plot here. We will start assigning plots to newcomers in March 2024.
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.
Garden Managers
High Plain Garden: Your garden managers are: Yolanda Chico Miller, Lauren Conoscenti, Lisette Pylant, Jane Ward and Viki Vasquez. Viki and Jane are your plant gardening gurus. All other problems (general questions, hoses, water, locks, vacation, etc.) should be raised with your other three managers or the help line: help@andovergarden.com.
Announcements
Work Day & Shut Down, Saturday, November 4th 10 AM to close
We will all work together to clear the remaining crops from plots and return them to their original state (bare earth). We encourage those of you attending the 11/4 closedown workday, to begin with your plot and then move on to others that need to be cleared. Per garden regulations, we must:
Ensure plots are stripped back to bare earth, including the compost bins.
Make sure that no spent plants are buried.
Organize and tidy the garden sheds.
Disassemble the sun cover and store poles.
Remove all planting/temporary structures (tomato cages, supports, etc.).
We need to know your plans for next season. Please email jane@andovergarden.com, ccing lisette@andovergarden by November 1.
If you want to return next season, keep your current plot and/or overwinter crops like garlic. Let us know which garden you plant at, and whether or not you plan to overwinter crops.
If you want to change plots next season, please let us know which garden you plant at, and which size plot you would like to switch to.
If you do not want to return next season and cannot attend the closedown, please let us know which garden you plant at (we will miss you!).
If you plan to attend the closedown but are still deciding about returning next season, that's OK! In this case, we'll see you on November 4th, and you'll have until December 31st to decide if you want to return. At that point, we will open the remaining available plots to new additions from our waitlist and the public.
Lisette and the ACG Board
Questions? Comments? Help with maintenance or growing? Contact us at help@andovergarden.com.
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September's Work Day
Check the Weather
High Plain Road Garden
The main garden is located on the Virginia Hammond Reservation, on High Plain Road across from the leaf composting site. The site has 65 plots:
4 feet x 10 feet plot: $34
4 feet x 20 feet plot: $68
5 feet x 10 feet plot: $42.50
5 feet x 25 feet plot: $106.25
There is a small parking lot with some allowance for parking on the grass when it is full. It usually accommodates most cars at a given time and the grass parking can be used on workdays.
Main Street Garden
Nestled behind the Andover Center for History and Culture at 97 Main Street, this smaller garden has 11 plots of two different sizes:
5 feet x 20 feet plot: $85
5 feet x 10 feet plot: $42.50
In downtown Andover the parking is tight. There are a few spaces located adjacent to the Andover Center for History and Culture and on the street in front of it. Paid parking is available in the town lot just up from the site, beside UBurger.