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. This process begins about March each year and runs though until we are full, usually by May. If you are interested in signing up for a plot in 2023, please fill in this  form.

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. 

Garden Shutdown

The shutdown workday for both community gardens is October 29 (rain date Oct 30)— from 10 AM until all beds are completely cleared. You can clear your plot at any time before then as well. 

Bring any tools that you have that might be helpful and any food or drink that you may need—rakes, hoes, shovels, wheelbarrows and anything needed to make yourself comfortable outdoors, such as water, hats, etc.  

We cannot allow items to be stored in the sheds over winter due to space limitations, so please remove all personal items from both gardens to your own storage areas this year. 

Viki's Advice Corner

Before all has been forgotten, make some notes about what you grew and where, what you liked and didn’t, and what did well in the driest conditions in recent memory.  Also, tidy the inside of your lot for weeds, fallen rotting vegs, and infected leaf debris. You’ll be pleased next spring you put the effort towards these maintenance chores.

If you like shopping online many seed companies have sales now with 2023 stock. Even if you don’t buy now, get ideas for next year. What should be purchased sooner rather than later is organic garlic and a mixed seed cover crop (“green manure”) for those bare spots in October. Organic garlic can be pricey so buy and share with a garden buddy. Garlic is typically planted in mid-late November.  

Questions? Comments? Help with maintenance or growing?  Contact us at help@andovergarden.com.