2022 Healey Gardens
Amanda Royse • March 23, 2022
2022 Healey Gardens
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.
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!
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