Garden Policies & Procedures

Growing Season

Water will be turned from May 1- October 1 (approximate dates)

Hours

Sunrise to sunset

Parking

Parking is available in the First United Church of Arvada parking lot

Contact methods

Email:  commonearthcommgarden@gmail.com

Website: commonearthcommunitygarden.org

Like us on Facebook

Restrooms

Restrooms are not available at Common Earth Community Garden. 
There are restrooms available across the street at the 7-11 gas station.

Supplies

Gardeners are solely responsible for the planting and management of their own plots, including providing their own seeds, plants, and amendments. Compost will be supplied for all gardeners at the beginning of the planting season.

Organic Gardening

Common Earth Community Garden is an organic garden. Use of compost, organic mulch, and weeding are acceptable.  The use of pesticides, herbicides, and rodenticides are not acceptable.  Organic fertilizers are allowed.

Water and Hoses

Each gardener is responsible for watering his or her own plot - see suggestions for best practices. 

• Be considerate of your neighbors’ needs.
• Do not remove hoses from the spigots to which they are attached.  
• Only one hose to a plot when other gardeners are waiting.
• Lay hoses on paths only. Use water conservatively.
• Turn off hoses when you leave.

Please do not leave a hose unattended
Soaker hoses are not allowed.

Tools

You may store your tools in the shed, knowing that others may borrow them. If this will trouble you, please take your tools with you when you are done tending your plot. There are no trash cans in the garden this year. Please pack out your trash.

Plot Boundaries

Common Earth Community Garden plots are edged with cedar edging.  Interior boundary fences around individual plots are discouraged: they are difficult to weed and can quickly make the overall garden unsightly.

The preferred boundary is a weed-free edge. 

If splitting a plot, a low profile (less than 12” high) edging material, which is in good condition and well-kept will be allowed.  We discourage the use of “scrap” materials, such as broken bricks and concrete, small fragments of sandstone or pavers, scraps of wood, metal or plastic edger and white wire fencing.

Plot Maintenance

Each plot must be kept clear of weeds, spent plants, debris, and trash.  

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. This makes a garden plot look cared for to the passer-by. Any perennials in your plot must appear well kept. In addition, you are responsible to maintain the area immediately adjacent to your plot including paths, compost bins, trash collection areas, fences, and other common spaces.

People not wanting their plots for any reason should notify the Common Earth Community Garden. Abandoned or neglected plots will be plowed under for weed control.

Compost

Individual compost bins are discouraged as they distract from the visual continuity of the community garden.  

Common Earth Community Garden provides compost bins. All gardeners are encouraged to utilize the composting bins located on the north side of the garden. All materials used in our compost bins must be chopped into one- to two-inch pieces before being added. Please do not add diseased plant material to the compost bins.

Plastic bags of spent plants, grass clippings, and leaves are not allowed to be stored anywhere in the garden at any time. To a passerby, they appear to be bags of trash. Unopened bags of topsoil, compost, or manure are not to be stored in the garden. Chop and spread these materials in your plot immediately. 

Absence/Vacation

Gardeners may not abandon their plots. Abandonment means failing to maintain a plot for 2 weeks. If a Gardener expects to be away from the garden and wishes to have a substitute gardener care for their plot please contact Common Earth Community Garden and a “Garden Angel” can be assigned to care for your garden for up to 2 weeks.

Vertical Structures

Structures to encourage vertical growth, including arbors, trellis, tree branch frames, fence sections, and cages are only allowed during the growing season if they are functional, orderly, safe, and attractive.  All growing structures must be disassembled and removed during the off-season.  

DUG does not permit the construction or existence of permanent shelter structures within the individual or shared community garden plots, including personal sheds, storage, or shade units. Individually constructed shelter structures present safety concerns.

Off-Season Storage

The following items are not authorized to be left standing during the off-season and must be disassembled and removed from the site when not in use:

Chairs & individual benches         wire cages, fencing                           
piles of brick & stone                    wheel barrels, wagons

Shoes, clothes                              bags of compost/leaves

Sticks, steel posts                        non-permanent garden art

Buckets, plastic containers           pipe, hoses

Tools and Shed

Gardeners will be allowed access to tools and shed in the 2023 gardening season

Common Areas

Gardeners will keep clean and neat any common areas, such as pathways and storage shed.  Gardeners will promptly report any concerns about the safety of the garden to Common Earth Community Garden. 

Volunteer Hours

All gardeners are encouraged to participate in the 2023 workdays, from 9:00-Noon. The 2023 workdays are scheduled for May 27th, June 24th, and July 29th.

General Conduct

Gardeners are expected to be civil, honest, and cooperative in dealing with the landowner, Common Earth Community Garden, garden neighbors, other gardeners, and guests of other gardeners.

Guests

Gardeners may bring guests, including children into the garden, provided that the guests comply with the Gardener Expectations. Children are welcome in the garden, but they must be with an adult at all times.

Respect Others Property

Gardeners may not enter other plots, or harvest another gardener’s produce, without the explicit permission of the other gardener.  Gardeners may not enter the private properties next to the garden without the owners' permission.

Music

Gardeners may play music.  Music may not be loud enough to be a nuisance to other gardeners or to the garden’s neighbors.

Illegal Plants

Gardeners may not grow any plants considered to be illegal under state or federal law- this includes Cannabis Sativa (marijuana).

Pets

Gardeners may not bring any pet or animal into the garden, including for burial.  Service dogs will be allowed in the garden if staying with their owner.  Dogs are allowed in the field, if on a leash.  Dogs may also be tied to the chain-link fence near the church structure. Please clean up after your dog.

No Firearms

Gardeners may not carry, use, or store firearms in the garden.

No Smoking or Vapor

This garden is a non-smoking, tobacco-free, vapor-free, environment.  This is for the comfort and health of other gardeners; and to guard against the tobacco mosaic virus which affects tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

No Alcohol or Drug use

Alcoholic beverages may not be brought into the garden.

Dispute Resolution

Gardeners will communicate any disputes about the garden or with fellow gardeners to the Common Earth Community Garden leaders. Common Earth Community Garden will have the power to hear these disputes and will resolve them in the best interest of the garden.  If a mediator is requested, Common Earth Community Garden will utilize a mediator to resolve the dispute.