York County residents who may not have access to a garden can now rent plots in the area’s first community garden.
Organized by the York County-Poquoson Cooperative Extension, the garden — located at the end of the baseball fields at the York County Sports Complex off Route 17 — consists of 47 plots of land of various sizes that can be rented for a year.
Citizens wishing to rent a garden plot can apply online for 10×12 plots, which cost $15 annually, or 10×20 plots, which cost $25 annually.
The goal of the garden is to bring the community together, said Dan Nortman, York County-Poquoson Cooperative Extension agent.
“First and foremost, it provides families and individuals the ability to grow their own fresh produce, especially if they live in an apartment or a situation where they can’t grow their own at home,” Nortman said in an email.
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- One plot per family
- Once open for the season, gardeners must begin working their plot within 14 days of registering.
- Mulches such as stone, carpet and artificial turf are prohibited. Newspaper or cardboard used as mulch must be properly secured to avoid littering.
- Pets are not permitted.
- Weeds must be removed promptly.
- All trash must be removed from the site.
- Individual fencing of plots allowed
- Gardeners must not practice any horticultural technique such as fertilizing, watering, using pesticides, etc. that will in any way affect adjacent plots.
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“Gardeners will hopefully come away from this experience with an increase in knowledge, better health and a sense of community spirit,” he said.
Throughout the year, the extension will provide seed starting workshops, lectures on seasonal gardening and pest management information sessions.
Nortman also plans to be on-site several times throughout the year with York-Poquoson Master Gardeners to offer citizens expert advice.
Nortman chose the sports complex as the location of the garden because it was easily accessible, had ample amenities such as parking, restrooms and water fountains, and is close to the Cooperative Extension office.
So far, about a quarter of the 47 plots have been rented, with the larger sizes being more popular. Plots are rented on a first come, first served basis.
Citizens are encouraged to use alternatives to chemical pesticides. Nortman said the gardens would be primarily used for annual vegetable plants.
Water will be available on site once weather permits staff to open the irrigation systems.
The plots should be garden-ready by March 1.
