Community Garden 2011

Last year was the start of using City owned Open Space for the passive use at a single location, and it received a lot of neighborhood opposition. See this link to letters to the editor opposing it back then. There were even signs posted on lawns and flyers distributed such as this one.

The end result from 2010 was overwhelmingly positive, both for users and the neighborhood in which the garden was located. The assumptions by neighbors regarding the impact on their street was proven inaccurate. Car traffic was not excessive, there was no increase in crime and vandalism, and property wasn't devalued. I know some gardeners who shared produce with nearby residents (and all the opposition signs eventually came down).

The overwhelming interest caused a need to expand, and while it would have been easy to expand at the current site, a distributed system was considered better than consolidating this garden activity to one location. Thus some good news: The City of Shelton now has two Community Garden locations.

Now the bad news: The Shelton Community Gardens are full for 2011.

If you would like to get on the waiting list for next year, complete this online form.

Garden #1 is near Long Hill School. Garden #2 is near Elizabeth Shelton School A standard plot for growing vegetables or flowers is 20ft x 20ft, and the cost is $20 per year. Organic only, no pesticides.

If demand continues to grow next year for 2012 registrations beyond our current capacity, options will be reviewed.

Note: Community Gardens are made up of individual's plots, and not to be confused with the "Eklund Garden" which is a demonstration area of native species plants on City Open Space. If you enjoy tending to a garden, take a look at our Conservation Commission's Eklund webpage to see opportunities to contribute at that location. (gardening only, no harvesting of flowers).