To join the waitlist for a garden plot, please fill out a garden plot application through the link below. Garden plots are assigned in order of application date. Scholarships covering 50% of plot fee may be available, on the basis of need and available funding. To apply for a scholarship, please visit our Plot Scholarship Application.
Wasatch Community Gardens strives to be an anti-racist organization. To learn more about our commitment, please visit our Anti-Racism Statement.
Participating in a community garden takes extra effort
A community garden is a shared space. Gardeners not only take care of their own individual rental plots, they also attend a spring orientation meeting, participate in garden decisions, and work together on a variety of garden service tasks, such as weeding common areas, handling irrigation maintenance, monitoring for pests, and leading special garden improvement projects. While our program managers coordinate these overall operations, they depend heavily on gardener involvement. It really takes a community to grow a garden!
Everyone is expected to follow the same rules
With more than 30 years of experience, Wasatch Community Gardens understands what it takes to get a large group of people to work together successfully. Please familiarize yourself with our Garden Policies and Covid-19 Policies, as they contain specific requirements and restrictions, which you will be held accountable for if you violate. For example, all our gardens are organic, and the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides is not allowed. With these shared expectations, our garden policies promote a smooth garden operation where everyone can succeed.
The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow
A community garden plot is a commitment of time and constant effort for over six months out of the year. The more time and attention you invest in your rental plot, the greater the likely outcome. Below you will find an estimate of the time an average rental plot requires per week:
Garden Task | Spring | Summer | Fall |
Weeding/Soil Preparation |
2 hours | 1 hour | 1 hour |
Pest Management |
.5 hours | 1 hour | 1 hour |
Planting | 1 hour | 0 hours | .5 hours |
Harvesting | .5 hours | .5 hour | 1 hour |
Cooking and Preserving | .5 hours | 1 hour | 2 hours |
Community Garden Involvement | .5 hour | .5 hours | .5 hour |
TOTAL hours per week | 5 hours | 4 hours | 6 hours |
Gardening in the urban West can be challenging
Cold snaps, hail, pests and diseases are common frustrations for gardeners, but there may be additional challenges when you grow food in a public space such as a community garden. For example, the most successful community gardeners adapt their growing practices to mitigate produce theft. Additionally, while our community gardens are all watered with an automatic drip system, you are responsible for understanding how to plant successfully with drip irrigation. While a community garden can provide great advantages, we cannot guarantee the health of your plants or the bounty of your harvest.
Benefits and Rewards
Despite the extra responsibilities and challenges, community gardening can be extremely rewarding! You can look forward to harvesting fresh fruits and veggies, making new friends, and learning new gardening skills, while also connecting with nature and cultivating a thriving green space in your neighborhood. Additionally, we offer informative workshops on many organic gardening topics, and may offer additional resources that can save you time and money, such as seeds, transplants, tools, and more.
Apply for a Garden Plot & get growing!
Gardening Documents:
Wasatch Community Gardens Organic Standards
WCG Garden Policies
Mitigating Garden Theft
Gardening with Drip
Dealing with Conflict in the Garden
Summary of All Garden Roles
Individual Garden Role Descriptions:
Service Coordinator
Irrigation Steward
Plot Checker
Harvest Checker
Common Area Stewards
Membership Coordinator
Compost Steward
Shed Steward
Pest Monitor
Delivery Coordinator
Garden Mentor