Ewing Community Gardens Registration Set to Begin March 1st

Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to get involved in community gardening in Ewing.  Mayor Bert Steinmann and Ewing Township invite interested residents to get involved in community gardening and register for a garden plot at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension.

Returning gardeners can register beginning on March 1st.  New applicants may register beginning March 15th.    Plots are limited, so come early.

There is an active gardening organization, the Ewing Community Gardens. Their mission is to promote public gardening in Ewing.  “It is not just about growing produce in the ground; it’s about growing community.”  They encourage all registrants to meet their neighbors and get involved.  Regular site clean ups will be held.

Registration Details for the 2024 Gardening Season

The 2024 registration for garden plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension will begin in March in the

Office of the Clerk
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

Plots are $5.00 each and you can purchase up to two plots.  (Park in the upper-level parking lot.)

Registration Dates

• Friday, March 1, 2024, Registration will Open for Previous Year Plot Holders
• Friday, March 15, 2024, Registration will Open for New Applicants

Owners of Plots in 2023 will have an opportunity to reserve their same plots from the prior year.

If there are still plots available on April 15th, 2024, you may purchase additional plot(s). Please call the clerk’s office at 609-883-2900 ext. 7618 to find out if more plots are available.

Requirements 
(No Exceptions Granted to Any of the Following Requirements!!)

• You must be present to buy your plot(s).
• Ewing Township residents only (proof of residency is required)
• You must provide an Email Address. 

The official opening of the gardens is weather determined and announced later in the season.

About the Gardens

The Ewing Community Gardens are located on Whitehead Road Extension in Ewing.  They are enclosed in an 8’ deer fence and water sources are available.  Half of the plots are organic and no-till. 

For information about the Ewing Community Gardens Association email ewingcommunitygardens@gmail.com.  Look for the upcoming ad in the March Ewing Observer.

Mercer County Master Gardeners to hold Annual Plant Expo and Garden Market

Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County’s  annual Spring Plant Expo and Garden Market, one of the most celebrated events of the year, will be Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mercer Educational Gardens, 431A Federal City Road, Hopewell Township, on the grounds of Mercer County Stables. The event is held rain or shine! Parking is on site and free.

There will be home-grown perennials, trees, and shrubs from the gardens of Rutgers Master Gardeners and a garden market with select vendors. This year’s vendors are Steven Kristoph Nursery, Millstone Township; Shannon’s Nursery, Doylestown, Pa.; Byrne Farm Market, Wrightstown; and Chickadee Creek Farm, Pennington. Additionally, the Master Gardeners are excited to announce the addition of a new vendor, Moon Shot Farm of East Windsor.

BE A PART OF THE “GROW LOCAL” MOVEMENT

Registration for 2023 garden plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Ext. Begins Today, March 1^st

Mayor Bert Steinmann invites you to get involved in Community Gardening in Ewing and to be a part of the “grow local” movement.  The 2023 Registration for Garden Plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension Will Begin in March.

Location: Office of the Clerk, 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing, NJ 08628 (upper level)
Cost: Plots are $5.00 each and you can purchase up to two plots.

REGISTRATION DATES

March 1, 2023, Registration will Open for PREVIOUS YEAR PLOT HOLDERS ONLY

March 15, 2023, Registration will open for NEW APPLICANTS.  Owners of plots in 2022 will have an opportunity to reserve their same plots from the prior year.

If there are still plots available on April 15th, 2023, you may purchase additional plot(s). Please call the clerk’s office at (609) 538-7608 to find out if more plots are available.

REQUIREMENTS

You must be present to buy your plot(s).

Ewing Township residents only (proof of residency is required) No Exceptions!!!

The official opening of the gardens is weather determined and announced later in the season.

Ewing Community Gardens Guidelines Please read our community gardens requirements, fill out the last page and rerturn to the Clerk when you come in to register.

EWING COMMUNITY GARDENS ASSOCIATION

The Ewing Community Gardens Association was formed in 2012 in response to the need for organizing the gardeners who participate in gardening at the site.  These gardens were revitalized during the 2013 season.  Amenities included site wide deer fencing, water, a porta-john during the growing season, and more.  For more information and to get involved in the Ewing Community Gardens Association go to the Ewing Community Gardens Association website at http://ewingcommunitygardens.wordpress.org.

Gardening Is for the Birds

More than just bird feeders, birds need food, shelter, nesting sites and nesting materials to survive.  The Ewing Green Team is extremely excited to invite you to an introductory program on how gardeners can create a bird-friendly backyard, attracting a far wider range of species, using native plants that provide needed food and shelter. 

Join the Ewing Green Team for a 1 ½ hour workshop on Wednesday, March 30^th at 7 pm at the Ewing Senior and Community Center (Zoom alternative may be substituted) and learn how to make simple changes in your garden that will transform it into a year-round haven for birds by providing the essential elements needed for their survival.  Mary Anne Borge, a local naturalist, writer, photographer, and educator, will tell you what you can you do to attract birds to your garden and which plants are best to entice bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to make their homes with you.  She will also share maintenance techniques that are the most hospitable for these garden visitors and residents.

Mary Anne Borge is the Associate Editor for Butterfly Gardener magazine, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association; an instructor and naturalist at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope, Pennsylvania; a Pennsylvania Master Naturalist, and the team leader for Lambertville Goes Wild. Her photographs have been featured in numerous publications. She shares her love of nature through her writing and photography at the-natural-web.org.

This presentation is a part of a series of programs sponsored by the Ewing Green Team to help gardeners live more sustainably and harmoniously with nature by gardening for wildlife.  And once you’ve created a welcoming haven for local wildlife, we encourage gardeners to certify their properties with the National Wildlife Federation.  The NWF is engaged in a nationwide movement to support local wildlife and restore and reconnect America’s natural spaces through their Garden for Wildlife program.  The Ewing Green Team believes that this is a critical effort and we have enrolled Ewing in their Community Gardening for Wildlife Program.  Every Ewing garden that certifies with the program ups our point tally in the community program and moves us closer to our goal of becoming a NWF certified community. 

We hope that this will be start of a great gardening season for wildlife this spring and for the future!

Event Summary

Date: Wednesday, March 30^th
Time: 7pm
Location: Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Rd., Ewing
Cost: Free and open to the public, Masks required.
Presenter: Mary Anne Borge

Leasing a Plot 2022

Mayor Bert Steinmann invites interested residents to get involved in community gardening in Ewing. Ewing Township invites interested residents to register for a garden plot at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension.

Spring is not far off and it’s time to get involved in community gardening in Ewing.

Returning gardeners can register beginning on Tuesday, March 1st. New applicants may register beginning Tuesday, March 15th.   

There is an active gardening organization so be sure to meet your neighbors and get involved.  Regular site clean ups will be held. 

REGISTRATION DETAILS

The 2022 registration for garden plots at the Ewing Community Gardens on Whitehead Road Extension will begin in March in the

Office of the Clerk (2nd floor)
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

Plots are $5.00 each and you can purchase up to two plots.

Please fill out the following (Please prefill to help shorten the wait):

1. Ewing Township Community Gardens Application
2. Guidelines

REGISTRATION 

Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Registration will Open for Previous Year Plot Holders. (Owners of Plots in 2021 will have an opportunity to reserve their same plots from the prior year.)

Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Registration will Open for New Applicants

Friday, April 15, 2022. If there are still plots available on April 15th, 2022, you may purchase additional plot(s).  Please call the clerk’s office at (609) 538-7609 to find out if more plots are available.

New applicants must be present to buy their plot(s).  Garden plots are open to Ewing Township residents only with proof of residency required.  No exceptions will be made!

We request that you supply us with a valid email address to ensure that we can keep you up to date on all information related to the gardens.   

The official opening of the gardens is weather determined and announced later in the season.

For information about the Ewing Community Gardens Association email ewingcommunitygardens@gmail.com.  Look for the upcoming ad in the March Ewing Observer. 

COMMUNITY GARDENS CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES

While we hope that COVID-19 transmission is finally waning, we recommend the following guidelines to help prevent its spread and keep both the garden and gardeners safe.

MOST IMPORTANT: IF YOU FEEL AT ALL SICK, STAY HOME.

Ask a friend or fellow gardener to water your plot if you need to. You can email garden leadership if you don’t have someone to help. They may be able to help your make alternate arrangements. It is essential that we continue to work diligently to reduce the spread and keep this virus out of the garden.

TOOLS

We recommend using tools that you bring from home if you have them (and take them home with you when you leave). If you need to use the community tools such as the wheelbarrows and hoses, please follow these guidelines:

• Wash or hand sanitize your hands before touching the tools. Gloves help here.
• Don’t touch your face while using the tool (and until you remove your glove and wash/sanitize your hands).

HAND WASHING

Be sure to wash your hands frequently, especially before and after touching the shared tools, hoses, etc. Carry hand sanitizer or bring a Ziplock bag or other container with soap, a washcloth, or nailbrush inside. 

Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

We will not have paper towels at the garden, so air drying or wiping on the inside of your shirt is best.

GLOVES

Garden gloves are not a substitute for proper hand sanitation procedures. The outside of your glove can transmit diseases from one surface to another, including transmitting the disease to yourself and others.  It is a good idea to wear gloves while in the garden, but not a replacement for sanitation.

FACE MASKS

Follow CDC recommendations for wearing masks, especially when you might be close to others.  A well-fitting face mask might not filter out the virus, but it will keep you from touching your face and keep you from spreading the virus if you are asymptomatic yet infected.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE INCLUDING

Stay 6 feet from other gardeners

Young children should stay in their garden plot or with an adult

Work at being efficient when you are using shared spaces or during joint projects.

leasing a plot 2021

Returning gardeners can renew their plot leases beginning Monday, March 1, 2021. New applicants may register for a plot beginning Monday, March 15, 2021. 

To lease a plot you will need to contact the Ewing Municipal Clerk’s Office, 609-538-7609, to schedule an appointment. In order to limit exposure time for staff and residents please print and complete the Plot Application and Gardener Guidelines we’ve provided. Fill out the forms and bring them to your appointment along with your lease fee. Plot leases are $5 per plot and residents are limited to two plots. Checks should be payable to Ewing Township and exact currency is required.

A form outlining the gardening practices during the COVID-19 pandemic is also provided. Please take the time to review them to keep yourself and other gardeners healthy.

ecga_2021_guidelinesDownload

ecga_plotapp_feb2021Download

ecga_covid_18feb2021Download

Community Garden Meeting

A meeting for members of the Ewing Community Garden Association will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2020, 7:00 p.m., Room 208 at the Ewing Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road. On the agenda is a review of the current garden bylaws and guidelines, spring garden cleanup day, long term garden projects, and community partnerships.

Spring Garden Meeting

The next meeting for members of the Ewing Community Garden Association will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. at the Ewing Community and Senior Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road. The agenda for this meeting will include welcoming new gardeners, planning for the spring garden clean up and creation of a children’s garden.

Spring Garden Cleanup

Student volunteers from The College of New Jersey will be helping community gardeners to get the garden ready for the spring growing season.

Gardens with Buzz

The Ewing Community Garden Association and the Ewing Green Team are hosting a presentation on gardening with birds, bees and other pollinators. Mary Anne Borge, a naturalist and educator, will be presenting at the Ewing Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 25.