Garden Orientation

This page should serve as an orientation for new gardeners, and a refresher for resident gardeners. It is separate from the Garden Rules, but there may be some overlap.

Community Participation:

The garden is a community affair. It is our commitment as a community to care for and tend the space; therefore, as stated in the contract, all gardeners must commit to two hours of monthly service outside their plot(s) to the garden-at-large from May to October. The Duties tab can give you some pointers.

Workdays are not optional: We have two mandatory workdays, one to open the garden (mid-April) and one to close it (mid-November). Please be sure to keep your calendar clear for these dates.

Harvest Party & Fundraiser: To keep the garden fees low, we have a yearly fundraiser which includes our favorite jug band, a raffle, games, prizes, and a potluck. You’re not required to come to it, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more family-friendly way to spend a Thursday evening. If there is honey to be had, it will be sold at the Harvest Party.

At midwinter, we have a Seed Swap with plenty of seeds, and some kind of crafty activity or a speaker. This usually happens around Valentines day, and is always on a Thursday.

Through the growing season, we have a variety of potlucks. All outdoor events have a rain-date of one week later.

Compost:

Place seed-bearing weeds in brown bags, not trash cans. Place non-seed-bearing weeds in compost bins located in two areas of the garden:

Be sure to cut down large, woody pieces so they may break down easier. An easy rule to remember: no trash in the compost; no compost in the trash.

You can also compost food scraps at the garden, thanks to our partnership with Harvest Cycle & Groundwork RI. All gardeners will receive a code to unlock the Harvest Cycle compost bins from the Garden Manager. Please reach out to the Garden Manager directly with questions about Harvest Cycle.

Water Sources:

There are three water source locations in the garden:

The City has control of when the water turns on and shuts off; they have indicated that they will aim to turn on each spring, around Mid-April but no later than May 1, and will flush the line and close it down each November, starting on Nov. 1. Essentially, water will be dependable May 1-Nov 1, with possible extension. It is really important to remember that nobody at the garden has access to the water. If there is a water emergency, please call 311.

Locks & Entrances:

There are three entrances to the garden all secured by combination locks. You will receive the combination to the locks when you sign your contract each year. The combination also works for the shed.

A note on the locks: some of the locks are newer than others. If you’re having trouble getting the locks to open, make sure that the combination is lined up with the lines on the lock. Some of the locks’ lines are on the top, and others are in the middle.

When there is no one in the garden but you, and you are leaving, guess who is responsible for locking any and all open gates? It’s you! Before you leave, give a shout! Letting gardeners know they are going to be alone is not only considerate, but is safer. Remember that some of our gardeners may be hearing impaired.

At no time are gates or shed to be left open when no one is remaining in the garden. Please remember to lock up behind you.

FPCG Garden Board:

Any member of the garden is welcome to join the board! Please stop by the monthly meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 6pm.

The Board oversees any projects, event scheduling, gardening questions, communication with the City of Providence, gardener issues that arise, etc.

Complaints & Board Members:

Complaints should ultimately be brought up to the Garden Manager, but what if the complaint is actually about the Garden Manager? Well, then you should bring your complaint up to a Board Member. You can meet all of our board members here. Still feeling uncomfortable about complaining to a person? That’s okay! We’ve set up a slotted box in the shed; in it you can host anonymous complaints.

But hey! This doesn’t have to be a downer. Complaints are okay to have, and so are compliments. All the situations that apply for compliments can follow the same path.

Camp Street Ministries

This year we’ve readjusted our agreement with Temple Beth El and their contribution to Camp Street Ministries. Nobody will be picking plots for Camp Street except for plot residents. We will be setting up a collection box where individuals can donate, and Temple Beth El’s resident gardener will pick up and deliver for Friday mornings.

Please note that no plots shall be picked through the growing season; however, plots will be gleaned by the community 48 hours prior to expected frost to ensure no good food goes to waste. This is outlined in the Garden Rules.

This document may be updated from time-to-time as other considerations are added. The garden manager keeps regular gardening hours on Wednesdays from 5:30pm to sunset, so if you have a question, drop by for a chat.

Shed contents and exterior

to come!

Watering Help Board & Rules