East Garden Meeting minutes ongoing

East

Garden

4/1/2026 meeting6pm in CH

attending: Renae, Abby, Thomas (and Mathew), Christy, Brian, Kay and Mary

Discussion about agreements for garden users based

Getting a plot

Go/no go date to commit to tending a bed - in fall with check-in in spring   Unused beds - how to care for them?  who does it? Cover crop, burlap, something that builds soil and reduces weeds.   # of beds/unit - should this be limited to 1 unless no one is interested in a bed?  Could be revisited at the end of each growing season to make sure Community members have the opportunity participate  Half beds so folks can share rather than have to tend whole bed? Outside gardeners? This needs to be a broader Community conversation

Water Use

Timer required for water on all beds, and coordination between gardeners to make sure times do not overlap Responsible water use (i.e. drip irrigation) is strongly encouraged Drip system for the whole garden?

Plot Care & Maintenance

Gardeners are encouraged to ask for help if they cannot maintain their bed, need harvesting, etc., rather than let bed go untended No invasive plants, spreading perennials, trees or grapes should be planting in bed (existing grape is fine) Weeds should be removed from plots before going to seed Tend your own beds, not other's unless asked to do so Boxes - Since east garden is an amenity of the community, who pay to replace wood of boxes? ACM proposal for new boxes over time?

Communication

Gardeners are encouraged to communicate with others regularly for reasons including but not limited to:

 if they are going to be gone and need help with harvest rather than leaving unharvested produce
if problems exist in another bed, rather then fixing it (unless it's urgent like broken water - turn it off, then talk)

Overall Space Care & Maintenance

Gardeners should weed 1/2 of path surrounding their bed(s) Gardeners should contribute to maintenance of 

main irrigation - winterizing and turn on, repairs fallow beds

Safety

Avoid creating tripping hazards and other obstacles in the garden

pavers should be flush with the ground tools should be put away after use, not stored in paths Use only OMRI certified pesticides and fertilizers No synthetic materials like carpet or treated wood

 

01/11/2026 at 10am in the garden 
attending: Renae, Abby, Thomas (and Mathew), Marina, Christy, Brian (took notes)  

Discussion points: 

• adopting best practices for the garden was discussed
  • Christy will share Wasatch Community Gardens version
  • Kay will share earlier Wasatch Cohousing version
  • things discussed along these lines
    • not growing brambles (raspberries, black berries, etc.) in beds since they spread, have thorns, etc
    • keeping weeds and grass under control
    • maintaining paths for safe and easy movement through the garden
    • exploring edge materials for beds like Trex that could last longer than the boards
    • possible ways to care for beds that are not actively cultivated for a season - including burlap and cardboard (rather than plastic or weed fabric/barrier) 
• there was some orientation for new gardeners - water, property boundaries, some history
• possibility of raspberries elsewhere on property briefly discussed 
  • this is a landscape committee issue rather than garden
  • could be good barrier plant but issues with spreading, thorns, water use - are they worth it? 
• beds allocations were discussed, working plan
  • Abby and Thomas: 15
  • Marina and Scott: (did I miss this?)
  • Brian and Christy: 17, 18 
  • 7 and 8 will be fallow for summer 2026 gardeners will work together to protect from weeds/grass and hopefully grow soil
  • 16 (that has brambles) will be a cooperative project to remove brambles
• Proposed next meeting 02/08/2026