Garden Handbook
Making Madison's Gardens Work
A community garden takes a lot of work to run well, and everyone is expected to participate (many hands make light work). From the work of many volunteers, each according to their ability, Madison's community gardens survive and thrive. The gardeners in Madison are a remarkable mix of people from many backgrounds, so the gardens function as some of the most multicultural places in the city.
This handbook has been prepared to help community garden volunteer organizers manage their gardens. With a few exceptions, documents are provided in both fixed (Adobe) and editable (Word) formats, so you may use them as-is, or change them for your purposes. Please contact Joe Mathers at (608) 246-4730 ext. 212 for Spanish versions of some of these documents, or with ideas or edits.
Garden Organizer's Handbook
Handbook for Starting a Community Garden (Adobe)
Community Gardens Universal Design (Adobe/Word)
Madison Community Gardens Committee Update Report for 2003-2007 (Adobe)
CAC Guidelines For Community Garden Organizers
Descriptions Of Volunteer Positions (Adobe)
Role Of CAC In Your Community Garden (Adobe)
Supplies You Can Order Through CAC (Adobe)
Funding For Garden Projects (Adobe)
Garden Irrigation: Connecting to City of Madison Fire Hydrants (Adobe)
Compost & More: Materials for Gardens (Adobe)
Accessible Raised Beds (Adobe)
More Resources: Books & ACGA List serve (Adobe)
Garden Event Outlines
Planning Your Community Garden Year (Adobe/Word)
Spring Registration (Adobe/Word)
Opening Day & Closing Day (Adobe/Word)
Spring Registration Documents
Registration Form (Adobe/Word)
Spanish Registration From (Adobe/Word)
Sliding Scale Plot Fees (English/Spanish)
Welcome Packet Documents
This is a set of materials handed out to gardeners at Spring Registration. Select from these materials to create a packet for your garden. To eliminate wasted space and save paper, you may wish to cut and paste information from multiple documents into a single document.
Welcome Packet Instructions (Adobe/Word)
Welcome Packet Cover Letter (Adobe/Word)
Garden Leaders Contact List & Calendar (Adobe/Word)
Frequently Asked Questions (Adobe/Word)
Community Garden Rules (Adobe/Word)
Community Garden Security (Adobe/Word)
Volunteer Opportunities (Adobe/Word)
Protect Your Plants From Bugs (Adobe)
Planting Guide (Adobe)
What Supplies Can I Order At Registration? (Adobe/Word)
Working with a Special Needs Population: Click here for more resources.
Example Documents
These documents were created by individual gardens for various purposes, and have been shared here with you to provide guidance and inspiration. You may edit them for your purposes.
Potential New Gardener Letter: Generic (Word)
Registration Day Postcard: Gammon (Word)
Sign-Up Meeting: Atwood (Word)
Neighborhood Outreach Article: Quann (Word)
Invitation To Garden Flyer: Marlborough Park (Word)
Expectations & Information: Saint Paul (Word)
Plot Assignment Criteria: Quann (Word)
Sign To Discourage Theft: Quann (Word)
Why Use Mulch: Quann (Word)
Grow Together Conference
2011 Workshop Materials
Improving Soil Fertility by Mauricio Avila (Power Point)
The Many Faces of Leadership by Bill Rizzo (PDF)
Composting Presentation by Mauricio Avila and Jill Schneider (Power Point)
Seed Starting handout by Catherine Murray (PDF)
Constructive Conflict presentation by Mindy Habecker (PDF)
Meeting Facilitation by Anne Forbes (PDF)
Volunteer Program checklist by Kathy Martinson (PDF)
Harvest & Post-harvest Handling by Liz Birkhauser (PDF)
Garden Planning Resources by Jason Garlynd (PDF)
South West WI Seed Starting by Jason Garlynd (PDF)
Succession Planting by Jason Garlynd (PDF)
