Community Gardens
What is the Community Garden?
Within the Wagner Farm Arboretum’s Community Garden are the garden plots available for lease to Arboretum Members who live in Warren Township or other surrounding areas. Also situated within the enclosed gardens are plots dedicated to the Giving Garden Project which are maintained by volunteers. Please email the Garden Administrator at administrator@wfafnj.org if you have questions about the Community Garden.
The Community Garden Committee coordinates and controls the leasing of these plots to the member participants, and maintains operational control throughout the growing season annually.
Having an enclosed Garden at the Arboretum provides area residents with the opportunity to grow their own organic vegetables, flowers and other plants in a leased plot protected from deer, groundhogs and rabbits in a “community” setting. “Organic methods are used in the project,” said Keith Cooper, Berkeley Heights resident and past chairman of the Community Garden Committee. “Our goal was to have productive and attractive gardens,” he said, “and this we did on protected sites in full sun.” The community aspect is beneficial to sharing information, learning from others, mentoring less experienced gardeners and participating in educational programs.
Click HERE to see our Community Garden brochure.
The Lifecycle of a Community Garden Plot
View the video on the right to see the lifecycle of gardener Denise Mortensen’s WFA Community Garden plot. Track it from the beginning of the season bed cleanup and preparation through the growing season to the final bed cleanup in the fall.
WFA Community Garden Recognition:
What an honor! In April 2024, the WFA Community Garden was the featured garden of the month by The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). They found our gardens to be a hidden gem in Warren, but we already knew that! Congratulations to all gardeners and volunteers who make WFA the prize that it is.
In September 2023, Duke Farms awarded two NJ community garden managers scholarships to attend the American Community Gardening Association’s (ACGA) conference held in Houston TX. Those scholarships went to WFA’s Community Garden manager, Phyllis Lindquist, and Wrangle Brook Community Garden’s manager Bonney Parker.
The ACGA membership includes community garden organizations, community garden managers, volunteers, government agencies and horticulture professionals. Their conference allows attendees to share knowledge, learn from each other and network; all with the goal of increasing and enhancing community gardening and greening across the United States and Canada.
Click HERE to see the published conference statements from Phyllis and Bonney.
2024 Community Garden Newsletters
Plot Rentals and Forms
Please contact the arboretum administrator at administrator@wfafnj.org or call 908-350-7383 for information about 2024 available garden plots.
The Wagner Farm Arboretum Community Garden Membership Kit, with all applicable forms, will be given to those on the 2024 wait list after they have been contacted and have met with the garden managers.
All gardeners must be members of Wagner Farm Arboretum. Without your support we are unable to maintain the Community Garden and the Arboretum itself. A gardener’s annual plot renewal will be dependent on their adherence to contract obligations.
Information and Orientation - Garden Members Only
Our 2024 Community Garden Orientation will be held on March 24 at 1:00 pm in the Community Garden at 197 Mountain Avenue in Warren. Please bring your own chair. A separate new member orientation will be held on April 13 at 1:00 pm. See the EVENTS tab for more information.
Note for 2024 season:
April 1, 2024 – Unofficial Spring Season Begins
Gardeners can check on their plots and start preparing for the season
Early-to-mid May 2024 – Summer Season Begins
Water lines open after the last frost
June 1, 2024
Garden plots to be prepared, weeded and planted
Mid-October 2024 – Summer/Fall Season Ends
Summer plant debris removed from your plots
November 1, 2023– Plot Clean-up begins
Last dumpster pickup at end of November
Water to be shut off before first frost
Gardeners’ Workshops – Monthly Meetings
Wagner Farm Arboretum presents a monthly educational series on gardening. The program covers topics which are timely and necessary to growing vegetables, herbs or other produce in the home garden. Learn what to do now that the season has started, gain knowledge on techniques like organic and healthy practices, find out what others are growing and having success with, and many more topics!
WFA members and their guests are welcome to attend these informative and informal sessions. The dates and topics will be confirmed once the growing season starts. All sessions begin at 10 am, in the Community Garden, under the gazebo.
To reach any of the Garden Managers in your plot section, please send email to: gardenmanager@wfafnj.org
