Reserve a Community Garden

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation provides the opportunity to garden on County property. The County does not charge for a plot. However, many of our community gardens internally charge a small, voluntary fee. Mecklenburg County residents do receive priority to garden plots. The money helps finance tools, wheelbarrows, hoses, and more. Carefully review the rules and responsibilities below prior to requesting a plot.

General

Safety first: Please watch where you place tools and hoses. • Have a great time and remember you are in a publicly shared space. Please respect your neighbors.
Bees, yellow jackets, snakes, rodents or other species may be around. Be proactive with cleanliness and keep your area in good shape.
Your garden captain is a volunteer. Respect their time and effort as they only make the experience better for the community of gardeners.

Deadlines for cleanup of your plot each year are April 15 for the spring and December 1 for the fall. Failure to comply or make contact with the garden captain will result in loss of the plot.

Note: Expect to work your plot two hours a week to keep watered, weeded, and in good shape.

Plot Ownership

Due to heavy demand, new gardeners or existing gardeners that request an available plot are limited to one (1) plot total. Exception: You are an existing gardener and already have two plots. If you wish, you can relinquish one of your plots to make it available to a new gardener. Mecklenburg County reserves the right to reduce the number of owned plots to accommodate the high demand for new gardeners.

Gardener Responsibilities

Violations of any of these rules can result in revocation of garden plot(s). •

Respect your fellow gardeners. Abusive behavior towards others, stealing produce, vandalism, etc. will result in expulsion from the garden.
Gardeners are responsible for upkeep of everything inside of fence. This includes weed control and maintenance of
the adjacent pathways. This means keeping your paths free of weeds, tools, or other items. It excludes any structural repairs like a broken water line, County-owned fence, etc.
Make sure you lock the gate and turn the water off. This includes shutting off at your hose valve. Close and lock all gates. • Water is shut down for the winter and turned on in the spring. Anticipated turn off is November and anticipated turn on is April.
No ornamental trees or shrubs are to be planted within your garden. This restriction includes:
Fruit trees, including fig trees, cannot shade out someone else’s plot or block the pathways.
Roses and fruit shrubbery allowed ONLY if small growing and not an intrusion to your neighbor’s garden.
Gardeners are allowed to install their own fencing provided the posts are not installed using concrete. If the gardener leaves the community garden, fencing and other materials must be removed. Use of concrete and barbed wire fencing is prohibited.
Fencing: Stakes that are under 4 feet in height MUST be covered with material such as tennis balls, pipe insulation, water bottles, etc. for safety purposes. Many box stores sell caps for this purpose.
Gardeners are responsible for providing their own seeds, plants, and fertilizers.
Pesticides/herbicides: We need pollinators. Any pesticides used in the garden must be labeled for edible crops. Nothing beyond a “Caution” signal word is to be used. It is much better to practice good habits such as early weeding and environmentally friendly soap-type sprays. • Bee hives are not allowed. • Park and Recreation provides trash bags and pick-up. Please bag up your trash for collection.
Composting: No open composting inside or outside the fence. Open composting encourages mice, rats, and more. Compost bins have to be above ground with the ability to close tightly.
Garden produce cannot be used for commercial use. You cannot grow for selling.
PROHIBITED: Smoking, vaping, alcohol, and drugs.
Children under 16 must have adult supervision at all times.
No pets, only service animals are allowed. Please clean up after your service animals; bag and remove off site.
Cleanliness: If a garden or paths adjacent to your garden, are deemed excessively weedy, the garden captain or Park and Recreation will inform that gardener and give them two (2) weeks to repair. If the garden plot is still unkempt, the gardener may have their privilege in the community garden revoked. This policy is in place year round. If you plan to be away for any length of time, you still need to comply with this rule. Contact your garden captain with plenty of lead time to see if help can be provided.
Any complaints or issues go the garden captain first. If needed, Park and Recreation will step in.
Do not share the lock code with guests or visitors.
Any complaints or issues go the garden captain first. If needed, Park and Recreation will step in.
No plastic or fabric allowed on paths. No plastic allowed as a “mulch” for your garden.

Park and Recreation Responsibilities

Park and Recreation provides water, compost, and mulch.
Locks for gates: Replacements will be provided by Park and Recreation.
Compost and mulch are provided once a year in the spring. The provided compost comes from Compost Central. If a second request is made, Park and Recreation will review it.
With the provided water, please be responsible with the amount you use.
Park and Recreation will maintain the outer fence and the weeds at base of fence line.
For community gardens with no tool shed, Park and Recreation may provide a tool box for tool storage only. Construction trash bags will be provided for “Trash Out.” You are welcome to provide paper trash bags.
Crushed concrete for pathways is provided by request. It will be the gardeners’ responsibility to install.
Park and Recreation does not till or do any other plot preparation.
Park and Recreation does not provide any plants or seeds.

Garden Captain’s Responsibilities

Garden captains if their schedule allows will arrange and lead a spring and fall clean-up for the area inside of the fence.
Garden captains will meet and orient new gardeners if possible. Park and Recreation representative could also be called upon to perform this duty.
Garden captains are the first point of contact for complaints or issues. They will copy any emails to current Park and Recreation representatives.
Garden captains will inform gardeners if their plot(s) is excessively weedy. Two weeks notice will then be given to the gardener to clean the plot(s). Copy Park and Recreation on any emails.
Garden captains do not have the responsibility to evict a gardener. That is a Park and Recreation responsibility.
Have a good time and thank you for your leadership!

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Community Garden Locations

2901 Dunlavin Way, Charlotte, NC 28205
Clarks Creek Park: 4911 Hucks Road, Charlotte, NC 28269
Druid Hills Park: 2801 Lucena Street, Charlotte, NC 28206
Eva Barber Park: 3801 Gossett Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28208
Ezell Farm: 4101 Mintwood Drive, Mint Hill, NC 28227
Frazier Park: 1201 W 4th Street Extension, Charlotte, NC 28208
Fred Alexander Park (The Males Place): 1832 Griers Grove Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Grier Heights Park: 3100 Leroy Street, Charlotte, NC 28205
Huntingtowne Farms Park: 2201 Ramblewood Lane, Charlotte, NC 28210
Irwin Creek Greenway/Clanton Park: 1520 Clanton Road, Charlotte, NC 28208
Lincoln Heights Park: 1819 Catherine Simmons Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28216
Little Sugar Creek Greenway: 1319 N Alexander Street, Charlotte, NC 28205
McAlpine Creek Park: 399 Holly Lane, Charlotte, NC 28270
Merry Oaks Community Garden: 3000 Harbinger Court, Charlotte, NC 28205
Pine Valley Park: 2422 Longleaf Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
Reedy Creek Park: 8801 Grier Road, Charlotte, NC 28215
Reid Park: 3207 Amay James Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28208
Smallwood/Biddleville Community Garden: 2625 Roslyn Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28208
Southside Park: 2645 Toomey Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203 Villa Heights/Cordelia Park: 600 E 24th Street, Charlotte, NC 28205
Winterfield Community Garden: 3105 Winterfield Place, Charlotte, NC 28205