Community Garden
Purpose
Our Community garden provide space for people to garden both individually and together to create beautiful, productive spaces. Local gardeners report that by getting involved in community gardens, they spend more time outdoors, interact more with neighbors, meet new friends, and experience improvements in their mental and physical health.
Location and Overview
The Morris Plains Community Garden is located at 50 Central Ave. The garden is located in a beautiful, relatively secluded area that the town acquired as part of a Green Acres grant when the state was downsizing the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital property.
There are more than 120 garden plots, available in two sizes:
- 4’ x 16’ junior plots
- 4’ x 32’ large plots
Water, mulch, topsoil, and wheelbarrows are available for gardeners’ use on the site.
History
The garden has been in existence for ten years. It was originally conceived and championed by the Morris Plains Beautification Committee. With the full support of the Mayor and Town Council, the property was allocated for the garden and the first phase of building the garden was completed. Since then, there have been two additional expansions to the garden and there are now more than 120 garden plots within the fenced area.
The garden overall is extremely productive. Each year the gardeners donate over 2500 pounds of produce to the Food Pantry, and a rough estimate is that the garden produces over 20 tons of produce in total over an entire season!
Membership
To help defray the cost of water, mulch, topsoil, equipment and maintenance, the following yearly fee is charged:
- Large family plot (4’ x 32’): $50/year for Morris Plains resident; $75/year for non-resident
- Smaller plot (4’ x 16’): $25/year for Morris Plains resident; $50/year for non-resident
Existing plots are “grandfathered” so that gardeners can keep their existing plots as long as the plot is cultivated, kept in good order, and the yearly fee paid. This encourages gardeners to improve their plots and continue to enhance their soil, etc.
Any garden not under cultivation by June 15th will be forfeited and reassigned to the next applicant on the waiting list.
To get on the waiting list for a garden plot, please contact the Borough Clerk at rdenman@morrisplainsboro.org or (973 538-2224) and request that your name be added to the Community Garden waiting list. You will need to provide your name, address, email address and phone number.
Each year, a limited number of garden plots become available and are reassigned to new gardeners based upon the waiting list maintained by the Clerk’s Office. The plots are usually in high demand, and it is not unusual for a gardener to wait for over one year before a plot becomes available.
Rules
The Community Garden is accessible year-round with hours of operation from sunrise to sunset.
View Community Garden Rules (PDF)
Because the Community Garden is so intensively gardened, it is important that all gardeners adhere to the garden rules which ensure that all gardeners have the most pleasant experience. Anyone wishing to have a copy of the rules can contact the Garden Coordinator, George Ross at grossnj@gmail.com. The rules are also posted on the garden bulletin located at the front of the garden.
Contact
The garden is managed by the Garden Coordinator, George Ross. He can be reached at (973 879-7175) or grossnj@gmail.com.
If you wish to apply for a garden plot, please contact the Morris Plains Borough Clerk’s Office at rdenman@morrisplainsboro.org or (973) 538-2224 and request that your name be placed on the Community Garden Waiting List.