Dickinson College Community Garden Rules
The Dickinson College Community Garden is located on Dickinson College property. The College has donated the land for the garden and also provides free access to water. When possible,, the College also assists with mowing and tree maintenance of the areas surrounding the Community Garden. The Community Garden also benefits from resources providedby the Dickinson College Farm, including compost, as well as administrative support with garden finances, website management, and yearly application and plot fee processing.
The activities, routine maintenance, and infrastructure upgrades of the Dickinson College Community Garden (DCCG) are managed by the DCCG Steering Committee (SC) consisting of seven DCCG members, one of whom is elected by the SC as the SC Chair.
Our community garden will benefit from following some simple rules. These rules help our gardeners maintain a beautiful green space for themselves and the surrounding community, as well to avoid potential problems.
2026 DCCG Rules
Plot Assignment Policies
- Garden plots are generally limited to two plots per member – two small plots (10’x4’) or one small and one large plot (10’x10’). However, many gardeners prefer to garden a single plot.
- Plots are assigned to new members after current members have confirmed their commitments to their plots.
- New members can be assigned one plot only in their first year of membership if there are current members waiting for a second plot.
- Current members with one plot can request a second plot by email (scDCCG@gmail.com) to the Steering Committee. Assignments will be made in the order in which requests are received.
- Current members will keep their current plots, provided that they renewed their membership on or before April 1, 2026.
- If no waiting list exists an exception can be made to the general 2-plots rule. In such cases, additional available plots may be assigned to current members until the end of that season only, when the additional plots that exceed the general two-plot limit will be made available for future assignments to members.
- Gardeners must turn in completed Application forms and payment before beginning work on plots.
Rules of Conduct in the Garden
It is responsibility of every DCCG member to assure that the time we spend in the garden is productive, safe and enjoyable for all of us, and the Rules of Conduct below help us achieve that goal.
1. In keeping with the college's sustainability and environmental stewardship goals, we use only organic fertilizers/pesticides in the garden. For information on how to use chemical-free alternatives, please get in touch with the Cooperative Extension Office at 717-240-6500 or attra.org.
2. Our 7’-tall fence with two entrance gates prevents wild life from getting into the fenced area and then destroying our plants and plots. To achieve that goal, it is imperative that every gardener makes sure that the gates are shut tight and latched at all times.
a. If a gate is left open a loud alarm is activated to remind you to shut the gate. The alarm will stop if/when the gate is shut tight.
b. This Rule assures that our crops are safe from destruction by rabbits, groundhogs or deer. One dear, a small rabbit or groundhog can destroy a plot in no time and is very difficult to chase out of the garden.
c. Rule (2) is, maybe, the most important rule for everyone’s gardening success; unfortunately, it is the Rule that is most often violated by our gardeners; in the past this has resulted in a total devastation of crops in one or several plots and even in damage to plots themselves.
3. Gate and shed locks must be locked when leaving the garden.
4. If you are bringing your children to the garden, let them play outside the fence, if possible. If you have to bring them inside the fence:
a. Let them pass through the gate first, before you do, then shut the gate behind you and make sure that the gate latch did get closed.
b. Never allow children to play with alarms, gates, or shed and gate locks.
c. Do not ever allow children to step into the shed with you or alone; this is for their own safety, as well as to keep tools, materials, chemicals, machinery, etc., in the shed in order.
d. Make sure that children are always in your sight and under your control. Try to get them involved helping you in your plot area; bring books for them to read, toys to play with, etc.
5. It is imperative that each gardener keep their plots and adjoining walkways free of weeds, pests, and debris. Under no circumstances should weeds be allowed to go to seeds. Maintaining at least a 4” deep or deeper layer of mulch (wood chips) in the walkways around your plot should keep weeds there at bay.
6. The garden plot surrounds are mandatory: they keep plants and soil inside the plot perimeter, prevent soil erosion and maintain walkways as community space. Surrounds made of wood, plastic edging or 24” – 36” chicken wire, secured at the base, are all acceptable. It is the responsibility of the garden member to pay for the cost of building or repairing a surround. For safety reasons, any new or repaired surrounds must be inspected and approved by the Steering Committee; gardeners are required to correct any deficiencies found.
7. Garden plants must not extend into or cover walkways; neither can they infringe upon adjacent garden plots or shade them. Each gardener is responsible for keeping large vegetable plants, particularly tomato plants and sweet potatoes, under control and within the gardener’s own plot.
8. Only annual flowers and vegetables are allowed in garden plots. However, strawberries and rhubarb can be planted if their spread is controlled.
9. A community jogging pass runs next to our garden, and each gardener is asked to plant some annual flowering plants in their plot (e.g., marigolds, zinnias, alyssum, etc.) to make the garden colorful and to attract beneficial insects. No unauthorized plants, please.
10. No pets are allowed in the garden within fence.
11. If a gardener is planning a vacation or will not be able to take care of her/his plot personally for a while, the gardener must provide to the SC, via email, the name(s) of the person(s) taking care of the gardener’s plot and the phone and e-mail of that person.
12. If a gardener’s plot becomes weedy and overrun from lack of maintenance, a courtesy email will be sent to the gardener from the Steering Committee. The gardener will then have two weeks to clean up the problem. Unless the gardener contacts the Steering Committee within that time, the plot will be reassigned to another gardener. The annual fee will not be refunded.
13. Maintaining the garden common areas demands the support of all our members. All gardeners are required to participate in several “All Hands” Work Days to support the maintenance of the garden community areas. The gardeners will be notified about upcoming garden projects, "All Hands” work dates, and other volunteer opportunities.
14. Please, do not be tempted to feed wildlife or leave any food items on the garden grounds within or outside the fence. Any food items (from hamburger buns to Halloween pumpkins) attract wildlife to the garden area and encourage rabbits, groundhogs, etc., to establish homes in the proximity to our garden. Unfortunately, this almost always ends in the disastrous devastation of some beds in the garden.
15. All garbage and food items must be taken home and discarded there. We do NOT have trash pick-up at the garden.
16. We have a compost site for your convenience and to "close the loop." We have three bins, behind the shed, where you can deposit weeds and other plant material removed from the garden. The compost that we generate can then be used to enrich your garden beds! Please knock/shake off clumps of soil clinging to the roots before adding plants to the bins because too much soil makes the resulting compost less desirable. Also, please remove all non-compostable items: plastic ties, pieces of metal, used gardening gloves, etc. No personal plants from home flower pots, Halloween pumpkins, etc., are allowed to be disposed in our compost bins.
17. The garden shed contains many gardening tools for use by all our gardeners. These tools are owned by the DCCG and are identified by colored banding. Please replace any tools into the storage spaces within the shed after use. Also, gardeners may store personal tools in the shed during the gardening season. Personal tools must be labeled for identification, must be stored neatly in the shed, and must be removed by the end of the season.
18. Dickinson College, the Dickinson College Community Garden and their lessees are not responsible for any personal tools or belongings brought to the garden, or for any injuries received while in the garden.
Have a great gardening year!