Pledge of Agreement

Gardener's “Pledge of Agreement” to Participate in the

SCP-Community Garden.

GENERAL

• I will enthusiastically pay an annual User Fee in the amount of  $25.00. This non-refundable fee is to help defray the cost of irrigation and other common expenses incurred.
• In addition to the user fee, I will gladly provide a “fully refundable” Annual Security Deposit in the amount of $25.00 to help insure the return of all keys, final cleanup of my planting bed(s), as well as, providing volunteer work as delineated in the SCP-Community Garden Bylaws.
• I will notify in writing the Garden Chairman or Master Gardener if: (a) I am no longer able to tend my planting bed; (b) will be absent for a long period of time (more than 1-2 weeks); or (c) have asked a friend to tend my garden.
• I will keep trash and litter out of my planting bed, as well as, from adjacent pathways, fences, and surrounding area.
• If I ask a friend to tend my garden or give permission to someone to harvest from my planting bed, I will provide them a dated, signed note stating the details of this “authorized” permission.
• Like others, I sometime like to listen to music or “the news” while gardening. However, I don't want to annoy my neighbors. Therefore, I will not make excessive noise or use any type of amplified sound except through personal headphones while in the community garden or surrounding area.
• I am eager to “volunteer” my time and effort and will actively participate in designated work days and other activities needed to develop and maintain the community garden and surrounding area.
• I will avoid even thinking about planting any type of toxic or highly invasive plant anywhere within the garden or surrounding area. (Endorsed by the “Kudzu, Wisteria, Mint, and Ivy Be-Gone Society”)
• Being a real patriot and law-abiding citizen, I will not engage in any type of illegal activity nor plant or use any type of illegal substance within the Community Garden and surrounding area.
• While some folks may not be aware of this fact, I realize that tobacco products, even smoke, may carry “mosaic virus” that can be deadly to many plants. Therefore, all my guests and I will refrain from smoking, chewing, dipping or any other use of tobacco inside or within 25 feet of the fenced-in garden area.
• I will pick only my own crops or flowers unless given permission by another garden user. In fact, I won't even tip-toe around or dig worms inside another's Garden Bed.
• I will notify the Garden Chairman or Master Gardener of any leaks in water lines or hoses, make sure all faucets are off when I leave the garden, and keep hoses neatly rolled up near the water riser(s).
• While I love, or at least tolerate, animals, I will not bring any pet (not even leashed, caged, boxed, or wearing cute little bows) within the fenced-in garden area.
• I will promptly clean up and properly dispose of any “residue” my pet might deposit in the surrounding parking or nearby public areas of SCP.
• I will keep gates to the garden fence closed at all times, even when I'm inside. Those sneaky deer and rabbits are lurking nearby.
• Wanting to do my part to help prevent vandalism or uninvited guests from pillaging, plundering, and pilfering, I will make sure the tool shed and gates are locked when the fenced-in garden area is not in use by a trusted fellow gardener. That means, if I'm the last one out, I will lock the tool shed and gate(s).
• Family members and friends are welcome to accompany gardeners to the garden site. However, I will supervise my guests, especially young children (and “overly inquisitive” adults), so they don't disturb other planting beds or surrounding areas.

MY PLANTING BED

• I will have some crop(s) planted in my garden bed by April 15th and keep it planted and/or tended all summer long. Otherwise, I understand and agree that my planting bed may be considered “abandoned” and reassigned as necessary with no refund of either “user fee” or “security deposit”.
• I understand that I cannot transfer my planting bed to someone else.
• If needed, I may utilize basic plant support, such as, basic tomato cages, stakes, and simple trellises that are no higher than 6 feet.  
  

  • Materials for these structures shall be wood, metal, or string (or commercially available plastic tomato cages)
  • I will not install any structure of a permanent nature and nothing will be nailed/screwed/otherwise attached to the wooden material comprising the raised bed perimeters.
• I will keep my garden weeded and maintain the areas within and immediately surrounding my planting bed.
• I will dispose of weeds and other plant materials in designated areas.
• If my planting bed becomes unkempt (e.g. a “real eye-sore” as determined by fellow gardeners and/or the Garden Committee), I understand I will be given 1 week's written notice to tidy it up. At that time, it may be tilled in and subject to being re-assigned with no refund of the user fee or security deposit.
• I am proud of my planting bed, therefore, I will clear plant materials and any stakes, fencing, trellises, string and all other inorganic materials at the end of the season or the “demise” of my crops.
• If I'm embarking on a year-round planting rotation, I will turn under or remove spent plant residues promptly at the end of each growing season.
• If I plan to put perennial plants (or a mixture of annuals and/or vegetables and perennials; no trees or shrubs) in my planting bed, the perennials will be planted in appropriate garden containers and removed by me from the garden area by the end of the year.
• I will avoid planting sprawling or extremely tall crops that might interfere with others; that includes avoiding the planting of very tall crops/plants where they will shade neighboring planting beds.
• I will harvest my crops/flowers once they are mature---yummy!  
  

  • If I feel I won't be able to use all of them, I will harvest them anyway and (a) give the extra to a local food bank, senior citizens center, women's shelter, neighbor, or someone else who could use them; or (b) dispose of the extras in some other proper and dignified manner.
• I will not use fertilizers, insecticides or weed repellents that will in any way adversely affect or contaminate other plants, planting beds, or adjacent walkways or property.
• Absolutely, I will avoid spraying, or at least take extra precautions, on windy days. After all, I want to be known as a gardener who is considerate of my gardening neighbors and friends.
• I will conserve the use of water by mulching my planting bed with leaves, grass clippings, hay, pine straw or other suitable “natural” or biodegradable material to reduce water evaporation.
• If I really insist on using black plastic mulch or newspaper, I will disguise it under some “natural” material like straw, etc. and I definitely will remove any plastic at the end of the growing season.
• I realize that unattended watering is “a flood waiting to happen” and is, therefore, not permitted. Only personally supervised hand-watering is permitted.

TOOLS & TOOL SHED

• I am very thankful we have tools available for use in the garden area. When I am done gardening, all community-owned tools I have “borrowed” from the garden shed will be cleaned and returned to the storage area in the tool shed. I will not take “borrowed” tools home overnight.
• After entering and piddling around, I will leave the tool shed neat, clean, and tidy.
• When leaving the shed, I will make sure the door is closed. If I'm the last one leaving the area, I will make sure the tool shed is locked.
• Hey, this tool shed is not large enough for everyone to store all our personal gardening “stuff”. Therefore, I will not store anything in the tool shed except the community-owned tools and equipment. That means I'll take any extra fertilizer or other “stuff” home with me when I leave. If I bring it in, I'll take it out! If I leave it here, it becomes community property.

COMPOST AREA

• Only organic, plant material should be placed in the designated compost areas. I will watch my “Ps and Qs” to make sure I don't put anything else, including but not limited to paper, chicken bones, used motor oil, meats, chunks of treated lumber, rocks—including diamonds and other precious jewels into the compost piles/areas.
• Seedy materials, especially tomatoes, should not be placed into the compost pile. A designated area for these materials will be provided.
• While I'd love to have all the compost just to myself, I realize others need to use it, too. Therefore, I'll use just “a tad” so others can also sweeten their gardens with this magical substance.
  
  
        BOO-BOOS DO HAPPEN
  
  
• I understand that neither the Sun City Peachtree Garden Club, Pulte, Inc., Del Webb, the SCP Homeowners' Association (HOA), community gardening group, their employees, officers, or members are responsible for my actions or those of my guests. I THEREFORE AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS THE SUN CITY PEACHTREE GARDEN CLUB, PULTE, INC., DEL WEBB, SUN CITY PEACHTREE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION (HOA), OR COMMUNITY GARDENING GROUP FOR ANY LIABILITY, DAMAGE, LOSS OR CLAIM THAT OCCURS IN CONNECTION WITH USE OF THE COMMUNITY GARDEN BY ME OR ANY OF MY GUESTS.
  

ALL members of a household who will be using a Garden Planting Bed in the Community Garden should sign and date below.
I (we) have read and agree to abide by the By-Laws and the “Pledge of Agreement” of the SCP-Community Garden.
________________________________________________
Signature Date
_________________________________________________
Signature Date

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SUN CITY PEACHTREE – COMMUNITY GARDEN

– Rules and Regulations –

(Bylaws)

To facilitate establishing a Community Garden, Sun City Peachtree community volunteers developed these “Rules and Regulations” to govern the initial creation and ongoing operation of the Community Garden.

1. The purpose of the Sun City Peachtree Community Garden (SCP-CG) is to provide space for gardening and the promotion of education and sustainable, ornamental and edible plant culture, as well as, the joy of gardening for the residents of Sun City Peachtree.

2. The benefits of the Community Garden include improving quality of life, stimulating social interaction, beautifying the neighborhood, producing food, and preserving green space.

3. The Sun City Peachtree Community Garden shall be organized and operated under the auspices of the Sun City Peachtree Garden Club.

4. Collected user fees, other funds and financial transactions related to the Community Garden will not be co-mingled with, but will remain separate from general funds of the SCP Garden Club.

5. At the beginning of each year, the President and Executive Committee of the Sun City Peachtree Garden Club shall appoint the following SCP-CG Committee officers, all of whom must be current members of the SCP Garden Club:
    
   • Garden Chairman (responsible for organizing, maintaining, and overseeing the development and operation of the SCP-CG)
   • Minister of Finance and Tabulations (responsible for maintaining records relevant to Planting Bed users, user fees and other financial transactions of the SCP-CG)
   • Master Gardener / Education Manager (responsible for providing advice/consultation on gardening to other community garden users, facilitating educational programs on gardening in the community garden, responsible for overseeing the planning and maintenance of plants/features in the common areas and compost areas of the Community Garden.)
   • SCP-Community Garden Committee Members-at-Large (4) (along with other designated committee officers, responsibilities of members-at-large are to plan and oversee the development and operation of the SCP-Community Garden.)
   
   

6. All Garden Bed applicants (e.g. “gardeners”) shall pay an Annual Security Deposit, initially set at $25.00, which shall be refunded no later than December 31st, if (a) the gardener’s Garden Bed is cleared of all plant material, staking, and debris; (b) the registrant has completed all required volunteer hours; and (c) all issued keys and any other materials provided by SCP-CG are returned in good condition; The Annual Security Deposit amount shall be determined at the beginning of each year by the Community Garden Committee. In lieu of a refund, an applicant may elect to apply a refundable annual security deposit to the following year's security deposit with approval of the Committee Chairman and Minister of Finance and Tabulations.

7. In addition to the “refundable” Annual Security Deposit, each Garden Bed holder will be assessed an annual “user fee”, initially set at $25.00 per planting bed per year (or part of year). This non-refundable user fee will be used to cover costs of irrigation, equipment, maintenance, and/or other expenses required to maintain the integrity and operation of the community garden. The amount of the per bed user fee shall be established prior to the beginning of each calendar year and shall be determined by the Community Garden Committee and/or others designated by the SCP Garden Club President. (It is understood that “irrigation” costs are unknown until after incurred. Therefore, it is possible that an additional assessment of each garden bed holder may be required to cover actual irrigation costs.)

8. All members/users of the “Sun City Community Garden” will be required to agree to and sign a “Pledge of Agreement” that contains the following statement BEFORE being issued a key to the garden area and/or given permission to enter or use the community garden area:

“I understand that neither the Sun City Peachtree Garden Club, Pulte, Inc., Del Webb, the SCP Homeowners' Association (HOA), community gardening group, their employees, officers, or members are responsible for my actions or those of my guests. I THEREFORE AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS THE SUN CITY PEACHTREE GARDEN CLUB, PULTE, INC., DEL WEBB, SUN CITY PEACHTREE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION (HOA), OR COMMUNITY GARDENING GROUP FOR ANY LIABILITY, DAMAGE, LOSS OR CLAIM THAT OCCURS IN CONNECTION WITH USE OF THE COMMUNITY GARDEN BY ME OR ANY OF MY GUESTS.”

9. All households selected to use a Garden Bed will be provided one (1) key to gain access to the fenced-in garden area and tool shed. The gardener may make one duplicate key for use by other authorized users of the garden bed. The original (and any duplicate key) is (are) to be returned to the SCP-CG no later than December 31^st.. Failure to return the key(s) will result in forfeiture of the Annual Security Deposit. (Locks will be changed yearly, so that one year's keys will not work on the next year's locks.)

10. Standard Garden Beds shall be approximately four (4) feet wide by sixteen (16) feet in length raised beds with affixed perimeter boards/timbers measuring 6” in nominal height. Height of beds may be raised in future years following approval by the SCP-Community Garden Committee.
11. A limited number of Easi-Access Beds (handicapped) shall be available and will be approximately 18-24” or taller in nominal height. These garden beds may be four (4) feet wide by sixteen (16) feet in length or smaller, as approved by the SCP-Community Garden Committee.
12. All Garden Bed users are expected to volunteer a minimum of 6 logged hours (cumulative) in the Community Garden on designated work days during the course of a year.
13. Garden Beds shall be assigned by random lottery drawing at least one week prior to the opening of the garden each year. The lottery procedure (Initial year) will be:

1. (Initial year) (1) Household names of prime movers and shakers* will be placed in a container; (2) one name will be randomly withdrawn and a member of that household will select an available garden bed of their choice and be recorded by the Minister of Finance and Tabulations; (3) names will continue to be randomly drawn, one-at-a-time, and bed selection made until no further beds and/or names remain. If a member of a “drawn” household is NOT present at the random drawing/assignment, the SCP-CG Committee Chairman shall assign a planting bed on behalf of that household.
2. After raised beds have been assigned to prime movers and shakers*,(1) Household names of certified primary applicants* will be placed in a container; (2) one name will be randomly withdrawn and a member of that household will select an available garden bed of their choice and be recorded by the Minister of Finance and Tabulations; (3) names will continue to be randomly drawn, one-at-a-time, and bed selection made until no further beds and/or names remain. If a member of a “drawn” household is NOT present at the random drawing/assignment, the SCP-CG Committee Chairman shall assign a planting bed on behalf of that household.
3. If all names in the initial drawings are depleted and further beds remain available, (1) names of certified secondary applicants** will be placed in a container; (2) the same random, sequential lottery process described above will be followed until all names and/or available planting beds are depleted.
4. If names of certified applicants remain after all available planting beds have been selected, the remaining names shall be (1) placed in a container and; (2) the same random, sequential lottery (as described above) will be conducted; (3) as names are selected, they will be recorded on a waiting list—in the order in which they were drawn; (4) as beds become available, waiting list applicants will be notified—in order—and given the opportunity to select an available bed; if a waiting list applicant does not respond to notification within a reasonable time (as determined by the Committee Chairman) or chooses not to select a garden bed, the next-in-line waiting list applicant will be notified for garden bed assignment.
5. If additional planting beds remain available after all prime movers and shakers, certified primary and secondary applicant names are drawn, other households desiring a planting bed will be given such an opportunity. All names of these households (1) will be placed in a container, and; (2) the same random, sequential lottery process described above will be followed until all remaining beds have been selected.
6. If additional planting beds remain available after all certified and interested applicant names are drawn, applicants desiring a second planting bed will be given such an opportunity. All names of such households (1) will be placed in a container, and; (2) the same random, sequential lottery process described above will be followed until all remaining beds have been selected or names depleted.
7. After all planting beds have been depleted and the names of all certified applicants have been added to a waiting list any remaining names of interested households will be added to the waiting list (using the same random lottery process described above), in sequential order, following the names of certified applicants on the waiting list.

The method of garden bed assignment in subsequent years shall be as follows:

1. All gardeners from the previous year who (a) volunteered the requisite minimum number of hours on designated workdays during the gardening year or who are designated “prime movers and shakers*” and, (b) have been “good neighbor” gardeners by observing the “Pledge of Agreement” are considered gardeners “in good standing” and may elect to retain their raised bed for the coming year or select another raised bed that may be available. If more than one previous gardener “in good standing” (as described above) wishes to select another available bed, all such gardener names shall be placed in a container and a sequential lottery system used for bed selection.
   
   
2. In the event previous gardeners have not (a) volunteered the requisite minimum number of hours on designated workdays during the previous gardening year and/or (b) have not met “good neighbor” gardener standards by failing to observe the “Pledge of Agreement”, those who wish to continue gardening will be designated as “certified applicants” and entered into the general lottery system as described below.
3. Non-previous (new) gardeners who wish to participate in the community garden, should sign up as early in the year as possible. During the coming months, those interested individuals who volunteer their time and effort on designated volunteer work days and/or other opportunities will be designated either a “certified primary applicant” or “certified secondary applicant” or “certified applicant” depending upon volunteer hours worked. They will then be entered into the general lottery system as described below.
4. Any raised beds available after previous gardeners have elected to retain their raised bed or select another bed (described above), will be available for assignment in a general lottery system to waiting certified applicants. The general lottery system described in Section M, 2-7 (above) will be used.
5. After all planting beds have been depleted and the names of all certified applicants have been added to a waiting list any remaining names of interested households will be added to the waiting list (using the same random lottery process described above), in sequential order, following the names of certified applicants on the waiting list.

*prime movers and shakers (Initial year): those who have been instrumental in devoting countless hours and effort in the initial development of the SCP-Community Garden to include: (a) Members of the SCP-CG Executive Committee (5 people), (b) Master Planning & Layout Designers (2 people), (c) Construction Supervisor (1 person), (d) Civil Engineering of Site & Structures (1 person), (e) Minister of Finance and Tabulations (1 person), (f) Master Gardener/Education Manager (1 person), (g) Decorative Landscaping/Artistic Coordinator (1 person).

*prime movers and shakers (Subsequent years): Those who go above and beyond efforts on designated volunteer work days in planning, developing and operating the SCP-Community Garden to include: (a) members of the SCP-Executive Committee, (b) Master Gardener/Education Manager, (c) Minister of Finance & Tabulations, (d) any one else duly recognized and designated by a the SCP-CG Executive Committee.

**certified primary applicant (at least one member of a household who (a) has expressed early interest in participating in the community garden AND (b) has volunteered a minimum of 6 logged hours in the planning, development, implementation and/or maintenance of the Community Garden.

***certified secondary applicant (at least one member of a household who (a) has expressed early interest in participating in the Community Garden and (b) has volunteered a minimum of 3 logged hours in the planning, development, implementation and/or maintenance of the Community Garden.