Welcome Hill Farm Family Gardeners

FAQS

When is the official start and end of the season?

The official season starts May 1st. With the warmer weather this Spring, we are working hard behind the scenes to get water turned on ASAP. We appreciate your patience as we get the season rolling. The end of the season wraps up in late October-early November when we clean out the raised beds. This happens after first frost, when most gardening activities have wound down.

Is there water access in the garden?

The short answer: not yet! The long answer: We are working hard behind the scenes to get water access and hook ups available in the garden ASAP. For now, we suggest bringing watering cans to water your seedlings and starts until then. We appreciate your patience as we move through this temporary hiccup and will notify you via email as soon as it is resolved.

What happens if I get started late in the season? What if I miss my planting window?

First things first, don’t panic. There are lots of veggies that are quick growers or heat lovers that can be planted later in the season. Our general rule of thumb is stopping planting by July 1st as the peak of Summer heat rears its head. However, there are few cut and dry rules in gardening. We have had success with seeding greens like spinach, arugula and kale late in the season with bountiful harvests happening by September – as long as we kept the soil moist and frequently watered. We highly recommend checking out our FREE Planting Calendar as a resource for what and when to grow food in Ohio.

I am brand-new and don’t know much about gardening- can I still join?

You are definitely welcome to join! Throughout the season, we will be sending out emails with garden tips, tricks and how-tos for the space. This year, we are also offering complimentary sign ups for 1:1 garden coaching with expert gardeners from the Columbus Foodscapes team to provide hands-on support!

What do I do with my weeds and garden refuse?

We ask that you place all garden refuse (example: carrot tops, pulled plants, leftover leaves and stems from processing) and weeds in the marked compost bins. We ask that you take out trash such as single use containers, plant tags, food wrappers, etc. to throw away at home in your personal bins. We thank you for keeping the space looking fresh and clean!

I ended up with too many tomatoes! Can I share my harvest with other gardeners?

Absolutely yes! We want to encourage everyone to share the abundance of food with others as much as possible this year. If you are overwhelmed with a flush of too much at once, we encourage you to place extra food on the table under the shelter house. If you see some rotting/less-than-great produce on the table, please feel free to join in the “community spirit” of the garden and dispose of it in the compost bins. Shared produce means shared responsibility to keep our garden looking beautiful!