The application for the 2025 growing season is open now to December 15 through OpenGov. Returning gardeners have the right of first refusal. New members are chosen via a lottery system, and a wait list is kept. 

Returning members must submit payment of $40 fee. New members will not submit payment until they are notified they have been selected for a garden plot. Payment can be made online through OpenGov.

 Click here to apply.

The rules are spelled out below in the garden bylaws. Every season, there are ’work days’ to improve the overall garden. There is one general meeting early in the season and another in October, to close out the  season. Work days and general meetings are part of the garden agreement and participation is required.

The Prairie Village Community Gardens are managed by a Leadership Group and governed under a set of By-Laws.

This is an organic garden. Subscriber agrees to use organic methods and products. Prohibited products are genetically modified organisms, non-organic insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Please follow directions on the product labels and do not apply any product in any way that would impact another plot.

All garden plots must be kept free of weeds and trash during the rental term (April thru Nov). Grass and weeds must be removed or kept cut down to a maximum of 6 inches. Grass and weeds around the edge of each garden plot and on the paths surrounding the plots are the gardener’s responsibility and must be cut down or removed. Failure to do so may result in a warning from the Leadership Group. Please notify the Leadership Group if you cannot maintain your plot and need to relinquish it.

Individual gardeners cannot pass plots on to others.

Subscriber agrees to place plants within the assigned plot and to keep the plants contained within the plot. If tall crops are planted, they must not shade the neighbor’s plot.

Acceptable fencing options around plants are chicken wire/poultry fence, rabbit fencing, or any woven or mesh metal fencing less than 24” tall. Avoid using brightly colored plastic fencing.

The following plants are prohibited and not to be planted:

• Any plant not legal in the State of Kansas or considered a noxious, quarantined or invasive plant by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Listings and photos are available at this website: http://ksda.gov
• Corn and submerged or flooded crops (e.g. rice paddy).
• Sunflowers – any variety over 4’ tall.
• Invasive species such as trumpet vine, English Ivy, etc.
• Perennials, trees or shrubs as the garden site will be worked after each season to amend the soil.

No carpets or cardboard may be used as mulch in the garden. Our property partners, the City of Prairie Village or Global Montessori School (Cherokee site), have requested we refrain from using any odorous/foul-smelling substances on the plots to prevent objectionable odors in the surrounding areas.

Subscriber agrees to be responsible for watering the plot and to be respectful and responsible with the watering equipment. Attaching a hose with water running and leaving the garden is unacceptable and will result in the revocation of the gardener’s plot and forfeiture of the fee. When finished watering, return hose to main walkway, turn off the hose and relieve pressure from spray wand.

If you are unable to tend your garden for over two weeks at a time, please notify the Leadership Group or arrange to have someone maintain it. The appearance of the community gardens is of utmost importance and we must work together to keep it tidy.

Subscriber agrees to share vegetable garden abundance responsibly. Please share the harvest with a neighbor, family, friend or food pantry. The Leadership Group maintains a list of places where extra produce may be donated.

Each Subscriber is required to volunteer a minimum of three hours of work per growing season to maintain the common areas of the gardens. The Leadership Group will communicate volunteer tasks.

Subscriber and guests are not permitted to be in another plot without prior permission from the plot’s tenant. Any person who fails to follow this rule and is seen in other garden plots picking produce and/or plants will receive immediate termination of garden privileges permanently.

Garden hours are from sun up to sun down, seven days a week.

Plots must be cultivated by May 1 and planted by June 1.  The Leadership Group may approve an extension.  If your plot is not attended to or an extension is not requested and granted, you will forfeit the plot and the plot fee for the growing season and garden privileges for the following year.

Subscriber must have all materials out of the garden by the last week of November or 10 days after the first freeze, whichever occurs first. This includes removal of all plant material and any plant support systems and if applicable, posts and fencing.  If a plot is not cleared of these materials, the gardener will lose the plot and gardening privileges for the following year. Wood frames around renewing subscriber’s plots may remain. The removal of the materials is required to have a neat appearance through the winter in the gardens as a courtesy to the City and School.

Any incidents of vandalism or theft should be reported to the Leadership Group immediately and the Prairie Village Police (913-381-6464). Please note the City is not responsible for providing security for the garden.

Please take pride in your community gardens and pick up your trash and any litter that may have blown into the garden area. Take home any garden waste for disposal or composting.  The City does not provide waste removal service.

No driving will be allowed in the grass area surrounding the gardens. Park only in marked parking spaces in the Harmon Park or Global Montessori School parking lot. Gardeners are asked not to block any parking spaces.

Any spills of garden materials in the parking lot must be cleaned up immediately. Failure to do so will result in a warning from the Leadership Group.

No pets are allowed inside the garden perimeter.

No public intoxication, alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs are permitted in the gardens. Any violation of this regulation will result in the immediate termination of your garden privileges permanently.

The garden plots are located on property within the City limits of Prairie Village. All applicable County and City laws must be followed. The City of Prairie Village retains authority over the Harmon Park garden property and Global Montessori School retains authority over the Cherokee garden property and either entity may choose another use for it at any time, provided that a 90-day notice will be given to Subscribers.

The garden is administered and managed solely by the PVCG Leadership Group under the auspices of the Prairie Village Environmental/Recycling Committee. City and/or School personnel are not involved with the garden. Garden concerns and questions should be directed to the Leadership Group.

Each year, all gardeners and their families and friends celebrate the Summer Solstice with a pot luck dinner at the Harmon Park garden, as well as tomato tasting event. More details to be announced.

In Prairie Village, the main challenge for residents who want to have a vegetable garden is finding enough open ground with good sun. (Many homeowners who would love to have a vegetable garden simply don't have enough sunlight to grow tomatoes, because of the dense tree canopy.)

Members of the Prairie Village Environmental/Recycling committee had been following the community garden movement and discussing the idea of building a community garden in Prairie Village since 2009. We called upon a number of church congregations to ignite interest in co- developing a community garden on church property. We scoured the City for other open ground as well.

Fortunately, we were able to make an agreement with  Global Montessori, at 75th and Belinder for gardening  space.

And, we asked the Parks & Recreation Committee if it could identify some lightly used park space that could be given over to our  gardeners. After due consideration, the Committee provided four options and we have chosen the one with the best overall conditions, which includes access to water and sun, along with a location easy for gardeners to reach. It’s in Harmon Park, just north of the tennis courts at 77th and Delmar.

Also in 2011, we were fortunate to win a grant from the Kansas Community Gardens Project. Funds from this grant were sufficient to acquire materials for fencing our two garden locations, install water lines and spigots, create signs, buy hoses and watering wands, and rent equipment to prepare plots.

So our first year of gardening began in springtime of 2012. It was a challenging year because we experienced a warm winter and prolonged drought. But a lot of hard work and commitment--plus careful watering--got us through the season. And, as a bonus, the fall gardening season in 2012 was  excellent!

Over the 2012-13 winter, we petitioned the Parks and Recreation Committee for more gardening space at the Harmon Park garden and the Committee granted our expansion plan from the original 20 plots to 38. In 2015, the garden expanded once again to its current 43 plots. And, in 2016, we replaced the perimeter fence at the Harmon Park garden.

If you are a Prairie Village resident who wants a good spot to grow vegetables, we invite you to join us. Or, if you just want to help tend our donation plots, we would love the  help!