I am being bullied by the Garden Police...

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dawnnys

Well-known member
Time to rant! I think it's a form of bullying! I got an email from one of the participants (not director) of the community garden that I've taken part in for the last couple of years. Keep in mind that DH and I, along with the library director, were the ONLY ones planting and tending the "public/charitable" side of last year's plots.

Since early-May, I've been asking - with no response - about if we will get compost and if anyone was going to till the plots (keep in mind we live in the town of "Clay" which is aptly named for the texture of the soil here) this year like we always have. Since the community liaison from the library quit last year, it's been up in the air and we now have a new person heading it.

I was told that there are no waiting lists this year since we expanded so much last year, so was given my same plot as last year. Not that it's any of her business, but I have been there 5 times already this year, about once a week, to trim my herbs and remove the overgrowth between them. I'm leaving the daisies in there that are very pretty until they are finished blooming. Apparently the person that wrote the email doesn't think you should have flowers in the garden, and obviously she considers that anything green and lush are weeds (even my mounds of herbs which are coming along really nice already this summer). She even claims she has been harvesting for 2 months now... that would be mid-April, when we still had an couple of inches of snow on the ground!

Tell me I'm not over-reacting! "Not able"? What's that supposed to mean? I wrote back and told her thanks for her concern, but I will speak with the woman in charge (hint, hint).

Here it is:

Hi,

We didn't see you at the library plotters meeting... I spoke to you awhile back but haven't heard from you, or seen any work being done on your garden.. Just a little tip - The easiest time to pull weeds is right after it rains - and we've been having enough rain.

Are you still going to be using your plot this season? Perhaps, if you are not able to work your garden this year, you might want to tell the director that, so she can assign it to someone else that really wants to garden.

I have been harvesting food from my garden for quite awhile, as I started planting things over 2 months ago. A main theme at the meeting was, how frustrated other farmers have been by seeing so many (supposedly adopted) plots that have been lying unused, when there could be lots of food being grown in those areas. Particularly, I and a few others are growing extra crops for food pantries, that we volunteer in.

It was also brought up, by several farmers, that they are upset about how many gardens have not been touched and that contributes to the spread of weed and unwanted flower seeds into their gardens.

If you are unable to do the work this year, you could give up the garden and perhaps adopt a plot next year, when you are able.

At the meeting we did draw up what are going to be a list of farmer's responsibilities that are being added to the contracts. This includes actual dates of when gardens need to show activity and planting in the spring, clean up deadline dates in the fall, etc. If these responsibilities are not met, the gardens will be forfeited and given to the next person on the waiting list.

 
The world's most passive-aggressive form letter. Ugh.

I think you were absolutely right to deal only with whoever's in charge.

In the history of the world, "Just a little tip" never precedes anything sincere, or useful. smileys/wink.gif Good luck!

 
HA! Mayber you should put a big stake with a sign on it: "I Was Here ON:" . . .

List all the previous dates and then sign in on the sign/date every time you show up again.

I am sure you could have fun being passive-aggressive too! (and it helps to make the person who wrote the letter embarrassed without mentioning names!).

Geeze I hate stuff like this . . .

To go more on the passive aggressive side, you could list and *LABEL* all of the plants you are caring for. You know, in a FYI, reeeely helpfully obnoxious way. . . smileys/smile.gif

I guess a lot of people don't know that you don't have to be anal-retentive/obsessive-compulsive to run a garden!

 
As you know, I am a garden policeman and I have to write these types of letters,

but this one sounds really prissy. My gardeners are free to grow whatever they like as long as it is legal, organic, and not a tree. They don't get notices unless there are really weeds in the plot, or the plot sits empty. Then they have two weeks to correct the problem. I ask other gardeners to mind their own business and let me handle it while I follow this procedure.

If the person who wrote this in not in charge, then she is out of line. She probably also doesn't know an herb from a weed. If I were you I would try to schedule a meeting with the person in charge, look at your plot with her, and see if she thinks any corrections need to be made. You may have to explain your preference for herbs and flowers over annual crops.

 
I agree with all but think you have to answer or act since she sounds like she might just pull out

all of your delicious weeds one day. I like the list of dates
you visit but you should speak to the in charge person too.

 
Also, you can tell her from me that last week alone, I had a gardener bury his dead cat in his plot

at one location (could have gotten us a $300 fine. "I wanted her with me," he said), and at another I found out a gardener who lives next door is coming in in the early hours, setting aside a fence board she has pried loose, and using our hose to water her own property. I kicked her out and her son is now threatening a lawsuit.

Ask her from me, "You think you have problems?!" What's a few daisies?"

 
I'd respond to the person in charge and encl a copy of the letter.

You might want to toss in something about is this person now part of and speaking with the authority of the community garden committee?

Clearly some bug crawled up her behind!

 
This sounds like a "generic" form letter that could be sent to anyone in your group. Note

how all the sentences are couched in vagueness.

I think "someone" has a garden ego and that "someone" needs to lighten up with their politico letter writing. This person should have done due diligence and found out first who was--and who was not--actually gardening this year. The idea of community garden is to foster COMMUNITY....not to ride rough-shod over the usage and schedules of its users.

In Orlando, the court ruled against a family growing vegetables in their front yard...vegetables as opposed to grass. The City of Orlando brought the charges as a violation of city codes.

Interestingly, the home owner WAS ALLOWED to have live chickens in his BACK YARD.

I agree with everyone. Send this to the person in charge

http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/orlando-gardener-vows-fight-anti-front-yard-veggie-garden-ordinance.html

 
I like this quote: . . .

"By allowing backyard chickens, but zoning out front yard veggie gardens, Orlando is codifying the property equivalent of a mullet. Yards must be business in the front, but can be party in the back."

LOL!

 
I copied everyone in the group on my response to her (along w/her message to me) and found

out when I was "weeding" this afternoon, that I was not the only one that got that email. "Geesh, what happened the other night?" was the conversation.

As soon as I had gotten her message, I politely emailed her a "thanks for your concern", and that I would take it up with the director of the program. I sent a cc to the director too.

I pulled up a lot of the daisies today, but still left a couple of manicured bunches, then went home, but not before vigorously shaking the picked daisies over the woman's plot. (You did not!)

Passive-aggressive, maybe, but it felt good! And now we have a nice centerpiece on the kitchen table. :eek:)

I guess if this is the worst thing that happens to me this week, it's not that bad, but it sure was irritating at the time!

 
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