Whether you're an experienced gardener or just beginning, expand your garden skills at our Community Gardens. Garden plots are available at the Shelby Township Activities Center, located at 14975 21 Mile Road.  

All gardeners are required to pre-register for a 4'x8' size garden plot, located at the Shelby Township Activities Center, located at 14975 21 Mile Road, Shelby Township, MI 48316. A garden rental fee of $30 per plot for Shelby Township residents and $35 for nonresidents is due at registration. All notifications will be sent via email for updates, changes and announcements from the Shelby Township Community Garden, as this will be the main means the STAC Garden Advisory Board will use to communicate with fellow gardeners. Cultivation and planting will by early June.  If you have not commenced work on your garden plot by that date, the STAC Garden Advisory Board and Shelby Township Parks and Recreation retain the right to assign your plot to someone else, and you will not receive a refund. It is expected that you will regularly attend to your garden plot and will not let it go fallow or unused for any period of three (3) weeks or longer during the growing season. The growing season that applies to this guideline is June through October.

Early season produce can be planted earlier than the June start date. If you must abandon your plot for any reason, please notify the STAC Garden Advisory Board to forfeit your plot. A refund will not be issued. It is expected that all gardeners will be good neighbors to all adjoining plots, and will not expand your plot beyond the boundaries of the initial 4'x8' size. Gardeners will keep their plot, paths, and surrounding areas clean and neat. If the garden plot area becomes unsightly, including weeds that become three inches or taller, the STAC Garden Advisory Board retains the right to terminate the plot rental with no refund. Guests and visitors, including children, may enter the garden only when accompanied by an adult. All plot renters and visitors must follow the rules, terms and conditions stated here. The garden must have supervised children at all times, and please report any theft, vandalism or suspicious behavior to the police immediately.

Gardeners will be notified via email for all communications regarding the Community Garden. Participants are required  to perform maintenance and upkeep of their general garden area and will participate in as many workdays/meetings as possible.

A water source will be provided at the Community Garden, and watering the plot is the sole responsibility of the gardener. You must be on site during watering and please turn off all water faucets when you leave the property. Planting, growing or harvesting plants or produce at the Community Garden for sale or commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The Shelby Township Activities Center Community Garden is an organic garden in nature and the use of “natural fertilizers” is required.  Plots must be cleaned of debris and prepared for winter by the end of each year. Gardeners leaving their plot in poor condition may face forfeiture  in the upcoming season.

Gardeners will respect the plots of others, and will not disturb or take anything from the garden that is not rightfully their own, unless specifically permitted by garden officials. No on-site composting is allowed. The following is strictly prohibited:

• planting of invasive species
• the use of herbicides, insecticides and commercial inorganic fertilizer
• planting of any illegal plants, including medical marijuana plants
• radios, boom boxes or loud music
• altering the water system in any way

The garden is open from 8 a.m. until dusk. Garden Plots will be assigned on a priority scale. Shelby Township residents will have first priority, followed by nonresidents. In all subsequent years, returning gardeners in good standing will have first priority and every effort will be made to assign the same plot as the previous year, unless otherwise requested. Gardeners requesting multiple plots will make an effort to accommodate multiple plot requests after all Shelby Township residents’ requests have been fulfilled. Shelby Township Parks and Recreation will make every possible effort to ensure plots are adjoining, unless requested otherwise.

Lastly, any remaining plots will be assigned to nonresidents. Parking is only allowed in the designated lot for the garden location. A violation of any of these guidelines may result in plot reassignment and forfeiture of plot rental fee. If any of the guidelines are violated you will be contacted by phone or e-mail and have one week to address the violation. After one week, if the violation has not been remedied, this may result in plot reassignment and forfeiture of plot rental fee. All guidelines are subject to change at any time. 

For more information, please contact Parks and Recreation Director Joe Youngblood at 586-731-0300 or youngblj@shelbytwp.org.