Asparagus for Sale

 

Asparagus Plants for Sale

When: Saturday March 21st, 10:30-11:30am

Where:  Community Garden

Bare Root:  $2.00

Small Pot:  $5.00

Large Pot:  $7.00

Allotment Bed Rules and Guidelines

 

Douglas Island Garden Society (DIGS)

Allotment Bed Rules and Guidelines

1. Registration Fees and Allotment Reservation

A. Each island resident is entitled to lease a plot, if space is available. Allotment lease holders must be current DIGS members.

B. Annual allotment fees are $50 per full plot, $25 for a half plot or $15 for a third of a plot. These fees are not refundable.

C. The fee includes frugal use of water and soil amendments (fertilizers). Compost, including seaweed and leaves from the community garden supply is for the communal beds only.

D. Allotment leases are good for one year (March 1 to February 28). DIGS reserves the right to change location and availability in future years. DIGS reserves the right to refuse to rent allotments if there is just cause.

E. Allotment leases are to be renewed and signed annually by March 1. Reminders will be emailed to current gardeners at the beginning of each calendar year.  Plots will become available to those on the wait list if any lease holders have not signed and paid the fee by March 1.

F. Allotments must be cleared of weeds by April 1. Failure to do so will result in the plot being reassigned to another gardener.

G. If, for any reason, a renter finds that they cannot care for their garden, they are required to notify the allotment coordinator and make arrangements for the care of their garden during their absence. The care giver needs to be made aware of all the guidelines concerning the allotment beds including mowing and watering duties. If an allotment holder is absent for more than one year he/she must relinquish his/her bed. Appeals can be made as set out in 13B Cooperation and Community.

2. Wait List

Any Protection Island resident can be on the wait list for an allotment bed as long as they are a member of DIGS. As a full bed becomes available it will be divided in half and the gardeners in the overflow bed will get first option to take a lease on ½ of the bed.

3. Watering

The rental fee includes the frugal use of water. Only hand watering is allowed.

4. Planting Restrictions

A. Only organic methods of growing are permitted - no toxic chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Gardeners using these items will lose their gardening privileges.

B. No trees are allowed because of shade and root problems.

C. No invasive species, eg. bamboo. Please check the City of Nanaimo’s web page for local invasive plants.

D. Tall plants can only be planted where they will not shade neighbouring plots.

5. Smoking

Smoking is not permitted in the garden area. This is a safety issue and a means of preventing the spread of the tobacco virus.

6. Weeds and Trash

It is the gardener’s responsibility to control the weeds and trash in their own plots and adjacent pathways and to clear their plot of trellis and staking material, plastic mulching, and plant debris when not in use.

7. Rebar

Exposed rebar is not allowed for staking or trellising for safety purposes.

8. Pets

Pets are not allowed in the garden.

9. Storage

Storage on site for gardeners’ tools or supplies will not be provided. Gardeners must pack what they need in and out.

10. Gates

Gardeners are asked to close and latch all gates when leaving to keep the deer out.

11. Compost and Garbage

A refuse bin (for non-organic garbage) and an open compost bin (for leaves, stem and root material) will be available on site.

12. Harvesting

No one may pick another gardener’s crop unless he or she has been given permission by the plot user.

13. Cooperation and Community

A. In addition to the annual fee, gardeners are required to make a contribution of their time by participating in the following communal tasks:

i) grass cutting - each allotment lease holder will be required to cut the grass and trim edges of the whole garden (inside and out) for an assigned one or two week period.

ii) watering - each allotment lease holder will be required to water the communal beds as needed. Beds to be watered will be assigned. If the lease holder is unable to complete the watering and/or mowing duties he/she must discuss this with the allotment coordinator.

iii) construction tasks and maintenance tasks

iv) lease holders are encouraged to attend weekly work party meetings to contribute in discussing issues pertaining to the garden.

B. Conflicts or concerns among allotment gardeners should be worked out privately. If not, the coordinator will arbitrate.

14. Privacy of Personal Information

All information collected on registration forms will be compiled in a database accessible only to the executive and will be kept confidential. This information will not be lent, rented or sold.

15. Subletting

The leased bed is to be used as a garden by the lease holder and may not be used or sublet except as decided in section 1G.

____________________________________________________________________________

These rules will be reviewed annually and may be improved.

Updated and approved at the AGM held February 28, 2026

DIGS Directors Meeting - Feb 28, 2026

 DIGS Directors Meeting - Feb 28, 2026, 2:48pm

Attendance:

Veronica Zehntner

Jim Harris 

Jurgen Goering

Jane Foxwell

Mike Gillespie

Marla Thorburn

Motion to nominate positions:

President -  Veronica - nominated by Marla, seconded by Jane

Treasurer -  Veronica choosing to remain in position

Secretary - Marla - nominated by Veronica, seconded by Jurgen

Allotment Coordinator - Jurgen - choosing to remain in position

CARRIED by acclaim

Events:

Plant Sale - Veronica, Jim Harris and Brenda Henderson

Dessert Auction - need team to organize, Jane says this needs to change, will re-visit

Fall Fair - need team to organize, Jim to contact judges, Veronica has brochure ideas

Tasks:

Perennial propagation - Jim to continue

Apple pruning - Jim to continue - could have a pruning workshop

Blog - Marla to take over from Jen Cluff - could let people know what we’ve done and what we’ve harvested and what’s coming up on Saturday  www.digsgarden.blogspot.ca

Promotion - Jurgen - be more public with what we’re doing, pro-isle, facebook

Watering seminar - how to drain hoses, turn off the wand, water the soil not the plants

Allotment bed sabbatical extension:  Chuck Butler would like to keep his allotment bed even though he is not feeling up to using it this year, for the second year. He has offered to pay for it and let the garden use it. After some discussion the directors decided to accept his offer.

Directors Meetings:  we will meet more often, quarterly or by request, as needed

Motion to adjourn at 3:15pm, moved by Mike, seconded by Jane, CARRIED

DIGS AGM - Feb 28, 2026

Douglas Island Garden Society (DIGS) 

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, held February 28, 2026

Members present: 19

1. Call to Order: 1:30pm - Land Acknowledgement

2. Adoption of Agenda, as amended

Moved         Lin Neufeld

Seconded    Mike Gillespie     CARRIED

3. Approval of Minutes of the 2025 AGM, held February 22, 2025, as amended 

(item 2, 3 and 6 should say CARRIED)

Moved      Margaret Harris

Seconded Barry Elmer CARRIED

4. Correspondence:  Received an email from Jane Watson and Graeme Ellis, well known residents on the island, with appreciation for the restoration activities on the island and the work of DIGS and Antler Swamp Restoration Group.

5. Business arising from the minutes:  Regarding Allotment Bed Rules and Guidelines, Jurgen proposed a motion to replace the website listed under 4c (bcinvasives.ca) with the City of Nanaimo’s web page for local invasive plants.

Moved      Jurgen Goering

Seconded Jane Foxwell CARRIED

6. Treasurer’s Report (Veronica): 

Opening bank balance $15,618.23

Revenues $  7,755.35

Expenditures $  8,329.63

Ending bank balance $15,043.95

Partner in Parks contract: will ask for re-imbursement from the city for metal garden beds already purchased, plus for the city to purchase additional metal beds, all as part of the matching grant funds due to DIGS.

Motion to accept the treasurer’s report (detailed reports submitted)

Moved      Kathy Goldsmith

Seconded Mike Gillespie

Discussion regarding money paid to the city and volunteer hours “in kind”.

CARRIED

7. Allotment Coordinator’s Report (Jurgen): we have 11 large garden beds plus an overflow bed, for a total of 24 allotment beds. Two lease holders took a sabbatical due to health reasons and their beds were used by the community garden. Two people from the overflow beds will be getting allotments beds and two new people are getting into the overflow beds. As of today we have zero people on the waiting list. The beds are physically deteriorating - many thanks to Mike Gillespie for his work shoring up the beds. There was a wasp nest in one bed this year. Losses due to unauthorized picking were minimal this year. Some watering issues this year.

Discussion:  Kevin and Jim offered to be contacts for new members to learn how to mow and water. Barry will contact the city to turn the water back on for the summer. Mowing needs to start soon. Jim offered to cut the grass during the first week of March.

8. President’s Report (Jim): thanks for being here to show support for the community garden, we appreciate it. Major things happening at the garden this year: 

• two 8x12 greenhouses (one heated); public thanks to Mike Gillespie, Kevin Pistor, Sandy Crowe, and Jim Harris for assembling the green houses, taking 4 men 4 days per greenhouse

• metal garden beds - Barry’s bed placement design was the winning entry, thanks to all for putting six metal beds together

• Margaret and Jim are stepping down as president and secretary after many years, time to reset the board of directors for the future of the garden, with some new ideas from new people. 

Discussion: Jurgen pointed out that Jim’s report was all about hardware and he wants to address produce, such as the garden had a record of 522 cucumbers this year. Others pointed out that the buddy system worked well, pairing a new member with a seasoned volunteer, to work together on a specific crop.

9. Directors for 2026: call for nominations from the floor (first, second and third), seeing none, the following are acclaimed and they will determine their roles within the committee executive:

    Veronica Zehntner

    Jim Harris

    Jurgen Goering

    Jane Foxwell

    Mike Gillespie

    Marla Thorburn

10. New Business:

a) update from Antler Swamp Restoration Project (Barry) - project is supported by 2024 City of Nanaimo Watershed Restoration Grant, grant term of one year but it is a multi-year effort. 70’ x 50’ blackberry thicket and large amount of lamium removed. South facing demonstration garden. Signage with land acknowledgement in planning stage. Site preparation lasted 7 months. Many plants, trees, shrubs and seeds planted. Small native plant nursery to propagate plants for restoration and DIGS plant sale. Coordinating with Emily Barnwell to provide plants for Pirates Park. Encourage DIGS to continue supporting the restoration project. Members of restoration group are Barry Elmer, Jurgen Goering, Nancy Turner, Marla Thorburn and Corinne Brolewicz.

Discussion: DIGS is an adjoining property with shared boundaries and we hope that you continue to share information at DIGS Saturday work parties. It was asked if there would be signs to identify plants with an answer in the afirmative. Discussion regarding terminology: stream, streambank, riparian area, drainage ditch, wetland, water channel. Request to amend the report to remove the word stream. It was generally agreed that water channel is a better term than stream. It was stated that there is a general understanding that there is a defined boundary to the wetland restoration area and to clarify that the ongoing support from DIGS is for work done within those boundaries.

b)  announcement about Jim and Margaret Harris’ retirement (Mike Gillespie) - presented with bouquet of flowers, card and gift card for the View restaurant.          - Jim has been vital for support from the city and has done an amazing job and it will be a challenge to move forward in the way it’s been before. All the board member and DIGS members will need to step up and we hope moving forward we will be able to do the garden justice. Jim will continue on the board as a director-at-large and will continue to provide his truck.

 

11. Announcements

• Event dates:  Plant Sale May 9th, Dessert Auction June 20th, Fall Fair Sep 5th

• Promotion:  DIGS blogspot www.digsgarden.blogspot.ca - a wonderful site for gardening information - should put a link to the blog on all emails and posts to pro-isle - and it can get advertised in the newspaper and Geo can come to the garden

12. Motion to adjourn

Moved         Jurgen Goering

Seconded Neil Goldsmith CARRIED

Meeting adjourned at 2:39pm