Victory Garden Application
How our Garden Builds Work
Victory Gardens San Diego (VGSD) is a program of San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project, a California non-profit 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt charity. We assist in the development of sustainable, organic, edible, earth-friendly home, community and school gardens.
Recipients of Victory Gardens are asked to make a donation which covers 1) out of pocket expenses for materials for their garden and 2) a small amount that allows VGSD to provide gardens to those who cannot afford one otherwise. Your donation covers everything needed to help you start your garden and will range from about $150 to $350 depending on size of garden, raised or in-ground beds, plants, type of irrigation, gopher prevention etc. VGSD provides volunteer labor and assigns a volunteer Project Manager / Garden Guide to periodically assist you through your first growing season. We ask that Garden recipients agree to follow the guidelines set out in “The Good Gardener Agreement” below.
Free Gardens
Victory Gardens San Diego provides a limited number of free gardens every year based on need. If you are applying for a free garden, please fill out Section B. of the application in addition to Section A. Decisions on who qualifies for a free garden are determined based on the information in the application as well as the recommendation of the Project Manager after a site visit.
The Application Process
Once submitted, you will receive acknowledgement of your application and it will be evaluated by the Victory Gardens Action Team.
A Project Manager is assigned to every applicant who will contact you by email and phone to schedule a site visit to meet with you, see your prospective garden space and understand your goals.
Due to the current economy and growth in the local food movement, Victory Gardens San Diego has many applications. Thanks in advance for your patience.
Renters
If you do not own the property where you’d like a garden you need to obtain approval from the property owner. Please print out and complete Section C. of the application, the Owner Authorization Form. You can provide this to the Project Manager assigned to your build.
How much water does a garden use vs. a lawn? Go to our FAQ page to find out.
Participant Commitments
The Good Gardener Contract:
- Work with the VGSD team to install your garden
- Maintain and water your garden
- Harvest and eat food from your garden
- Give away any extra food from your garden
- Use organic growing and pest management methods, avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- Create and maintain a composting system
- Ask for help when needed and seeking answers to gardening questions from any of the community resources available including San Diego County Master Gardeners
Provide an evaluation about your experience with VGSD to help us with continuous improvement - Allow VGSD to photograph you, your family and your garden for use in any of VGSD’s public relations and marketing campaigns
- Volunteer on at least one other VGSD garden build, preferably before the installation of your garden. And others after.
In The Meantime…
Volunteering at a Garden build or attending one of our University of Gardening courses is a great way to meet other gardeners, learn more about gardening and see how VGSD “grows it forward.” The best way to stay informed about all our activities is to Subscribe to the VGSD Newsletter, join us on our Yahoo Group, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Application Form
A. Tell us about you.
Fields marked with *are required.