Welcome Gardeners

Announcements and Updates

We are no longer accepting applications for 2024 plots at this time as all plots are now reserved/assigned! If you are still interested in a plot, you can add your name to the waitlist here: https://forms.gle/m9UhMRXvQbfqBTXj9 

By adding your name to the waitlist, you will have priority should any plots become available throughout the rest of the year.

The waitlist link is also available as on the Apply page! Please contact Jonathan Balog (jbb5406@psu.edu) if you are interested or have questions.

Upcoming Events: 


Plot Watering Help Form

If you will be out of town for a bit or something has come up and you need your plot watered, you can ask for help through this linked form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zyixmQxBuG14M2iFds05JkdayaMKwFFi2V_3Dq442OE/edit?usp=sharing 


If you will be stopping by the garden to water your own plants, please check out this before you go! There may be a neighboring plot or two that needs some help!


Food Bank Donation Information

The garden is working to donate any extra produce to the State College Food Bank. If you have any vegetables or fruits that you would like to donate, please fill out this form. There is a laminated sign on the tool shed with a link to the form as well.  


After the form is completed, Isabella Pettita or another officer will pick up the items from the indicated plot and take them to the food bank. If you have any questions, please let us know!


Current items that are accepted:

Past Events

Foraging Workshop - 6/28/2024

Our Vice President, Anthony Taylor lead a foraging workshop at the garden. Participants learned about edible plants outside of the usual fruits and vegetables planted at their plots - and even got to try some samples from native PA plants! 

Intro to Gardening Workshop - 5/9/2024

Our exec board lead an hour long introduction to the garden, including timings of plantings, companion plantings, pollinator-friendly plants, common diseases, and more. A few brave gardeners braved the incoming rain to help us with a workday at the garden after the workshop as well! 

Bee Hotel Workshop -  3/16/2024

Almost 30 gardeners came out to help cut, drill, and stack logs and bamboos inside both of our handmade bee hotels! Bee hotels are incredibly important to the success of our community gardens, as they provide shelter for over 400 species of solitary bees found in Pennsylvania, which then pollinate our garden plants. 

Garden Grow-How - 3/25/2024

The PSU Community Garden had a table at the Student Farm’s Garden Grow-How on March 25 at the HUB’s Heritage Hall. The Grow-How featured succulent giveaways, composting information, door prizes and other helpful gardening resources. At our table, we shared information about starting plants indoors and modeled an aquaponic system, grow lights, and some seedlings.It was great to see several new and returning PSU Community Gardeners to soak in all of the resources offered by the incredible PSU agriculture and gardening community!


Bee Hotel Building 3/16/24

Pollinator Garden Workday 5/30/24

Community Plots Workday 7/13/24

 About the Garden

The Penn State Community Garden was founded in 2009 and has since grown into a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students, faulty, staff, and community members interested in organic gardening in State College.  We are an official student club and a part of Penn State Sustainability.

As a student club, the garden must reserve 50% of our plots for students every year, but we welcome  Penn State faculty, staff, and State College community members to apply for the remaining plots.  Plot applications typically open in March of each year.

As a member of the Community Garden, you will have access to a 10' X 15' garden plot and free use of  garden tools, compost and mulch. We require that all plot members attend at least two garden workdays, where we work together to maintain and improve the garden.  We also offer free educational workshops and events to the public throughout the growing season.

For more information on applying for a garden plot, please visit the Apply page. For more information about the member requirements, please see our Gardener Agreement.  To check out upcoming Garden workdays, workshops, and other events, check out our Calendar. If you'd like to stay up to date with Garden news and events, please subscribe to our email listserve (instructions here). Feel free to contact us if you have any other questions!

Directions to the Garden

The garden is located on campus near the Medlar Baseball Field, downhill from the MorningStar solar home, with Tussey Mountain standing in the distance. Using Google Maps to navigate to the MorningStar Solar Home will bring you right to us! Please see 'Important Parking Information' below). 

IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION:  

Parking & Transportation monitors our parking area. If you do not have a permit to park on campus at Penn State-UP, you are at risk of getting a ticket. Please carefully read the information below. 

Carpooling and alternative transportation (such as biking) are encouraged! There is a CATA bus stop along the Blue Loop that will get you close to the garden (Porter Road at Jordan East Parking - Stop 281).