Every year many Lawrence residents enjoy spending time outside and growing their own vegetables and flowers in our spacious 1/3 acre community garden. The garden is in the fenced-off area behind Buildings #6 and #14.
Garden sign-ups and registration for the 2025 season will open on March 1, 2025! Stay tuned for more details!
Read below or see the Lawrence Garden handbook to learn more. For questions, contact the Garden Coordinator and Garden Events Manager at lawrencegarden@princeton.edu.
Also, follow us on Instagram @lawrencegarden!
Best Reasons to Garden
- Great way to meet your neighbors! Enjoy group gardening days and garden-related social events!
- New Jersey is the Garden State. Thus, it is relatively easy to grow lots of tasty vegetables, economical herbs, and beautiful flowers!
- Learn about and contribute to sustainable practices!
Join the community!
The sign-up link is posted here on the website and distributed via email to the general Lawrence Apartments listserv in early March of each year.
- Private garden plots are rented on a first-come-first-serve basis at the beginning of each season.
- Communal garden plots are open to everyone in Lawrence.
After registration, gardeners are added to the Lawrence garden listserv, which the garden coordinator uses to send important updates about garden access, shared resources, and community events.
Through the Princeton Grads Slack group (previously GSG Global), the #lawrence-garden channel is a place for the garden community to chat about all things garden-related. Spouses and partners of students can join the slack group as well (and are encouraged to do so!).
The Garden Year
Princeton, NJ is located in zones 6b and 7a (USDA Hardiness Zone Map).
The traditional garden season typically begins in April. Before the new season begins (sometime in March), gardeners clean up remaining debris from the past season and put down fresh compost on the beds and mulch on the pathways.
Private plots are assigned by the garden coordinator on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The garden officially opens for the season in early April. Seeds can be started indoors or in the greenhouse. Mature seedlings can also be purchased at local nurseries and garden centers. Things really take off after the last frost date, which is in early- to mid-May for this area.
Over the summer gardeners participate in community events and help take care of shared areas as well as tending the their own plots, watering, cultivating, removing weeds, and harvesting. We also host garden-related social events throughout the year such as the annual seed-starting event, summer potlucks, craft socials, and field trips to local nurseries.
The end of the traditional gardening season is about mid-October, when the first frost occurs. At the end of the season we clear our plots and put crop supports, plastic, pots, or other items in storage for the winter.
Winter gardening may be available at the discretion of the garden coordinator.
Then we dream about next year.
The Greenhouse: A TigerWell Partnership
A TigerWell Partnership Grant was awarded to Kimberly Sabsay, Liz Helfenberger, and Claire Whiting in Spring of 2024 to fund the addition of a greenhouse in the community garden. The greenhouse was constructed in 2024 and serves as an additional tool for gardeners to utilize throughout the season (and through the winter!).
With the addition of the greenhouse, the Lawrence Garden Seed Library was established, providing a plentiful selection of seeds available to anyone who wishes to use them! From seed to harvest, we have everything you need to begin your gardening adventure!
Meet the 2025 Garden Coordinator and Garden Events Manager
FAQs
Q: I currently live in Lawrence but may have to move out midway through the summer. Can I still get a plot?
A: Yes. If you end up having to move out of Lawrence during the summer, you have two options:
Give up your plot after move-out. In this case you should grow crops that do not take too long to harvest (bush beans, radishes, spinach, peas, kale, …) OR give away your plot to someone who can harvest the rest of your crops.
Continue to care for your plot after moving out. This is inadvisable if you’re moving farther away than say Lakeside because you will likely not have time to tend weeds often enough and they will encroach on your neighbor’s plot.
Q: I don’t live in Lawrence but may move in during the summer. Can I get a plot?
A: Priority is given to those already living in Lawrence or nearby. This is because the weeds can take over the garden very quickly if the plots are not maintained regularly. After move-in, feel free to reach out to see if there are any available plots you may be able to adopt for the last half of the season!