City of Evanston
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The City of Evanston offers residents approximately 250 plots for rent from mid-March through mid-November.
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Garden plots are available to Evanston residents through a lottery system.
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Participants must live in ZIP code 60201 or 60202 and provide proof of residency.
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Gardeners must sign a waiver and a gardening agreement, which includes providing 3-5 hours of community garden service each season, in addition to the annual plot fee.
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Depending on the overall schedule, weather and availability, the City provides wood chips and a water source at each site as part of the community gardening program.
Garden Sites
James Park Gardens: south of Oakton between McCormick Blvd. and Dodge Ave. This ls a locked site. In addition to full and half plots, this site has ten raised beds.
Twiggs Canal Gardens: by the intersection of Bridge and Simpson, on the south side of North Shore Channel in Twiggs Park. This site has full and half plots and eight raised beds.
McCormick Garden: at McCormick Blvd. and Bridge St., across the street from the Ecology Center. This site has full and half plots.
Lighthouse Gardens: off of Sheridan Road, north of the Grosse Point Lighthouse and adjacent to Noah's Playground for Everyone in Lawson Park. This is the smallest site with ten plots.
Lottery Process
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Submit the Community Garden Application (see below) and proof of Evanston's residency online or in person at the South End Community Center by the deadline.
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Upon receipt of your application and proof of residency, you will be entered in to the lottery registration system and contacted by Ecology staff with your registration confirmation.
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The lottery amount will be determined by number of available plots. You will be notified of the available garden plots by location, size and details.
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Once the lottery is spun, you will be notified if you have been selected to attend the in person selection based on your lottery number. If you have been selected, you must attend the in person event where plots will be assigned in order of lottery numbers
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Those individuals will be contacted directly by the Community Garden Coordinator.
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If you are not contacted by the Community Garden Coordinator please do not plan on attending the in-person lottery.
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The top lottery candidates will be contacted by the end of the business day Thursday, 2/27/25.
2025 Lottery Schedule
Tuesday, Jan 7th: Lottery registration begins.
Tuesday, Feb 25th: Registration for lottery ends at 5pm.
Thursday, Feb 27th: All registrants will be notified of their lottery number by email.
Saturday, March 1st, 9:30 am at The Levy Center: Plots will be assigned to those who have been selected by the lottery.
Community Garden Application
Community Garden Fees 2025
Half Plot (approx. 200 square feet): $51 for all sites, plus community garden service.
Raised bed (Twiggs): $46, plus community garden service.
Raised bed (James Park): $32, plus community garden service.
- The raised beds are approximately 20 inches off the ground for ease of use.
- Fee assistance is available to qualified Evanston residents.
Evanston Community Garden Lottery Process and FAQs provides more detailed information and should answer any question you might have about the process. If you have any additional questions, please call the Ecology Center at 847.448.8256.
Evanston Eats
Wonder what is growing in the community gardens throughout the seasons? Searching for culinary inspiration using garden-fresh produce? The dedicated editors and community gardeners worked together to create a listing of recipe ideas with the delicious produce they harvest from their plots. Check out these interesting and unique recipes gathered from the Evanston community.