Coupeville’s Community Garden will once again open to the public starting May 1.

The town has 60 plots available for gardeners on the property located by Broadway Street and State Highway 20 near the Four Square Church.

Garden plots are 10 feet by 12 feet and cost $30 for the season.

Applications are available on the town website and at Town Hall.

The project started five or six years ago after some residents were reading about how other communities have gardens.

The first year the garden got started, the town worked with the Coupeville Garden Club to create plots and get the soil ready.

The town built a fence around the garden to keep deer out and created 60 plots for organic vegetable, flower and herb gardening. Central Whidbey Lions built a shed while people in the community donated tools. Water is available on-site.

“So if you had nothing, you could still get going,” Conard said.

Gardens open May 1 and close Oct. 31. Conard said the plots will be tilled and ready to go.

The garden is an organic program and the use of pesticides and other chemicals is not allowed. A list of rules and guidelines can be found at www.townofcoupeville.org under “Documents & Info.”

Plots are open to anyone interested in gardening and renters don’t have to live in the town.

“We don’t ever fill up,” Conard said. “We’ll keep putting plots out until they’re gone.”

There’s also flexibility if a gardener wants multiple plots.

“You can decide how you want to do it.

Conard said Gifts from the Heart food bank even rents some plots for some of their patrons to use and suggests for those who produce more than they can eat to donate the extra harvest.