Ron Ory Community Garden Plots

Ron Ory Community Garden Plots Site Master Plan
View the Master Plan

Open Registration is now open for Residents and Non-Residents

Online Registration

In-Person Registration Locations:

o Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave.

Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

o Fort Hill Activity Center, 20 Fort Hill Dr.

Monday – Friday, 5:30 am – 9:00 pm

Sat/Sun, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

For more information about the garden plots program and gardening:

Join one of our free Garden Plots Tours offered in April/May or September.
Register to attend a free Basic Gardening and/or Organic Gardening Workshops offered each spring.
See links below for the Garden Plots Guidelines brochure, Garden Plots Map, FAQs and other gardening resources.

Garden Plot Sizes

Full Plot, 29’ x 18’ (approximately)
Half Plot, 14.5’ x 18’ (approximately)
Raised Plot, 20’ x 4’ (requires doctor’s note)

Where are the Garden Plots Located?

811 S. West Street, Naperville, IL 60540

Map, Forms & Brochures

2023 Garden Plots Program Agreement form (required; included in the registration process)
2023 Garden Plot Guidelines (the rules)
2023 Garden Plot FAQs (commonly asked questions)
2023 Garden Plots Map (the plot locations)
Site Master Plan (upcoming improvements)
For questions about the garden plots, email us at info@napervilleparks.org.

Closures and Limited Access Days

Please use the Naperville Park District’s Weather Cancellations & Facility Closures Rainout Line
Call 630-883-4242 or visit our Cancellations page . Sign up for Email and Text alerts!

Naperville Park District Garden Plots Facebook page

Gardening Resources

View the Ron Ory Community Garden Plots Site Master Plan click here.
For a recording of the 2021 Basic Gardening Workshop click here.
For a recording of the 2021 Organic Gardening Workshop click here.
For Top 5 Tips for Beginner Gardeners click here.
For Growing in Illinois - what to plant and when, including starting seeds indoors - click here.
For a list of Vegetable Families Characteristics click here.
For the Illinois Vegetable Garden Guide click here.
For the Illinois Vegetable Planting Calendar click here.
For suggested Vegetable Planting Times and Hardiness click here.
For local soil temperatures click here.
For ideal seed germination temperatures click here.
For National Weather Service climate data click here.

Please remember the following as you begin to prepare for planting:

Before planting, check and make sure you are in the correct plot.
Garden plots are identified with a numbered wooden stake placed in the center of each plot.
Full size plots will be marked with a number and a single letter
Half size plots are marked with a number and a double letter
Four corner flags also mark each plot; adjoining plots will have common flags. Please do not remove the stake or the flags.
You may mark the boundaries of your plot but you may not extend your plot beyond the designated boundary lines.
The Park District is not responsible for costs incurred for replanting.

2023 Garden Plot Fees

	Resident	Non-Residen	Resident Senior	Non-Resident Senior
Half Size Plot 14.5' x 18'	$33	$45	$27	$37
Full Size Plot 29' x 18'	$53	$75	$38	$62
Raised Plot* 20' x 4'	$31	$44	$25	$35

Garden plot sizes are approximate.
*Raised Plot requires a doctor’s note.

What else is at the Garden Plots?

Nature Discovery Area

Over the past several years, the Central Maintenance Division of the Parks Department, in conjunction with the expertise of trained volunteers and interested individuals or groups, like Eagle Scouts, have converted several outdoor areas into demonstration gardens. These natural areas cover approximately one acre of land that was unused, undeveloped or had been a gravel parking lot. Trained volunteers, certified as Master Gardeners and/or Master Naturalists, by the Extension Office of the University of Illinois, continue to provide their time and efforts to expand and maintain these natural areas.

These gardens highlight the native plants found in Illinois’ prairies, wetlands, woodlands and savannas.

Include a sensory garden, sedge meadow, rain garden, monarch waystation and other pollinator gardens, fruit tree demonstration gardens, a tree nursery and a working compost system.

These demonstration gardens help fulfill the District’s core values of teaching life skills and promoting sustainability.

They offer a place to relax and learn about our natural environment. It's a great place to observe and learn about vegetables and fruits, perennials and annual plants that grow well in our climate. Native plants are well adapted to our area and demand less water and chemicals to grow and remain healthy.

Can be visited during normal park hours (sunrise to one hour after sunset).

The Nature Discovery Area includes these elements:

Several pollinator gardens and native plantings are located throughout the area.

A small fruit garden of fruit trees and berry vines extends south of the round Pollinator Garden in between parking spots and more pollinator gardens were planted along the fence line.

The idea gardens include easy-to-maintain native plants and provide interpretive signs with additional information. Specialty gardens include a Native Prairie, a Sensory Garden, a Sedge Meadow, a Rain Garden, and a Savanna Woodland along with a picnic area and mini labyrinth. Rain barrels and a working compost system are also on display for demonstration purposes only. Sections of the Idea Gardens have been certified by the Conservation@Work/Home Program and as a Monarch Waystation.

A donation stations kiosk, facing the parking lot, is used by gardeners who have extra fruits and vegetables to donate. The Master Gardeners take produce from this donation station, along with produce grown in the four Master Gardener plots, to Loaves & Fishes, a local food pantry.

The four master garden plots are tended to by 15 - 30 Master Gardeners each year. Their time spent at the Master Gardeners plots counts as service hours for their certification and all produce is donated to Loaves & Fishes. These plots are located south of the Idea Gardens.

Towards the parking lot is a 12-foot triangular fruit tree guild, a perennial, edible, sustainable garden designed around a fruit tree, was planted and is maintained by the Resiliency Institute. The guild includes yarrow, asparagus, chives, wild blue indigo, raspberry, daffodils, sorrel, coneflower, honeyberry, purple passion, New Jersey tea, strawberries and bee balm—all centered around an Asian pear tree, and all designed to become self-sustaining after a year of maintenance. To learn more about permaculture and fruit tree guilds, click here.

A woodland garden of approximately 70 species (mostly native to the area) of trees and shrubs. The woody plants are small to provide the best chance to survive and were installed by volunteers in 2018. The Woodland Garden also emphasizes plants that are easy-to-maintain natives along with identification signs for additional information.