Hansberry Garden & Nature Center, Inc., is a unique place where strangers grow into friends, seeds grow into flowers and food, and random individuals grow into a dedicated community.

We are a community garden where folks can raise fresh food for themselves, family and friends. We are a community gathering spot for workshops, potlucks, plant sales, and other fun and friendly events. We are a nature center where children come to learn about the life of plants, the importance or peskiness of birds, bees, insects and worms. And we sponsor community projects in our neighborhood, including City Harvest, the Kelly Green Project, and musical events.

So, joining HGNC is not just for growing a few vines of tomatoes or bunches of kale. Being a member at Hansberry is joining a team of generous and welcoming people, dedicated to sharing Mother Nature’s creative energy in southwest Germantown.

Cost of membership : $40 membership fee (plus a $5 key fee for new members).

Benefits of Planting Membership:

• First year: membership in the Hansberry Garden Collective, with the option of an individual 4′ x 8′ bed the following year for those who attend collective hours regularly
• Free access to the garden (after an orientation)
• Access to the tool shed, which contains a variety of gardening tools, helpful books, and even free seeds to get you started on your new bed
• Early access to our annual Plant Fair, members-only events and potlucks, and more
• Belonging to a warm, welcoming community that helps Germantown thrive

To apply for membership, submit our waiting list form. If and when we have a spot available for you, our membership chair will reach out to you with instructions to complete a membership agreement and pay your dues.

2026 Meeting and Work Requirements

• Attendance at annual Spring Gathering on Saturday, March 21
• A minimum of 10 hours of volunteer work on maintenance of garden common areas or a garden committee, event, or project

Online Resources for Members:

Board-Meeting Documents

Applying for Membership in 2026

• Membership Renewal information will be sent to 2025 members on Feb. 21.
• Membership Renewal deadline to keep your bed or place in the Garden Collective from last year: Mar. 7. Returning members will pay the $40 membership fee or request scholarship assistance and submit membership agreements by Mar. 7 in order to maintain use of the same bed from the previous year. If membership has not been renewed by that date, availability of a planting bed and use of the same bed is not guaranteed. Spots will be reassigned beginning Sunday, Mar. 7.
• Spring Gathering, a required meeting for all new members, and encouraged for all members, held Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The meeting will be held at the garden, weather permitting. Rain location: the new Germantown Weavers Way office space, 326B W Chelten Avenue.
• Our annual plant fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 9. The Plant Fair requires a lot of volunteer labor, both on the day of the event and during the weeks leading up to it.
• Planting bed holders need to have their beds cultivated by May 31 or they forfeit the use of their planting bed to someone on the wait list.
• The garden season ends on Nov 1. To minimize the spread of fungus and other diseases throughout the garden, planting bed holders must clear their beds of all summer growth before this date. Any who want to use a cover crop or who have overwintering crops in their bed may seek permission of the membership chair to extend their growing season beyond Nov. 1. Other crops left in planting beds beyond November 1 are donated to City Harvest.