Registration Requirements for Gardens with GreenThumb

Garden groups must have several documents in order and up to date to become and remain eligible for support from GreenThumb. These documents differ based on the jurisdiction of the property the community garden resides on.

You can find a variety of resources to assist with a garden’s governance in our Group Development Toolkit, including templates for bylaws, membership lists, and plot wait lists.

Community Gardens Under NYC Parks Jurisdiction

Community gardens that operate under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks are subject to Parks rules and regulations. The GreenThumb License Agreement grants garden groups the legal permission to garden on City property. The signatories of the renewable ten-year License Agreement (English, Spanish) (referenced as Licensed Community Garden Group) must operate in accordance with the Agreement and the garden governance as indicated in the group’s bylaws. GreenThumb has created a video tutorial to provide additional information in English and Spanish and a Frequently Asked Questions document (English, Spanish ).

The GreenThumb Annual Registration Form GreenThumb Annual Registration Form is required every January for all community gardens under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks in order to remain in good standing. This form ensures that we have up-to-date information about your community garden, including your garden’s open hours. GreenThumb requires annual membership and plot wait list updates as part of this process. This form is only for gardens under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks. Gardeners who prefer to complete a paper form rather than the online form can download a PDF version.

After completing the GreenThumb Registration Form, garden groups must also submit the following to greenthumbregistration@parks.nyc.gov or as part of a mailed package:

1. Garden bylaws (if they changed since the last submission)
2. Membership list
3. Plot wait list (if applicable)

Annual Registration is not complete until the garden group’s bylaws, membership list, and plot wait list (if applicable) are received.

Community Gardens under all Other Jurisdictions

Community gardens that are not under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks are required to sign a Memorandum of Agreement every four years that details GreenThumb’s requirements of these garden groups and the limited services we provide.

Garden groups under all other jurisdictions must fill out the GreenThumb Annual Registration Form for Gardens Under all Other Jurisdictions every January and must provide:

1. Full membership list
2. Completed registration form
3. Garden bylaws (strongly encouraged)
4. Written proof that the group has permission to garden on the property

There are additional criteria for GreenThumb Community Gardens at NYCHA detailed in the GreenThumb Gardeners’ Handbook (page 22).