The harvest from one plot is dedicated to the Langley Food Bank, with some of the gardeners helping out by weeding and watering, or donating seedlings.
Lawseth calls the gardens "an urban oasis" and a gathering place for people to socialize and children to learn about nature, food production and public green space.
LEPS holds workshops on the site, offering information about water conservation and organic gardening.
The gardens have proved so popular that LEPS will add another 10 for 2009. Gardeners pay $30 a year, plus a $20 deposit for keys to the shed where tools are stored, and to the main gate. Water and horse manure are provided, and gardeners have a place to compost their weeds.
Gardeners bring their own hand tools and soil amendments such as compost, but they cannot use any chemicals, including slug bait.
People interested in having a plot next year, or becoming involved in a community garden association, may call Lawseth at 604-532-3515, or e-mail her alawseth@tol.bc.ca.