Online, in-person fundraising events start March 1
Carts with plants are parked out of traffic while shoppers hunt for more treasures at a 2024 UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery plant sale. More than two months of plant sales are just ahead for the Sacramento region. Kathy Morrison
Spring is in the air, and officially on the calendar starting March 20. But the spring plant sales begin before that, thanks to the fundraising efforts of our region's garden clubs, nonprofit groups and academic horticulture departments.
Sacramento Digs Gardening will have more on each of these events as they roll out, but for gardeners who like to plan (and start their shopping lists), here's a summary of all the sales we know about now. Follow the links for details. And, as they say, save the dates.
Note: Most spring flower/plant shows and garden festivals also feature plant sales. For purposes of clarity, events that are only sales are listed today.
-- Saturday, March 1. Winters Friends of the Library, along with the Yolo County master gardeners, will hold a Bareroot Fruit Tree Sale from 9 a.m. until trees are sold out. Winters Library, 517 Railroad Ave., Winters. (And don't forget to read Tuesday's FIMBY post on choosing and planting fruit trees.)
-- Saturday, March 8. This day will see the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society fast out of the gate with its two-day online sale of native plants starting at 7 a.m., accepting orders until 6 p.m. March 9. Pickup days at the nursery in Rancho Cordova are March 16, 19 and 23. The chapter already has a plant list available on the site. Salvia apiana (white sage), anyone?
Also, on March 8, the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery celebrates 50 years of plant sales. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the nursery with a sale limited to Friends of the Arboretum. But it's easy to join at the gate, and there are three more spring sales scheduled.
At McKinley Park in East Sacramento, the Shepard Garden and Art Center on March 8 hosts the 20th Annual Gardener's Market, a fundraiser by the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club. This sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. features many vendors -- of plants as well as garden art, bird feeders, pottery, garden books, refreshments and more. Admission is free.
-- Friday, March 14. The El Dorado Chapter of CNPS also will hold an online native plant sale, starting at 9 a.m. March 14 and continuing until 6 p.m. March 16. Pickup day will be Saturday, March 22, between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. only at the county building parking lot, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville. For information and online catalog, click here.
-- Saturday, March 15. The Shepard Center again will be abuzz, this time with its two-day Spring Sale, the all-organization sale of the groups based at Shepard. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 15 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 16. In addition to plants, the sale includes crafts, flowers and jewelry, plus food and all kinds of miscellanea.
-- Saturday, April 5. The UC master gardeners of Yolo County hold the first of two plant sales from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Expect vegetables, native plants, bulbs, succulents and more.
-- Sunday, April 6. UC Davis Arboretum's second sale is a split sale: The first hour, at 9 a.m., is for Friends members only, then at 10 a.m. the gate is opened for members of the public. The sale concludes at 1 p.m.
-- Saturday, April 12. The UC master gardeners of El Dorado County hold the first of two spring sales, 8 a.m. to noon at their Sherwood Demonstration Garden, 6699 Campus Drive, Placerville. This sale will feature edibles including tomatoes, herbs and fruit.
The Elk Grove Garden Club will hold its Spring Plant Sale on April 12 as well. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8609 Brodie Ct., Elk Grove. Some of the propagators for this sale are master gardeners, and they always have great plants, including some unusual ones.
Also on April 12 is the second of the Yolo master gardeners' spring sales. Same hours and location as the first: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Woodland Community College, 2300 E Gibson Road in Woodland.
-- Friday, April 18. The first of two days for the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club's Spring Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1911 Bannon Creek Drive, Sacramento (South Natomas area). Continues April 19, same times. Always a terrific selection of member-propagated plants, including vegetables.
-- Saturday, April 26. The third spring sale of the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery is open to everyone, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
April 26 also is the date for the second half of the El Dorado master gardeners' Spring Plant Sale, 8 a.m. to noon. This one will feature ornamentals and native plants.
-- Saturday, May 3. The Roseville Better Gardens Club holds its Annual Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville.
-- Saturday, May 10. The bargains will be all over the place at the UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery's Clearance Sale, the last sale until fall quarter. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., open to all.
More to come: A spring sale of student-propagated plants is typically scheduled in April by the American River College Horticulture Department. The Burbank (High School) Urban Garden, which was threatened this winter with closure but now has been saved, also usually holds a spring plant sale. We'll publish those dates as soon as we can confirm them.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
Local News
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Garden checklist for week of April 19
After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!
* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.
* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.
* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.
* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.
* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.
* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.
* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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