'Members Only' event marks 50th anniversary
The line to check out can get very long at the UC Davis Arboretum plant sale, but volunteers -- including one with a helpful sign -- make it go quickly. Kathy Morrison
For half a century, this event has been making a difference in the way we garden. It’s time to celebrate – with another big sale!
On Saturday, March 8, the Arboretum Teaching Nursery at UC Davis hosts its first plant sale of the spring and officially kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration of public plant sales.
Set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., this “Members Only” sale is restricted to Friends of the Arboretum – the folks who started these sales and still provide the bulk of support.
Not a member? No problem! Join at the gate and get a 10% discount as well as a $10 coupon to use on plant purchases.
Since 1975, UCD’s Arboretum has been hosting annual spring plant sales, starting with a simple one-day event organized by the Friends of the Arboretum.
“It brought people out to the Arboretum, which gave better visibility in the community, and it encouraged the use of environmentally appropriate plants in local horticulture,” explained Ellen Zagory, the Arboretum’s director of horticulture emerita.
Originally dubbed the “Plant Faire,” the sale evolved along with the Arboretum. The very first event (held in 1974) featured all irises; the Arboretum was phasing out its iris garden and patrons brought shovels to dig up their own.
The once-a-year Plant Faire morphed into spring and fall sales that support the Arboretum’s gardens and programs. This spring includes four scheduled sales: March 8, April 6 and 26 and the clearance sale May 10.
Since 1975, these sales have emphasized easy-to-grow, sustainable plants that are perfect for our region. Most of the plants now offered for sale are propagated from the Arboretum’s own vast collections.
“Shop the one-acre Arboretum Teaching Nursery to find an incredible selection of attractive, low-water plants perfect for our region,” says the staff. “By choosing to shop with us, not only will you bring home beautiful plants that help support a sustainable environment, your purchases play a vital role in supporting the growth and care of our gardens, student environmental leadership opportunities, and free public programs. Discover the joys of gardening with plants that help heal our environment while nurturing our community!”
The Arboretum Teaching Nursery is located on Garrod Drive near the Small Animal Veterinary Hospital on the UC Davis campus. Parking is free on the weekends: follow the signs and student volunteers' flag.
Make sure to study the inventory list before shopping – there are thousands of plants from which to choose. Here's a sale veteran's tip: Bring your own cart or wagon to haul plants and you won't have to wait for one of the nursery's wagons.
Find all the links including the plant inventory here: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/plant-sales.
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
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March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
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March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
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Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
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Garden checklist for week of June 7
Afternoon highs are expected to be back in the mid 90s by midweek, then edging towards triple digits. Plan your planting and garden activities accordingly.
* Remember to water early.
* It’s not too late to transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or other summer favorites. Make sure they stay hydrated.
* From seed, plant corn, melons, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.
* Plant basil to go with your tomatoes.
* Transplant summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds and zinnias.
* It’s also a good time to transplant perennial flowers including astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia, salvia and verbena.
* Let the grass grow longer. Set the mower blades high to reduce stress on your lawn during summer heat. To cut down on evaporation, water your lawn deeply during the wee hours of the morning, between 2 and 8 a.m.
* Tie up vines and stake tall plants such as gladiolus and lilies. That gives their heavy flowers some support.
* Dig and divide crowded bulbs after the tops have died down.
* Feed summer flowers with a slow-release fertilizer.
* Mulch, mulch, mulch! This “blanket” keeps moisture in the soil longer and helps your plants cope during hot weather.
* Cut back fruit-bearing canes on berries.
* Feed camellias, azaleas and other acid-loving plants. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce heat stress.
* Cut back Shasta daisies after flowering to encourage a second bloom in the fall.
* Trim off dead flowers from rose bushes to keep them blooming through the summer. Roses also benefit from deep watering and feeding now. A top dressing of aged compost will keep them happy. It feeds as well as keeps roots moist.
* Pinch back chrysanthemums for bushier plants with many more flowers in September.
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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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