April 17, 2006
Banksia speciosa with hummingbird at the Arboretum
Stephen McCabe
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Arboretum offers inspiration for rain-weary gardeners at annual
Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 22
By Tim Stephens
The UCSC Arboretum will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale on
Saturday, April 22, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. With all the late
rain, gardeners are anxious to pick out some favorite plants
to be ready for planting when spring finally arrives. Due to
soggy conditions in the usual parking area, the location for
this year's plant sale has been moved from the Arboretum's Eucalyptus
Grove to the main entrance of the Arboretum on Empire Grade,
one-quarter mile above the intersection with Western Drive.
A wide variety of native and exotic plants will be available
at the sale, including attractive selections of Boronia,
Protea, Salvia, Banksia, Leucadendron, and Ceanothus.
Knowledgable Arboretum staff and volunteers will be on hand
to answer questions.
Banksia blooming during a recent storm.
Stephen McCabe
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The Arboretum's sale is held in conjunction with the spring
plant sale of the California Native Plant Society. Both sales
are open early (from 10 a.m. to noon) to members of the Arboretum
Associates and the California Native Plant Society, and to the
general public from noon to 4 p.m.
A complete list of the plants that will be on sale has been
posted on the Arboretum's
web site.
According to the Arboretum's Stephen McCabe, this rainy year
would be a good one to undertake major garden renovations to
add color to the garden, because the new plants will have enough
water to become well-established during their first summer in
the ground. Many of the Arboretum's plants are drought-resistant
and will still thrive and flower during a drought once they
are established.
Native Ceanothus and Salvia 'Winifred Gilman'
provide purple-blue spring color, while some of the African
protea relatives bloom in late spring to early summer with yellow,
apricot, orange, red, or pink blossoms. Year-round blooms in
various colors are some of the advantages of the Arboretum's
Australian offerings.
For more information about the sale, contact the UCSC Arboretum
at (831) 427-2998. The Arboretum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
every day. Norrie's Gifts is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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