Spring has sprung on the North Coast, the sun is peeking out between showers and it’s time to get outside and spruce up the garden. Great ideas and a spring plant sale are offered with free admission this Saturday at the Humboldt Botanical Garden.
The event celebrates National Public Gardens Day a week early on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (National Public Gardens Day is May 8.)
“Our Sun Valley Greenhouse is chock full of over 100 varieties of perennials, 50 varieties of succulents, native plants and exotica like orchids and gingers,” said Botanical Garden Site Manager Terry Kramer, a well-known figure in Humboldt County’s gardening history and columnist for the Times-Standard. She is particularly happy about an added feature in this year’s offerings. “We’re having a Kid’s Korner, with small plants available that children can put into the ground to learn the magic of gardening for themselves,” Kramer said. “We have starts of strawberries, sunflowers, and even carnivorous plants.”
Humboldt Botanical Garden Executive Director Susan Tissot is a big fan of the annual Spring Plant Sale.
“This is a fantastic time to visit the garden. Our seven acres of themed gardens and five miles of hiking trails are all awakening from their winter slumber,” said Tissot. “Our visitors can literally have hours of fun getting some great exercise and shopping the fantastic deals in the plant sale inside the Sun Valley Greenhouse.”
Knowledgeable garden members will be on site to answer questions, with plant expert Denise Lea among them. “When you come to the sale this year you will not only be able to purchase top quality plants but you will be able to get lots of free advice and probably run in to several people you know,” she said.
Both indoor and outdoor plants will be offered. Just in time for spring are healthy, homegrown perennials that are deer-proof and attract birds, bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Included are some rare woodland beauties like Brunnera ‘Diane’s Gold’ and a yellow-flowering corydalis ideal for brightening up shaded areas.
Looking for something different for your yard? For those who love the beauty of odd shapes and surprising flowers, there are succulents in all colors — including purple, orange, gold, white, blue and red — as well as all kinds of textures and shapes. The sale offers easy-to-maintain and very attractive mini succulent gardens, also ideal for a Mother’s Day gift.
“This event will also preview the new garden addition we are creating, ‘Sara’s Garden,’” said Tissot, “honoring former local, longtime resident, Sara O’Hara Goosby. It is a lovely combination of flowers, trees and a walkway with a beautiful pergola.” Sara’s Garden will be dedicated at a ceremony on May 16.
Good deals also await at the Members Only Preview Sale on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Enjoy wine and cheese, and get the first choice of available plants; new members can join at the event.
Humboldt Botanical Garden membership includes local retail garden store discounts and privileges from the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program, a network of more than 300 botanical gardens across the country and in the Cayman Islands, allowing free or reduced admission.
With free admission to the garden all day Saturday, besides picking up some plants, visitors can enjoy a stroll in the woods, bring a picnic lunch and watch the birds. On the actual National Public Gardens Day, May 8 (next Thursday), the garden is also offering a two-for-one admission in celebration of National Public Gardens Day.
The Humboldt Botanical Garden is located at the north entrance to College of the Redwoods on Tompkins Hill Road, Exit No. 698, off of U.S. Highway 101. Admission fees apply. Summer hours are in effect through Oct. 31: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. There is plenty of free parking in the Mercer Fraser Auto Garden. Docent tours are available by appointment. For more information, call 442-5139 or visit www.hbgf.org.
