Pincushion proteas bloom in Susan Salinger's sheet mulch garden, on display at the Santa Cruz Garden Exchange & Tour in May at Live Oak. (Susan Salinger/Contributed)
LIVE OAK Santa Cruz Garden Exchange, wake up early for a tour
Join fellow gardeners at the free monthly Santa Cruz Garden Exchange on Saturday from 8 to 9 a.m. in the parking lot of the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange (1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz). Park in the north row of the parking lot, away from the building. Gardeners may bring seeds, bulbs, succulents, ornamental plants, vegetables, fresh flowers, informational materials, or any garden-related item to exchange within the garden community. You are not required to bring anything to participate, but please take home anything that is not distributed. Join Santa Cruz Garden Exchange members for their first season of garden tours.
Members will depart together from the exchange at approximately 9:15 a.m. This month, join us for an unmissable tour of the Master Gardener's gardens. The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. Be sure to attend the Garden Exchange to pick up a flyer with the address.
If you have any questions, please email us at santacruzgardenexchange@gmail.com.
Watsonville Castro Adobe is looking for skilled garden volunteers
Castro Adobe State Historic Park needs skilled volunteers to help maintain the flower, fruit and vegetable gardens.
Volunteer gardeners are required to have some gardening experience, including knowledge of pruning, weeding, picking dead branches, and planting. Garden team members serve as caretakers of the gardens at Castro and Kimbro House, and their hard work in maintaining each garden is appreciated and praised by those who visit the grounds. Volunteers meet on Wednesday mornings to prune, weed, plant, and care for flowers, fruit trees, and flower beds.
To volunteer or have any questions, please email Jennifer@ThatsMyPark.org.
The park's address is 184 Old Adobe Road, Watsonville.
Make a difference at Santa Cruz Lighthouse Field State Beach
Join the California State Parks Foundation and help remove invasive plants, restore habitat and improve trails at Lighthouse Field State Beach, 701 W. Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. This restoration work will take place on the first Saturday of each month.
For more information or to register, visit volunteer.calparks.org.
Santa Cruz Rare Plant Swap held on deck
The next rare plant swap will be held in person at Harvey West Park, 326 Evergreen St., Santa Cruz, on June 29th from 2-3 p.m.
Participants may bring in rare plants, cuttings, corms, nodes, pots, reca, soil additives, and other plant accessories. Please be sure to bring a bag or container to hold all of your new plants and items. Be sure to only include rare plants. Plant sales are permitted, but Swap is not responsible for any sales or transactions not conducted personally.
If you have any questions, visit facebook.com/groups/santacruzrareplants
The Santa Cruz Shared Adventure Garden Club meets weekly
Gardening Club meets every Thursday from 11am to noon at Common Roots Farm (301 Golf Club Drive) Get your hands dirty, feed your soul and clear your mind in Santa Cruz.
The farm has working ADA-compliant raised garden beds and ADA-compliant pathways, a fun atmosphere and is suitable for people of all abilities.
For more information, please email sharedactivities@yahoo.com.
Santa Cruz Sustainable Gardening Workshop
UC Master Gardeners from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties will participate in this special summer workshop, which will be held June 29 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Santa Cruz Public Library Branciforte Branch (230 Gault St., Santa Cruz).
In this workshop, you will conduct a site analysis of your library using tools and techniques that you can use in your own garden. How much sunlight does it get? How does it change throughout the year? What is the microclimate? What type of soil is it? What other plants grow in your area? The first step is to know your garden site. Sustainable Gardening is advice from Master Gardeners for creating sustainable landscapes that benefit the wider environment and make the gardener's job easier. By adopting these methods, you can grow a healthy garden that is beautiful, in harmony with nature, and less prone to problems. You will have resources to help you decide which plants to plant.
Space is limited and registration is required. To register, visit santacruzpl.libcal.com.
Garden Digest is edited by Jesselyn Rego. To submit a calendar item including an event, meeting, resource, or anything garden related, email sentinelhomeandgarden@gmail.com.
