Students at the Mendocino College Horticultural Department are readying the garden and honing their salesmanship skills in preparation for the annual flood of gardeners who will be purchasing vegetables, annuals, perennials, trees and more at the annual plant sale, scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30.
Regular visitors to the sale will notice a new face heading up the program. Jacob Kyle is the department’s Agricultural Technician, taking the place of longtime staffer Kim Lyly, who retired last year.
Kyle has been employed with the department for the past seven years, and is continuing Lyly’s efforts to respond to requests and increase the number of top selling plants for the 2,000 people who come to what has become the gardening social event of the year.
Proceeds from the event help to fund the college’s horticultural program. Everything from seeds to equipment repair as well as student labor is funded by the sale.
This year, students have grown more tomatoes than ever, with 26 varieties including a few larger specimens in one-gallon cans. “We have 26 varieties this year,” says Kyle. Tomato varieties include a number of early producers, exotic Chocolate Cherry, the popular Black Krim and Rutger’s select – a local favorite.
“We’ve propogated 102 different varieties of vegetables and herbs this year,” Kyle notes. For the first time, yard-long pole beans will be available. “They’re about 20 inches long. The pods are completely edible but people also trellis them for their beautiful ornamental pods,” he continues.
Students grew 21 varieties of sweet and hot peppers. Ancho peppers will be offered for the first time, along with bells, sweet, hot and “super hot” peppers.
Cucumbers, summer and winter squash and several types of basil will be offered, including Mrs. Burns Lemon Basil. Four different varieties of eggplant have been grow – the Machiaw and Orient Express varieties are popular Asian eggplants. Giant pumpkin and table varieties as well as spinach, parsley, cilantro, lettuces, sunflowers, Stevia, culinary herbs, strawberries and many other veggies will be on hand.
Gardeners love the Egyptian Walking Onion, which forms bulblets on their tops which can be eaten or can be allowed to drop to form another onion.
In the greenhouses, look for annuals and perennials that have been selected for their adaptability to the region’s climate. Hops, scented geraniums, foxgloves, Bleeding Hearts and a variety of palms are on hand. The cold-hardy palms were donated to the horticultural program and are available in 5-gallon cans, and are considered very appropriate for this area’s climate. Salvias, Lamb’s Ears, native California plants including deer grass, coffee berry, Arroyo willow and an assortment of manzanitas are all available.
New this season is the Luther Burbank Prickly Pear, which is an edible thornless cactus. Also new is the California Dutchman’s Vine, a shade-loving shrub that has blooms resembling a pitcher plant. Kyle also propagated a number of Umbrella Sedge plants and increased their inventory. These unusual plants grow to be about six feet tall, and are propagated by cutting off the heads and turning them upside down in water for about one month.
Sage used for “smudge sticks” will be available, and one more unique addition is the thorny Solanum Purple Devil- a spiky perennial with yellow flowers and non-edible fruits.
The students grew significant numbers of butterfly-attracting milkweed plants this year. They are a Midwest native with a yellow flower, unique because they allow Monarch butterflies to complete their entire life cycle on the plant.
Three important signs are posted in the garden: the “Top 20” plants for erosion control, deer-resistance and drought-tolerance.
This year students increased the number and varieties of one-gallon lavender plants, with eight varieties on hand. Shoppers will find elderberry, two varieties of currants, three types of raspberries, table and wine grapes and blueberry bushes for sale. Many types of succulents, ground covers and classic annuals are available in 6-packs or individual pots.
There are more student workers in the gardens than ever before, notes Kyle. Students receive training in everything involved with maintaining their three-acre property- irrigation, seeding, pruning, propagation and maintenance. Take some time to wander the beautiful gardens, which serve as an example of how the mature versions of the plants on sale can be used in landscape applications. The gardens, which have now been planted for many years give gardeners real-time ideas on plant height, footprint and types of complementary plants for a garden setting.
The Ag Department is self-supporting, and the money raised from the plant sale pays for everything from building repairs to the purchase of the seeds and soil for the plant sale.
Parking is limited, as are wagons to haul purchases back to the car. Shoppers who bring a wagon are encouraged to label it prominently. Staffers will be on hand to help shuttle plants to the parking areas. In addition to the plant sale, the Ceramics Club will be selling their creations. The Culinary Arts students will be selling hot beverages and pastries. The Mendocino College Welding Department will be displaying welded projects and the Automotive Club will have cars on display. Additionally, student-made glass-blown art will be for sale and there will be glass blowing demonstrations.
The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Though vegetables are usually sold out, many other plants may be available following the sale. Cash and checks are accepted for purchases. For more information phone (707) 468-3148.
