For the first time, the UCSC Farm will offer more than 100 organically grown raspberry starts at the annual Spring Plant Sale April 30-May 1. Beans and peas will also be featured at this year's sale, in addition to the stunning array of high-quality, organically raised vegetables, annual flowers, perennials, and herbs.
The sale will take place Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Barn Theater parking lot at the intersection of Bay and High Streets at the base of campus.
All forms of peas and beans, from flowering sweet peas and scarlet runners to edible, climbing, and bush beans, will be available for purchase. Also new this year will be artichokes--a purple "eat the whole thing" type called Violetto precoce. Fans of flowering currants, which make beautiful and hardy landscape plants, will be delighted by a selection that includes some native coastal species and varieties such as 'Montara Rose' and 'Barrie Coate.' The impressive selection of salvias will include some new types that haven't been offered before, and there will be a fine selection of ever-popular lavenders.
As always, the sale will include more than 200 plant species, including heirloom varieties of tomatoes, as well as hot, mild, and sweet peppers. Six-packs of lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, and salad mix will also be available.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Farm & Garden and the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, the sale benefits the UCSC Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture. Members of the Friends will receive early entry from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday only and a 10 percent discount on purchases; memberships will be available at the sale beginning at 8:30 a.m. For more information, call (831) 459-3240.
