Special plants highlight Central Park Gardens’ open house, sale

Central Park Gardens will celebrate six years of volunteer-led garden improvements at its annual open house and plant sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Master Gardener volunteers and members of the gardens’ Steering Committee will answer questions and sell plants in four of the seven demonstration gardens, which are near Third and B streets in Davis’ Central Park, just west of the Farmers Market.

Special activities for kids will include seed planting, a sensory game and a garden hunt.

“Fall is a great time for planting, and the plant sale of fall vegetables, flowers, herbs, bulbs and natives will raise much-needed funds to benefit garden maintenance,” a news release said.

Although a plant sale is a part of every open house, this year’s will be “exceptional,” the release said, with unusual plant varieties of vegetables, and annual and perennial flowers.

The spectacular and iconic “Tower of Jewels” with be for sale, as will several heirloom varieties for the winter vegetable garden, and meadow bulbs such as “Blue Eyed Grass“ and “Ithuriel’s Spear.” Market visitors can pick up a plant list at the Yolo Master Gardeners table.

Other open house event features include Master Gardener information booths with eco-friendly and water-saving gardening advice, and information about least toxic pest control from the city of Davis. For young gardeners, Davis Farm to School Connection volunteers will have a newspaper pot seed-planting activity next to the Bellapede sculpture.

Central Park Gardens is a volunteer-managed demonstration garden in Central Park, along B Street between Third and Fourth streets downtown. The garden features a variety of themed plantings that demonstrate environmentally friendly plant choices and gardening practices. For more information and a list of plants for sale, visit www.centralparkgardens.org.