Garden goodies

What: Member Appreciation Sale, open to Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Davis Botanical Society; anyone may join or renew at the gate

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive on the UC Davis campus

Info: arboretum75th.ucdavis.edu

By Diane Cary

Over the past 75 years, from its modest beginnings as a small collection of trees and shrubs planted by students and watered with buckets, the UC Davis Arboretum has developed into a vibrant living museum displaying more than 60,000 plants in nearly 100 acres of gardens.

The Arboretum is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with festivities spotlighting the collections and gardens and thanking the community supporters who keep this wonderful place growing.

Kathleen Socolofsky, assistant vice chancellor and director of the Arboretum, recently reflected on this milestone.

“Over the 75 years since its founding, the UC Davis Arboretum has become a beloved campus amenity, a gateway to the riches of UC Davis for visitors, a resource on sustainable landscapes for California, and a model for university and public gardens throughout the world,” Socolofsky said.

“None of this would be possible without the support of our members, volunteers, donors, advocates and partners on campus and in the community. On behalf of future generations, who will benefit from your foresight and generosity, I thank you!”

Visitors to the special 75th anniversary website, arboretum75th.ucdavis.edu, will find then-and-now photos of Arboretum gardens; stories submitted by community supporters about their experiences with the Arboretum; a gallery of photos of 75 favorite plants chosen by Arboretum staff, volunteers and friends; information on how to create a legacy at the Arboretum; and details on upcoming events.

Everyone is invited to share their Arboretum story — just email your story to [email protected], along with your full name and phone number, and a photo of yourself if possible. Stories will be used on signs in the Arboretum gardens, on the website and in the Arboretum newsletter.

More than just a pretty place

While many people enjoy the Arboretum as a beautiful place to unwind, meet up with friends or exercise, it also has important scientific and educational functions. Besides providing beautiful gardens, the Arboretum maintains a documented plant collection to support research and teaching on campus and beyond.

From the very beginning, the Arboretum has had a mission to test horticultural plants under Central Valley conditions, to determine what plants can thrive in our dry summers, punishing north winds, alkaline ground water and freezing-to-baking temperatures.

In the early days, the Arboretum operated on a shoestring budget. In 1956, horticulturalist Don Sexton became the first full-time staffer; the annual budget was $3,500 for one man and $1,200 for one horse. A focus on low-maintenance plants that could get by with infrequent irrigation was unavoidable. As time went on, Arboretum staff and volunteers pioneered the practice of eco-friendly gardening in the Central Valley.

Promoting sustainable landscapes

With global climate change and other environmental concerns, the Arboretum’s focus on sustainable landscaping is even more crucial today. Demonstration plantings, exhibits, workshops, tours and online resources help visitors learn how to create beautiful gardens that conserve resources, reduce pollution and support native pollinators and other wildlife.

The horticulture staff has selected 100 Arboretum All-Stars, their top recommended plants for sustainable California gardens, and makes them available at Arboretum plant sales and through partnerships with nurseries and garden centers statewide.

The Arboretum is part of a new UCD initiative to transition the campus grounds into a public garden with sustainable landscapes that can be used for teaching and research. Demonstration projects are under way to convert some little-used areas of turf into low-maintenance, low-water landscapes, using Arboretum All-Stars and other climate-appropriate plants.

This initiative is expected to save staff time, reduce expenses, save water and eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while creating a more visitor-friendly campus with a Central Valley aesthetic.

For more information on the UCD Arboretum and Public Garden initiative, visit publicgarden.ucdavis.edu.

75th anniversary plant sales

One of the Arboretum’s main ways of teaching about sustainable gardening is through plant sales at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. This spring, special 75th anniversary plant sales will highlight 75 favorite plants chosen by Arboretum volunteers, staff and other community supporters.

The nursery will be dotted with signs with quotes from these dedicated gardeners describing what it is that they love about their selected plants, why they grow them, and the special uses they have found for them.

Coming up on Saturday, the Member Appreciation Sale will feature live music, refreshments and children’s activities. Expert gardeners will be available to advise shoppers on choosing the best plants for their garden conditions.

This sale is open to members of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Davis Botanical Society only; anyone may join or renew at the gate. All members will receive a special member appreciation gift of $10 off their purchase, as well as the standard 10 percent member discount.

Two more plant sales this spring will be open to the public. On Saturday, April 14, the theme will be “3 B’s: Birds, Bees & Beneficials.” The focus will be on gardening to support pollinators and attract garden-enhancing wildlife.

On Saturday, May 19, the theme will be “Some Like it Hot,” featuring heat-loving plants and sizzling deals. At the April and May sales, shoppers may bring problem plants (sealed in a plastic bag) to the plant doctor clinic for diagnosis.

All sales will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive at UCD. For more information, a map and plant list, visit arboretum75th.ucdavis.edu.

DCF 1.0

Garnet geranium, Pelargonium sidoides, was chosen by Jim Fowler, who says, “A lovely plant that provides year-round texture to the garden. Honeybees love its burgundy, late-summer blooming flowers.” Martin Fletcher, www.californiagardens.com/Courtesy photo

globe thistleW

Globe thistle, Echinops ritro ssp. ruthenicus, was chosen as a favorite by Assistant Director of Horticulture Emily Griswold. “I love designing with the glowing globes of these blue flowers. It’s a great shape to contrast with wispy grasses or spiky salvias,” she says. Most of the 75 favorite plants selected by Arboretum staff, volunteers and friends in honor of the Arboretum’s 75th anniversary will be available at the Member Appreciation Sale on Saturday. Ellen Zagory/Courtesy photo

plant saleW

Arboretum volunteer Walt Mosely helps a shopper choose the best plants at an Arboretum plant sale last year. Photo by Carmia Feldman.

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