|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
If you’re looking for some fresh herbs, veggies or edible flowers to spice up your home cooking, then you’re in luck as the 2024 Incredible Edible Plant Sale is set to return to Pleasanton this weekend at the Senior Center.
Organized by the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program of Alameda County, the annual event — which is planned to take place on Saturday and Sunday (April 13-14) — not only gives residents a chance to purchase a diverse selection of vegetable seedlings and culinary herbs but learn best practices as well.
“The plant sale serves as a gathering space for gardeners, no matter how much experience they have, to come together and learn from each other … as well as a rare moment for neighbors in the community to connect with each other,” Allyson Greenlon, program coordinator for the Master Gardener and Urban Agriculture program, told the Weekly.
According to a press release, the sale also serves as a way to raise money for the program to support its public outreach programs and its overall mission to “provide the public with UC research-based information on home horticulture, sustainable landscapes and pest management practices.”
“We are proud to share that the event generated $27,000, which directly fuels our programs and initiatives,” Master Gardener volunteer Lou Astbury told the Weekly regarding last year’s sale. “This financial support allows us to continue our mission of fostering horticultural education and community engagement, including a special focus on building the Pleasanton Educational Garden.”
The unfinished educational garden Astbury is referring to is part of a larger community farm project that the city of Pleasanton approved as part of its Bernal Park Community Farm project. The garden and farm project has been an effort that has been led by the Master Gardener Program since 2016.
“This project aims to establish an interactive space for sustainable gardening education, offering diverse plantings and hands-on learning opportunities,” according to the Master Gardener program press release. “Situated on Laguna Creek Lane, this initiative is poised to enhance the community with vibrant educational experiences.”
Astbury said now that the plant sale is in its fourth year, it has established itself as a cherished spring tradition that attracts plant enthusiasts and community members alike. He said over 6,800 plants were sold at last year’s event alone.
Apart from the plant sale, this year’s event will also feature several 30-minute workshops for free that focus on plant care, helping tomatoes thrive and container gardening.
Astbury said that apart from being a successful fundraiser, the event embodies the Master Gardener program’s commitment to community service. Some of the community service the program does that Astbury highlighted is the thousands of plants the program donates to nonprofit school garden programs and community gardens in Alameda County.
