The University of Arizona’s “Campus Farm” is just down the street from me; it’s the large plot of acreage that is their agricultural program. They also have a lovely demonstration garden as part of their Cooperative Extension, and yesterday was the spring plant sale to benefit the Master Gardener program and the Cooperative Extension Demonstration Garden. Most plants–very nice plants suitable for desert landscaping–were $4. Uh-huh. What a deal. A lot of the same plants would be triple, at least, at a local nursery; and, they wouldn’t be as good. Here’s the line that formed well before the sale started:
Smart folks brought their own boxes, as you can see. I just staggered around with pots of plants in my arms. As soon as the gate opened, there was a feeding-frenzy under the small ramada where all the plants were neatly arranged; here you can see the “hold” table in the foreground, where folks have stashed their plants they want to buy, and the actual sale in the background:
Here’s a close-up of some of the lovely plants on hold, including my own; I picked up a pink trumpet vine, a penstemon, a couple of hollyhocks (we’ll see how they do) and some xeric groundcovers including a Chihuahuan primrose, and some hummingbird and bee friendly perennials:
The trumpet creepers are in full bloom in the gardens; that rose arbor in the background has a very nicely controlled Cecile Brunner rose. There were so many people at the sale. I think I heard a beleaguered sounding Master Gardener tell someone in the garden that “those plants aren’t for sale”.
I’d like to have the time to be part of the Master Gardener program. What fun. I can’t wait to put my plants in the ground…..tomorrow, I hope! Bearbear and I walked by the largely empty ramada today, the day after the sale; it was quiet, no one was there, and I think there were about 30 plants left unsold.
