Cultivating Kids Curiosity At These 6 Plant Sale

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As the sunshine warms the earth, it's time to start thinking about your garden. Spring is the perfect time to introduce your children to the joys of gardening. They're curious, learn by doing, love to play in the dirt and benefit from the bounty of natures gifts. Perhaps you are looking to grow edibles or plants for attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, pollinators and other wildlife to your yard. What ever you are looking for, Bay Area families can choose from an incredible array of beautiful, organic and native plants for a variety of garden sites and styles. Here are SIX amazing places holding annual sale/fundraisers.

Tomatomania
April 7
9am until sold out
Bon Air, Greenbrae

Calling all Tomato fans and gardeners!  The annual Tomato Market at Bon Air features a curated selection of nearly 3,000 tomato starts from the UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program. Eight heirloom and eight hybrid tomato varieties have been selected for their exceptional taste, superior growth habits, disease resistance and performance in Marin’s microclimates.  Grown from seed by Marin Master Gardeners at San Rafael’s Falkirk greenhouse, the ready-to-plant tomato starts are $4 each. Tomato experts and Marin Master Gardeners will be on-hand to answer questions and offer Marin-specific watering, fertilizing, container vs. plot, growing tips and more. The tomato starts go quickly so arrive early! FREE admission.

Spring Native Plant Sale
April 14
9am - 1pm
Falkirk Cultural Center Garden, San Rafael

Get your garden ready for summer at our spring plant sale, co-sponsored by the Marin Master Gardeners. Browse a fine selection of unusual native perennials, bunchgrasses, and shrubs grown from seed, cuttings, or divisions and will offer expert advice on which plants do well together. Limited quantities of unique native seed packets will be for sale as well as a wide selection of native plant books, educational posters, and notecards.

Spring Plant Sale
April 29
UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley

Despite the recent rains, waterwise gardening in the Bay Area is smart and sensible! The Garden offers a wide selection of drought-resistant plants from around the world, including an extensive selection of California natives. Shop for exotic, unusual, and hard to find plants: rare cycads and palms, carnivorous plants, cacti and succulents, vines, tropical specimens and more. There is something for everyone at the Spring Plant Sale.

Dragon Coast Nursery Spring Plant Sale
April 28-29
10am - 3pm
1795 Shoreline Hwy., Muir Beach

Organically grown perennials and annual flower and herb plants and a wide array of seasonal vegetables for the spring and summer garden. At Wendy and Peter's nursery in Muir Beach just north of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. 

Mother's Day Plant Sale
May 12
9am - 4pm
Edible Schoolyard, Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Berkeley

Join Edible Schoolyard Berkeley for a fun day in the garden – delicious, locally-made food, a beer garden, spirited music, student-guided tours, exciting raffle prizes, and, of course, plants! Get your garden off to a strong start with tomatoes, vegetables, fruit trees and berries, herbs, perennials, annual flowers, and more. Plenty of gardening advice for novices and experts alike. The plant sale has become a beloved community event, with activities for kids as well as adults. 

San Francisco Botanical Garden’s (SFBG) Annual Spring Plant Sale
May 4 & 5
10am - 2pm
San Francisco County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

The Annual Spring Plant Sale is an important fundraiser for the Garden and is the largest of the Garden’s monthly plant sales with succulents, edibles, natives, alpines, rhododendrons, ferns, perennials, houseplants, shrubs, trees, and more. Library Used Book Sale: Peruse the largest sale of used gardening books in Northern California! Proceeds from the sale help support learning and engagement opportunities for nearly 400,000 annual visitors, Northern California’s most comprehensive horticultural library, an extensive volunteer program, and programming for more than 13,000 children each year.

HOT TIP: Shoppers can also get a jump on the crowds by becoming a member of San Francisco Botanical Garden Society and attending the Member Preview Sale and Silent Auction on Friday, May 4 from 5-8pm. Members can bid on a curated selection of the Garden’s unique, rare, and prized specimens, as well as shop the sale in its entirety a day before the public.