This story begins with a shared passion. Shared passion and a collegial friendship between a man and woman, conducted from opposite coasts of North America in the 1980s.

Francis H. (or Frank as he is known) Cabot, an avid gardener in Cold Spring, New York and Ruth Bancroft, an avid gardener in Walnut Creek, California, share a profound love of gardening and plants. Despite many differences between these two gardeners in space, age, climate, hardiness zone, stylistic inclinations and gender (which as we know can lead to very different gardening tendencies), it was Frank Cabot and his wife, Anne’s late-1980s visit to Ruth Bancroft’s legendary cacti and succulent garden that inspired Cabot’s founding of the Garden Conservancy in order to help guarantee the conservation of “exceptional” gardens such as Bancroft’s. Photo: Frank Cabot, courtesy of Garden Conservancy website. (more…)

Imagine if you will a world without trees. Virtually no trees. What would it look like? Feel like?

Vast. Spare. Hot. Cold. Windswept.

Desert landscapes, grassland prairies and plains come to my mind. In their own way these almost tree-less landscapes are majestic - hauntingly lovely, evocative and home to some fascinating plants - but still: tree-less.
(more…)

April is a busy, busy month in the garden. For most parts of the North State the alternating cool and warm, windy and still, damp and dry will keep us guessing. While there are really no hard and fast rules in gardening, the time for planting trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials is past – we are too close to hot, dry weather to make it easy or efficient. If you do choose to plant perennials now, pay close attention to their water and shade needs this summer. Photo: Pasque flowers (Pusatilla patens) in bloom very close to the “pascal,” meaning Passover or Easter, season. Right on time.

The very fact of spring, however, makes us gardeners want to plant and so keep your focus on your edible garden and getting ready to plant out your warm season crops like peppers, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. Average last frost in much of the Valley is about mid-April and so as you start taking tender starts out to the garden pay attention to the weather forecast and cover or bring these tender guys in.

Wolfgang Rougle of Twining Tree Farms outside of Red Bluff, sends this advice to edible gardeners and growers: Take the time now to kill all your weeds because most are about to flower and if you get to it now, you won’t have to do it twice. Chickweed in particular has already seeded; make a note of which beds had the most chickweed and consider not planting there next winter — just let it be chickweed for mineral-rich winter salads! Plant radishes for mid-April, turnips/beets for May, carrots for June. Plan to irrigate them. Your brassicas are probably all flowering; decide which you want to save seed from and destroy or faithfully pinch the blooms from the others, until they stop flowering. Cilantro is bolting but still delicious; break off the bolting shoots (you can eat them) to extend the greens harvest by a few weeks. It is too late to plant peas, sweet peas, and (yes) garlic!!! But a great time to set out transplants or sets of onions; leeks can still be seeded but transplants will do better and be more competitive with weeds. If sowing summer crops indoors, you should have started your okra. Tomatoes/eggplants/basil indoors should have first or second true leaves – a good selection of starts are available at area nurseries and farmer’s markets – and by the end of April to mid-May most of us will be ready to set them all out in the garden. You can start your cucurbits, but remember to sow them in individual cells or containers, not flats.” Photo: Brassicas in bloom at Twining Tree Farm. Pinch back and snack on the flowers or let go to seed and collect seed for next year’s crop.

With Spring come her mignons – weeds, aphids, wind and snakes included. Be patient – they will subside into a more relaxed balance soon enough.

While you’re trying to ignore weeds and aphids, April is a busy, busy month for gardening events around the region as well – let me tell you about a few highlights, but be sure to check the on-line calendar of events at jewellgarden.com – events are added close to everyday! I do my very best to keep the calendar up to date and accurate, please confirm all events with the event host’s contact information. If you are aware of a mistake on my calendar, please send me corrected info: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com! Thanks.

APRIL 2010

April 1 - Chico: Chico High School Greenhouses & Horticulture Plant Sale! 9am- 4pm, located at CHS Greenhouses off of West Sacramento Ave. We have pony packs of Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes ($2.00/pack), a lot of fern varieties in hanging baskets and in 4”- 8” pots. We also have a wide selection of foliage houseplants that would suit a houseplant lover. i.e. ornamental banana trees, umbrella plants, pothos, ficus trees. The prices range from $2.00-$9.00. PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SCHOOL HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS. If you have any questions feel free to call: Quinn Mendez @ 891-3026 ext 381 or email: qmendez@chicousd.org

April 3 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Charlie Rabbit and Friends 9:30 AM. An interactive program in the Gardens (or Greenhouse in rain) for children, their siblings, parents and grandparents.Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery.

April 3 - Oroville: Annual Wildflower and Nature Festival 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Riverbend Park. Event celebration of spring and wildlife in Butte county. Guided hikes, pony rides, face painting, educational booths, wildlife photogprahy, plant sales, art show and acrylic paintings. Deanna Simmons, 533-2011 or deanna@frrpd.com. Photo: Shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii) in bloom in March near Red Bluff.

April 3 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens KID’S EASTER BASKET PLANTING PARTY 10am to noon; kids get to plant an Easter Basket with colorful Pansies, FREE! Wyntour Gardens, 8026 Airport Road(1 mi. S. of the Redding Airport, next to Kents Mkt)Redding, CA Phone 365-2256 visit us on the web @ wyntourgardens.com or email inform@wyntourgardens.com.

April 3 - Chico: CSU, Chico Associated Students: COMPOST WORKSHOP 11am - 12 noon, Free Workshop on Composting at the Compost Display Area on the CSU Campus. Located behind Yolo Hall past the tennis courts along the railroad tracks. Please park in the Nettleton Stadium Parking lot (permit required) and walk to the compost display area. More info, cotnact As Recycling: 530-898-5033, or: asrecycle@csuchico.edu.

April 3 - Weaverville: Trinity Nursery Art Cruise - Art in the Nursery 4 - 7 pm. We will be kicking off the season on Saturday, April 3rd. View lovely art and visit with talented artists in the relaxed outdoor setting of the nursery (weather permitting, of course). Refreshments will be served.We are expecting the following artists in April: Debee Olson, Marge Heilman, Peggy Carr, John Heilman and Betty Pestoni. Please note our Art Cruise hours start and end earlier than those in the Historic District. More info: www.trinitynursery.com

April 6 - Chico: Chico Permaculture Guild presents suburban permaculture expert Jan Spencer 6:30 pm Quaker Meeting House in Chico. Jan is presenting as part of a speaking tour called “Global Trends-Local Choices: Creating a Safer, More Secure, and Greener Community.” Free and open to the public. If you are practicing permaculture, curious to learn more about permaculture, or would like to help your neighborhood and community come together to live in a more sustainable way, you can’t miss this opportunity to see Jan present! Jan’s presentation will touch on a wide variety of topics and issues including economics, “power shift”, social permaculture, changes in urban land use, neighborhood approaches, communities of faith, social cohesion and much more. Jan is making this tour to broaden the civic discussion about choices available given the deepening global trends. The tour’s goal is to motivate action and describe practical tools for helping to bring about a more peaceful and healthy world. For more info about the tour, property conversion, and to see Jan’s web site go to www.suburbanpermaculture.org. Quaker Meeting House is located at the corner of E. 16th Street and Hemlock in Chico, CA. Presented by Chico Permaculture Guild http://chicopermacultureguild.ning.com. Outreach for Chico Permaculture Guild - Kelly Baker –kellybiney@gmail.com

April 7 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society: Regular Member Mtg 7:30 pm Butte County Library, Chico. Regular Member Meeting and Program featuring George W. Hartwell speaking on Islands in the Lifestream: Uncommon Species in Unlikely Places. More info: Jim and Catie Bishop: cjbishop1991@sbcglobal.net

April 7 - 8 - Redding: Shasta College Reading Series with David Mas Masumoto, well known author of “Epitaph For a Peach” EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO FAMILY MEDICAL EMERGENCY - we will list new date when it is scheduled. More info: Author’s website: http://www.masumoto.com/who/index.htm

April 8 - Chico: Chico High School Greenhouses & Horticulture Plant Sale! 9am- 4pm, located at CHS Greenhouses off of West Sacramento Ave. We have pony packs of Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes ($2.00/pack), a lot of fern varieties in hanging baskets and in 4”- 8” pots. We also have a wide selection of foliage houseplants that would suit a houseplant lover. i.e. ornamental banana trees, umbrella plants, pothos, ficus trees. The prices range from $2.00-$9.00. PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SCHOOL HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS. If you have any questions feel free to call: Quinn Mendez @ 891-3026 ext 381 or email: qmendez@chicousd.org

April 8 - 11 - Sacramento: California State Flower and Garden Show, California Exposition. This show is driven by the passion and enthusiasm of gardeners from all over the State. Highlighting the diversity, scope and interest of the California gardening community, this will be a true Flower & Garden Show with something for everyone. On April 9th and 10th Pacific Horticulture hosts a panel of garden speakers, including Jennifer Jewell of In a North State Garden at 3 pm on April 10th, with a talk entitled: Preaching the Gospel of the Garden. More info: 1-877-696-6668, Ext 4.; http://www.calstategardenshow.com/ Photo: Korean lilac in bloom in Hamilton City in late March at the home garden of Pam Geisel, Statewide Coordinator of the Master Gardener Program.

April 9 - Chico: Tree tour of the CSU, Chico Arboretum and Bidwell Mansion. 10 am at the Bidwell Mansion Gazebo. One and a half hour easy stroll discussing HORTICULTURAL, BOTANICAL, AND HISTORICAL info about the woody plants and trees in the CSUC-Mansion Arboretum. More info: Wes Dempsey 530-342-2293 or Gerry Ingco 530-893-5213.

April 10 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Essentials of Micro-Irrigation 9 a.m. - noon. Core Gardening Series. Back by popular demand! Learn all you need to know about easy-to-install, low-water usage, micro (drip) irrigation systems. Turtle Bay Horticulturist/Irrigation Specialist Jim Bailey demonstrates the basic construction of manual and automatic systems with emitters, micro-sprays, and all the necessary components. This is a hands-on workshop with an extended time period to allow us to actually put together a sample system. Turtle Bay members and volunteers FREE, nonmembers $3. Meet at Arboretum & Botanical Gardens Office - 1135 Arboretum Drive (Next to Greenhouse in Nursery) More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

April 10 - Davis: UC Davis Arboretum, Spring Plant Sale 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis Spotlight on outstanding water-conserving plants that require less frequent watering but still look terrific in our Mediterranean climate and make great additions to any Valley-Wise garden. What a great way to make your garden more “green” by saving water. Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive across from the School of Veterinary Medicine on the UC Davis campus. Free parking is available in Visitor Lot 55. More info: (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 10 - Chico: CSU, Chico Associated Students: COMPOST WORKSHOP 11am - 12 noon, Free Workshop on Composting at the Compost Display Area on the CSU Campus. Located behind Yolo Hall past the tennis courts along the railroad tracks. Please park in the Nettleton Stadium Parking lot (permit required) and walk to the compost display area. More info, cotnact As Recycling: 530-898-5033, or: asrecycle@csuchico.edu.

April 10 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society FIELD TRIP Chaffin Family Farms and Table Mountain 12:45 pm meet at Chico Park & Ride for this trip to tour this diversified family farm at the base of and on Table Mountain, where we should see a great display of wildflowers as well! Wear sturdy shows and bring lunch and water. More info: Gerry Ingco 530-893-5213.

April 11 - 12 - Yankee Hill: Spring Fever Nursery & Gardens Open Days 9 am - 4 pm Rain or Shine - Come visit our beautiful gardens!!! See where we grow & propagate our perennials. Some hard to find, some heirloom, & some you’ve never seen before. Directions from Hwy 99: Take Butte College exit, east on Durham- Pentz, past Butte College, past Clark Road (blinking red light), right on Pentz (a stop sign), left on Hwy 70 (another stop sign), right on Lunt (no stop sign), hard left onto Yankee Hill Rd., right on Pinebrae, left on Wendy Way. 3rd gate on left. Park on the right. Parking is somewhat limited; carpool if you can. Overflow parking on roadside. Because there are pokey plants in the garden (and others that are easily injured), we would ask that you call to schedule a separate visit with your small children. Please, no dogs. Thanks!; nursery accepts cash or check. 5683 Wendy Way Yankee Hill. F More information: 530-990-1556.

April 12 - Paradise: Paradise Garden Club 1:00 pm Regular Member Meeting and Pot Luck. Terry Ashe Recreation Center 6626 Skyway Paradise, Ca. Program: Nancy McLain of McLain’s Bonsai Nursery. Nancy will be demonstrating how to bonsai and create a miniature nature garden. Possible sign-ups for a Bonsai workshop (small fee) at her home nursery will be discussed. More Info Call: 530-876-1926.

April 14 - Sacramento: Fair Oaks Horticulture Center/Sacramento County Master Gardeners OPEN GARDEN DAY 9 am - noon. Drop by to see our gardens on your own. Talk to Master Gardeners as they work. Ask questions, because every drop counts, we offer advice to grow by! Fair Oaks Park, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. Fair Oaks, CA 95628. More info call: 916-875-6913.

April 14 – Magalia: Magalia Beautification Association 12:30 Regular Member Light Lunch and Program followed by Regular Meeting. Racine Center, 14109 Racine Circle (on the corner of Racine Circle and Wycliff Way, Magalia. More info: www.magaliagardeners.webs.com/ or Call 530-873-3273.

April 14 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW Lecture Series: Bugs in the System 7:30 PM at the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. Tonight’s Program: Bees through the seasons by Laurel Hill-Ward, California State University, Chico. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. More info: www.gatewayscience.org. Photo: Bug in the system, a leaf borer in the tip of a young peach tree branch.

April 15 - Chico: Chico High School Greenhouses & Horticulture Plant Sale! 9am-4pm-located at CHS Greenhouses off of West Sacramento Ave. We have pony packs of Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes ($2.00/pack), a lot of fern varieties in hanging baskets and in 4”- 8” pots. We also have a wide selection of foliage houseplants that would suit a houseplant lover. i.e. ornamental banana trees, umbrella plants, pothos, ficus trees. The prices range from $2.00-$9.00. PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SCHOOL HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS. If you have any questions feel free to call: Quinn Mendez @ 891-3026 ext 381 or email: qmendez@chicousd.org

April 15 – Redding: Shasta Chapter Cal Native Plant Society Regular Member Mtg PLS NOTE NEW TIME AND LOCATION 7pm, Shasta College Health Science & University Programs building in downtown Redding, 1400 Market Street, Community Room 8220 (Southwest corner of Market & Tehama Streets). PROGRAM: Join us for a raincheck program by Michael Kauffmann, a science teacher, author of the hiking guidebook Conifer Country, and plant enthusiast from Eureka, about the Conifers of Northwest California. Michael will talk about the stunning conifer diversity fostered in our region, including the Shasta-Trinity Forest, the Klamath Mountains and the North Coast. Michael’s photographs, maps, and poster will offer us a peek at the wilderness that our Chapter enjoys. Michael’s website is www.conifercountry.com. A Board meeting will be held before the regular meeting, at 5:30 PM at Angelo’s Pizza Parlour in the Foundry Square, 1774 California Street, Redding. More Info: www.shastacnps.org.

April 15 - 17 – Redding: Shasta Chapter Cal Native Plant Society Shasta College Spring Plant Sale This 3-day spring extravaganza will be at the greenhouse/horticulture area of Shasta College. We will be selling our spring-blooming native plants, so call Susan Libonati at 530/347-4654 to volunteer for a few hours to help out. Sale: 8:00-5:00 Thursday and Friday; 9:00-3:00 Saturday.

April 17 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society FIELD TRIP to Propylite Hills in the Sutter Buttes 7:30 am RESERVATIONS REQUIRED $15 per person. Meet at Chico Park & Ride for this 5-mile hike lead by Daniel Barth over decomposed volcanic rock called ‘Propylite’ that forms rounded hills that boast great views and the possibility of a wonderful wildflower display. Wear sturdy shows, weather appropriate clothing, bring lunch, water and money for ride sharing. More info: Gerry Ingco 530-893-5213.

April 17 – Grass Valley: Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society GENERAL INTEREST Name that Wildflower! workshop 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Twin Cities Church, community classroom. Address: 11726 Rough & Ready Highway, Grass Valley. Workshop Fee: $25 for members of California Native Plant Society and $35 for nonmembers. Fee includes beverages, snacks and lunch. Pre-registration is required. Class limited to 25 people. Contact: Karen Callahan, penstemon@nccn.net or 530-272-5532. Immerse yourself in wildflowers for the day. Learn how to identify major plant families in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Spend the morning with plant specimens observing special features–hairy nectar runs, freckles, colored anthers, banner petals or seed pods. Become acquainted with various flower shapes: funnels, tubes, bells, bowls, stars, saucers and disks. In the afternoon, we’ll use our newfound knowledge out in the field to identify wildflowers. We’ll explore the unusual wildflower area next to the Church facility known as Kenny Ranch or “Hells Half Acre”. We’ll identify multiple wildflowers in bloom. Back by popular demand, professional botanists Linnea Hanson and Jenny Marr are teaching this workshop. Linnea works for Plumas National Forest, and Jenny works for the California Department of Fish and Game. The main reference guide for the workshop will be our Redbud Chapter’s beautiful new book: Wildflowers of Nevada and Placer Counties, California. The book is organized by plant families and will fit right into the workshop plan. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during the workshop in case you don’t already have one of your own. We’ll also use the Peterson Guide to Pacific States Wildflowers by T. Niehaus and C. Ripper. Bring your hand lens, too. We’ll have microscopes set up to give us a unique view of the plant world! Photo: California native flannel bush in bloom in Chico in late March.

April 17 - Chico: Eco-Fest 2010 CSU, Chico All Day. Kendall Lawn, West of Laxon Auditorium on the CSU, Chico Campus. The Environmental Action and Resource Center (E-ARC) will be hosting its 13th annual Ecofest on April 17 on the Kendall Lawn. We are all very excited to have another great event this year, with plenty of music, dancing, food, speakers, and enough diverse booths including GRUB and the Chico Permaculture Guild, for everyone. If you would like to sell something, prepare food, share information, create a fun and interactive booth, or simply represent your organization, you can do it all on this fun-filled day. Take this opportunity to celebrate Earth Month with great music and a ton of great people. If you are interested in participating, please contact:Brooke Langer, Environmental Action and Resource Center, BMU 301(530) 898-5676 earc@csuchico.edu

April 17 – McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Vegetable Gardening 10 a.m. - noon. Core Gardening Series. Join local organic gardener Cleo Lane for a lively discussion of vegetable gardening in our rigorous climate. Topics will include seasonal planting, growing more tomatoes, gardening with children, pollinators, pests and diseases, and organic methods. Turtle Bay members and volunteers FREE, nonmembers $3 Meet at Arboretum & Botanical Gardens Office - 1135 Arboretum Drive (Next to Greenhouse in Nursery) More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

April 17 – Chico: Chico Horticulture Society: Great Nutrition and Fresh Food Choices Workshop for Families and Kids! 10:30 – 12:30. Where: 555 Rio Lindo, Chico (The Bloodsource Building); presented by Jona Pressman, Nutrition Program Manager for Butte County Food and Nutrition Program. The focus of the workshop is how to help families make food choices which can improve the nutritional quality of their meals. The workshop is designed to be interactive with children with hands on activities. They will also prepare and eat food as part of the learning process. The Chico Horticultural Club will talk about how home gardening can be a great family activity and can help families improve the quality of their food. We will provide a tomato plant to take home, along with instructions on planting and caring for the plant. Event is free, but Pre-registration is required for this workshop and minimum age is 6 years old. When you register we ask you to provide the children’s names and ages that will be attending. The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 13. To register please call Ana LaRossa at 892-1545.

April 17 – Sacramento: Old City Cemetery Historic Rose Garden Open Garden and Rose Sale 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Garden Tours, Rose Sales, Sale of Rose-related items, Silent Auction of special items and Door Prizes.The Rose Garden should be at peak bloom at this time, so come join in the fun, tour the garden and visit with your rosy friends. Sacramento Historic City Cemetery is located on Broadway at 10th Street, between Muir Way and Riverside Boulevard in Sacramento, California. Park across the street and enter at the main gate on 10th Street and Broadway. Photo: So-called “Riverside” landscape rose - tough as nails, blooms most of the summer with no supplemental irrigation - light fragrance. Shown here in bloom in Hamilton City in late March.

April 17-18 – Sacramento: Sacramento Orchid Society Show for more info: www.sacramentoorchids.org

April 18-19 - Yankee Hill: Spring Fever Nursery & Gardens Open Days 9 am - 4 pm Rain or Shine - Come visit our beautiful gardens!!! See where we grow & propagate our perennials. Some hard to find, some heirloom, & some you’ve never seen before. Directions from Hwy 99: Take Butte College exit, east on Durham- Pentz, past Butte College, past Clark Road (blinking red light), right on Pentz (a stop sign), left on Hwy 70 (another stop sign), right on Lunt (no stop sign), hard left onto Yankee Hill Rd., right on Pinebrae, left on Wendy Way. 3rd gate on left. Park on the right. Parking is somewhat limited; carpool if you can. Overflow parking on roadside. Because there are pokey plants in the garden (and others that are easily injured), we would ask that you call to schedule a separate visit with your small children. Please, no dogs. Thanks!; nursery accepts cash or check. 5683 Wendy Way Yankee Hill. More information: 530-990-1556.

April 18 - Redding: Shasta Chapter Cal Native Plant Society Plant Propagation/Clean Up Session 10 AM - 12 PM at the Shasta College greenhouses. The greenhouses are located at the back of Shasta College, near the livestock barns. We will be sprucing up from the previous days’ Spring Plant Sale, weeding, and potting up nursery starts and rooted cuttings. Bring rooted plants, clippers and any other tools you might need.Please call Susan Libonati at 530/347-4654 for further information.

April 18 - Chico: Chico Organic Gardening: Heirloom Tomatoes and More with Brian Marshall and Nancy Heinzel 1:30 - 3:30 at the Chico Grange; $15 fee per person payable at the door. Growing heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables With Nancy Heinzel and Brian Marshall of Sawmill Creek Farms - they will have plants for sale. Hosted by Chico Organic Gardening and Valley Oak Tool. To register follow links at: www.valleyoaktool.com; More info: hazel@valleyoaktool.com 530 342-6188. Photo: Garden tomatoes.

April 21 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW Lecture Series: Bugs in the System 7:30 PM at the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. Tonight’s Program: Top 20 questions I get at the Insect Zoo by Patrick Schlemmer, San Francisco Zoo. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. More info: www.gatewayscience.org

April 22 - 40th Anniversary of EARTH DAY!

April 23 - 25 - Loomis: Loomis Basin Iris Tour and Festival Leave winter behind and embrace the spring with free tours of three iris venues in the Loomis area; High Hand Nursery, Horton’s Iris Farm and Yarda’s Ditch Water Iris Farm. Start at High Hand Nursery to pick up your map and grab a gourmet picnic lunch prepared by the High Hand Café. Stroll through High Hand Nursery and purchase irises in bloom, or order specialty irises from Horton’s or Yarda’s. Check out the iris judging at High Hand Nursery, where growers enter their pride and joy and hope to be picked the best of the best. Each of the venues will be at their most beautiful and the weather should be warm and mild. For further information call High Hand Nursery at (916) 652-2065. Photo: Lovin’ the time of irises.

April 24 - Chico: 4th Annual Growing Healthy Children Walk & Run Celebration 8 am - Bidwell Park 1 Mile Recreation Area - 1 mile/5 k and Kid Sprint Events Race Starts Promptly at 9:00. First 300 kids registers get a free t-shirt! The whole Family is welcome at this FREE event! Preregister by April 21st and pick up your race day packets and T-Shirts on April 22nd and 23rd at Fleet Feet in Downtown Chico between 10 am and 6 pm. For more information or To get a registration form please email: Mnaiman28@yahoo.com.

April 24 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society FIELD TRIP to Dye Creek Preserve The Nature Conservancy 8:30 am Meet at Chico Park & Ride’s West Parking Lot. This 4 to 5-mile hike follows the course of Dye Creek where it passes through a pristine setting of volcanic buttes, hills, and blue oak woodlands before flowing into the Sacramento River. A good level of fitness is required. Wear sturdy shows, weather appropriate clothing, bring lunch, water and money for ride sharing. More info: Woody Elliott 530-342-6053.

April 24 - Davis: UC Davis Arboretum, Spring Plant Sale 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive, UC Davis Spotlight on plant combos for terrific container gardening—inspiring ideas with combinations of All-Stars and others high-impact plants. Many of our suggested combos will highlight groupings you might see in the Arboretum’s popular Terrace Garden. Arboretum Teaching Nursery, on Garrod Drive across from the School of Veterinary Medicine on the UC Davis campus. Free parking is available in Visitor Lot 55. More info: (530) 752-4880 or visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.

April 24 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay 9:30 am. A Walk with the Horticulture Manager, Lisa Endicott. Bring your notebooks and cameras for this participant-driven program. We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! There’s something new to see every month! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery.

April 24 - Redding: Whole Earth and Watershed Festival 10 am - 3 pm, Redding City Hall and Sculpture Park FREE ADMISSION. www.wholeearthandwatershedfestival.org

April 24 - Chico: CSU, Chico Associated Students: COMPOST WORKSHOP 11am - 12 noon, Free Workshop on Composting at the Compost Display Area on the CSU Campus. Located behind Yolo Hall past the tennis courts along the railroad tracks. Please park in the Nettleton Stadium Parking lot (permit required) and walk to the compost display area. More info, cotnact As Recycling: 530-898-5033, or: asrecycle@csuchico.edu.

April 24-25 - Redding: Home & Garden Show 10 am - 6 pm Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm Sunday, Redding Convention Center. $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, children 12 and under free. For more info: www.homeshowredding.com/Spring_Home_Show.htm

April 24-25 - Chico: Chico Bonsai Society’s Annual Spring Show 11 am - 5 pm on the 24th, 10 am - 5 pm on the 25th, Admission is Free. CARD Community Center 545 Vallambrosa Avenue in Chico. Show will feature Bonsai Display, Suiseki (Viewing Stones), Continuous Bonsai Demonstrations, Saikei (miniature landscapes, plant clinic, plant sales, Raffle, Door Prize. More Info: Pat Gilmore: 530-343-3447.

April 25 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society - Native Plant GARDEN TOUR Tickets are $8 and available at: Mendon’s Nursery, Floral Native Nursery, Little Red Hen Nursery, Lyon Books, and The Plant Barn. Featured gardens will include Jennifer Jewell’s home garden. Join the fun and help out this major fundraiser for the CNPS Mt. Lassen Chapter. More info: Jim and Catie Bishop: cjbishop1991@sbcglobal.net or Suellen Rowlinson suellen@garlic.com. Photo: View up a walkway in Jennifer Jewell’s home garden, featured on this year’s Mt. Lassen Native Plant Garden Tour.

April 25 - Redding: Shasta Chapter Cal Native Plant Society FIELD TRIP 8 am Redding City Hall Parking lot. Join Jay & Terri Thesken for a long, all-day, 8.5-mile wildflower hike on the Yana Trail in the Sacramento River Bend BLM area north of Red Bluff. River terraces topped with wildflowers, oak woodland, and the meandering Sacramento River characterize this beautiful area. Meet at 8 AM at the Redding City Hall parking lot, on the back (south) side of the building, next to Parkview Avenue. City Hall address is 777 Cypress Avenue. Bring good hiking boots (be prepared to hike!), water and lunch. Call Jay or Terri Thesken at 530/221-0906 for more information.

April 25 - 26 - Yankee Hill: Spring Fever Nursery & Gardens Open Days 9 am - 4 pm Rain or Shine - Come visit our beautiful gardens!!! See where we grow & propagate our perennials. Some hard to find, some heirloom, & some you’ve never seen before. Directions from Hwy 99: Take Butte College exit, east on Durham- Pentz, past Butte College, past Clark Road (blinking red light), right on Pentz (a stop sign), left on Hwy 70 (another stop sign), right on Lunt (no stop sign), hard left onto Yankee Hill Rd., right on Pinebrae, left on Wendy Way. 3rd gate on left. Park on the right. Parking is somewhat limited; carpool if you can. Overflow parking on roadside. Because there are pokey plants in the garden (and others that are easily injured), we would ask that you call to schedule a separate visit with your small children. Please, no dogs. Thanks!; nursery accepts cash or check. 5683 Wendy Way Yankee Hill. F More information: 530-990-1556.

April 27 – Red Bluff: Red Bluff Garden Club Regular Member Meeting 1:00 pm at 12889 Baker Road in Red Bluff. Program is Garden Photography, Speaker Lee Hebner, Crown Camera. For more info: www.redbluffgardenclub.com.

April 27– Chico: Butte Rose Society Regular Member Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 pm Meeting and Program. Chico Veterans’ Memorial Hall on Rio Lindo Avenue. More info: Call Neva Youngs 345-8005.

April 28 - Chico: Gateway Science Museum MWOW Lecture Series: Bugs in the System 7:30 PM at the Chico Area Recreation District (CARD) Center, 545 Vallombrosa Ave, Chico. Tonight’s Program:Biological diversity - What’s extinction got to do with it? By Jenny Marr, California Department of Fish and Game. A donation of $3 per adult is requested. Students with ID are free. More info: www.gatewayscience.org

April 29 - Chico: Chico High School Greenhouses & Horticulture Plant Sale! 9am- 4pm, located at CHS Greenhouses off of West Sacramento Ave. We have pony packs of Early Girl and Beefsteak tomatoes ($2.00/pack), a lot of fern varieties in hanging baskets and in 4”- 8” pots. We also have a wide selection of foliage houseplants that would suit a houseplant lover. i.e. ornamental banana trees, umbrella plants, pothos, ficus trees. The prices range from $2.00-$9.00. PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE SCHOOL HORTICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS. If you have any questions feel free to call: Quinn Mendez @ 891-3026 ext 381 or email: qmendez@chicousd.org

April 30 – Davis: Center for Urban Horticulture, Sustainable Backyard Series: Roses. Topics covered will include budding & grafting, pest ID and management, beginner’s pruning, advanced pruning, new variety introductions, and landscape design with roses. To register or for more info: http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/public or call Missy Borel: mjborel@ucdavis.edu.

April 30 - Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Festa Botanica! 4-8 pm, Member Party and Presale - Come on out to enjoy the McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay for their annual Festa Botanica! A Garden Celebration and Marketplace! with plant sales, garden tours, vendors, crafts, music and plant experts. Karen McGrath Garden Design and Jewellgarden.com host a wine bar and silent auction. The garden/plant oriented marketplace of close to 2 dozen booths will be IN the Nursery. 1100 Arboretum Drive, Redding. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery.

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