April 11, 1996 Contact: Jennifer McNulty (408) 459-2495; mcnulty@ua.ucsc.edu

ARRAY OF ORGANIC PLANTS FEATURED AT ANNUAL UCSC SPRING PLANT SALE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CRUZ, CA--A dizzying array of organic plants will be available at the annual UCSC Farm and Garden plant sale on Saturday and Sunday, May 4-5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale takes place at the Barn Theater Parking Lot at the intersection of Bay and High streets at the base of campus.

The plant sale features the widest selection of organically raised container plants available in the Monterey Bay Area, says UCSC Garden manager Orin Martin. All plants are proven to grow well in the local area. "Varieties and timing are the key to successful gardening," says Martin. "Once you've got the basic skills, you need to plant the right thing at the right time, and you'll be set."

This year's selection has been expanded to more than 200 species of vegetables, flowers, landscape plants, ornamental grasses, herbs, and "everlastings," or dried flowers. The Farm's famous tree dahlias--pink and white--will be available again this year, as will its trademark woolly lamb's ear.

Highlights of this year's vegetable selection include six-packs of salad mix, lettuces, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, and a sumptuous selection of tomatoes (including early girl, Oregon spring, dona, green zebra, cherry, yellow taxi pear-shaped, and golden and ruby pea-sized), and basils (including sweet, Thai, cinnamon, anise, purple, and broadleaf).

The array of flowers includes a broad selection of lavenders, salvias, yarrows, zinnias, and alstroemeria, as well as echinacea, penstemon, statice, Shasta daisies, and lythrum. Stunning sunflowers--including the multi-colored autumn beauty that produces blooms in a range of shades from pale yellow to burnt burgundy--will also be available. The Farm's roses are propagated from cuttings, which produce hearty long-lived plants that bloom profusely. Among this year's varieties are Buff Beauty, Will Scarlet, Kentucky Derby, Bonica, Souleanna, Dr. Van Fleet, Mutabilis, and Banksia lutea.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Farm and Garden, the sale will benefit the UCSC Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture. Members of the Friends will receive a 10 percent discount on purchases; memberships will be available at the sale. For more information about the Spring Plant Sale or the Friends of the Farm and Garden, call (408) 459-4140.

This release is also available on the World Wide Web at UCSC's "Services for Journalists" site (http://www.ucsc.edu/news/journalist.html).

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