Central Park Gardens will celebrate seven years of volunteer-led garden improvements at its annual Open House and Plant Sale on Saturday, October 26^th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Master gardener volunteers and members of the garden’s Steering Committee will be answering questions and selling plants in five of the seven demonstration gardens, which are located on B and Third Streets in Davis’ Central Park just west of the Farmers Market.

Water-wise plants and techniques will be a special focus of the event this year with an information booth focused on drip irrigation and a broad selection of drought-tolerant succulents, grasses, bulbs, natives, and perennials for sale.  Planting in the fall reduces the need for irrigation by taking advantage of cool temperatures and winter rainfall to get new plants established. 

Information will also be available on lawn removal and replacement alternatives.  Central Park Gardens volunteers have renovated the garden’s central meadow over the last year and will have advice to share on meadow planting and management.  Many of the beautiful, drought-tolerant plants that are thriving in the meadow will be available for sale, including Siskiyou blue fescue, blue-eyed grass, eyelash grass, Argentine rain lilies, and island pink yarrow.

The plant sale will also include a variety of fall vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs, and all proceeds from the event will provide much needed funds to benefit garden maintenance.  Other Open House event features include Master Gardener information booths with practical gardening advice, information about least toxic pest control from the City of Davis, and free wildflower seeds.

The following plants will be available at the sale:

WONDERFUL WATER-WISE PLANTS: SUCCULENTS AND PERENNIALS

Red apple (Aptenia cordifolia)

Rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora)

Red carpet jade (Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans)

Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii)

Hybrid ghost plant (XGraptoveria ‘Fred Ives’)

Germander sage (Salvia chamaedryoides)

Autumn sage (Salvia greggii ‘Flame’)

Lesser Mexican stonecrop (Sedum confusum)

Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)

MARVELOUS MEADOW PLANTS: WILDFLOWERS, GRASSES, AND BULBS

Island pink yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Island Pink’)

Purple haze aster (Aster chilensis ‘Purple Haze’)

Eyelash grass (Bouteloua gracilis)

Catalina California fuchsia (Epilobium canum ‘Catalina’)

Siskiyou blue fescue (Festuca ‘Siskiyou Blue’)

Pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Tete-a-Tete  dwarf daffodil (bulbs) (Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’)

Thalia white daffodil (bulbs) (Narcissus ‘Thalia’)

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)

Cascade Creek goldenrod (Solidago californica ‘Cascade Creek’)

Ithuriel’s spear (bulbs) (Triteleia laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’)

Purple vervain (Verbena bonariensis)

Argentine rain lily (Zephyranthes candida)

FANTASTIC FLOWERS

Paprika yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Paprika’)

Dusty rose Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria ‘Dusty Rose’)

Yellow columbine (Aquilegia)

Blue aster (Aster sp.)

Queen’s tears (Billbergia nutans)

Dark Knight butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii ‘Dark Knight’)

Holborn Glory sweet William (Dianthus barbatus ‘Holborn Glory’)

Tower of Jewels (Echium wildpretii)

Pink California poppy (Eschscholzia californica ‘Rose Chiffon’)

Yellow daylily (Hemerocallis)

Knautia (Knautia macedonica)

Hidalgo woolly betony (Stachys albotomentosa ‘Hidalgo’)

Ballerina lily-flowered tulip (Tulipa ‘Ballerina’)

Lady tulip (Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha)

VERITABLE VEGETABLES

Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas

Sugar Daddy sugar snap peas

Bloomsdale spinach

Lavewa spinach

Buttercrunch lettuce

Windsor fava beans

Ruby red chard

Tuscan black kale

Flat of Italy red onion

Borettana cipollini yellow onion

“SCENTSATIONAL” HERBS/EDIBLE FLOWERS

Boysenberry

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

Cilantro

Florence fennel (bulb-form)

Wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)

Grecian laurel (Laurus nobilis)

Munstead lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’)

Peach Melba nasturtium

Mahogany nasturtium

Alaska variegated nasturtium

Greek oregano

Italian parsley

Rue (Ruta graveolens)