Did you know that the new water year starts on October 1? Our water year in California is from October 1 to September 30. That’s when annual rainfall measurements are reset to zero and everyone who monitors rainfall sharpens their pencils and eagerly anticipates the rainy season. For native plant gardeners, this is the auspicious time of year for starting new plantings or adding to your beloved garden spaces.
To kick-off a Happy New Water Year, our Fall 2025 Native Plant Sale is set for the first Friday and Saturday in October: October 3 & 4, 2025, at the Shasta Community College Farm greenhouses, in conjunction with Shasta College’s own plant sale. We will also hold our traditional setup and members-only pre-sale the day before. Please see our Species Availability List.
Setup
Thursday, October 2: 2 to 4 PM
Members-Only Pre-Sale:
Thursday, October 2: 4 to 6 PM
Public Sale:
Friday, October 3: 9 AM to 4 PM
Saturday,October 4: 9 AM to 4 PM
All of the native plant nurseries in town recognize that, in our Mediterranean climate, fall is the best time to plant. That’s why we all have fall sales. This year, Shasta Chapter CNPS, Shasta College, Turtle Bay Nursery, and Ghost Pine Native Plant Nursery are all offering California native plant sales on the first weekend of October. Some of our inventories overlap, but nearly half (~30) of Shasta Chapter’s species are unique to our nursery as of this writing.
We are thankful to have a plant sale table at the Turtle Bay Nursery Fall Sale on Saturday, October 4, but our full line of over 60 species will be at the Shasta Community College Farm greenhouses on October 3 & 4, from 9 AM to 4 PM. Shasta College also has some unique native species not carried currently by others. Our species complement each other.
Photo taken on April 23, 2025, by MaryAnn McCrary.
The proceeds of Shasta Chapter’s plant sales support all of our scholarships and grants to students pursuing careers in botany and conservation, including our internships in the nursery. Proceeds also support our Acorn and Oak Tree grants for starting native plant gardens at schools and other locations. Our grants program benefits native plant education for students of all ages!
Volunteer opportunities will mushroom in late September as we prepare for the Fall 2025 Native Plant Sale. Let us know how you would like to help. Our needs include:
- getting the word out by putting up posters in public places
- telling your nearby friends on social media
- setting up for the sale: putting plants on sale tables with their signs
- staffing the sale at Shasta College and at Turtle Bay Nursery
- talking with customers and answering their questions
- transporting and putting remaining stock back on the nursery tables
- taking sale tables, etc., down and putting them in storage
Let us know what you would like to do! Please email us at shastacnps@gmail.com.
~MaryAnn McCrary, Nursery Manager
