It’s been a unique year for our band of precious volunteers who work over the winter making a diverse selection of native plants ready for the Spring 2024 Native Plant Sale. Weather played a star role this year, bringing so much rain and so few frosty nights that the plants could safely be outdoors in healthier conditions than a warm and humid greenhouse can provide. Natives love natural conditions and this year Shasta Chapter offered well-seasoned plants ready for whatever the weather has in store at their permanent homes. Spring arrived slowly. Even our mid-April Spring Sale had some stormy and cold weather.
But, hundreds of enthusiastic gardeners braved the predicted rain and flocked to the Spring Sale at Shasta College Farm. They took home armloads of natives for their drought-tolerant landscapes. Their native plantings will attract pollinators to benefit vegetable gardening and simply to enjoy. There’s nothing quite like fluttering butterflies and hovering bumblebees to brighten one’s day. And it’s always heartening to know that one’s efforts benefit both bees and birds.
Cheers to our volunteers and customers who made our 2024 native plant nursery happen. We heartily thank absolutely everyone who helped with Spring Plant Sale 2024! So many people with such diverse skills are needed for a successful plant sale: from collecting seeds and cuttings, through growing and potting the plants, to advising customers on appropriate species and cashiering the purchases. We thank all the generous volunteers who helped with the process, from shed tidying, to order schlepping. We are grateful to all who care enough about the native plants and ecosystems of California to plant natives where you live! Thank you!
~Shasta Chapter CNPS Propagation Team
PS: Attention Siskiyou County members and friends! Our online store is still open, now stream-lined to focus on cold-tolerant plants (https://cnps-shasta.square.site/). Pick-up will be coordinated with the wildflower show on Mother’s Day in Yreka. See the article, Mother’s Day 2024 Events, for details!