Last Saturday my wife and I attended the 10th annual Harvest Day at the Fair Oaks Horticultural Center. This was our first time, and I enjoyed the day sampling fruits and vegetables, visiting the information booths and plant vendors, seeing the community and display gardens and listening to the interesting speakers.
Dave Wilson Nursery, wholesale fruit tree grower, provided slices of fruits for sampling -- apples, peaches, plums and pluots. Before purchasing a fruit tree, this was a chance to taste different varieties. My favorite was the white peach. I must admit that I went through the tasting line a number of times. Nothing like ripe summer fruit.
Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners provided six different cherry tomatoes for tasting. The samples were grown in the gardens at the center. My favorite is still Sun Gold. They also had table-grape tasting, with one-gallon cuttings available for purchase. I still like the taste of the Concord grape.
Eighteen horticulture-related organizations had tables located under the beautiful shade provided by heritage valley oaks. Two of my favorite small nurseries, Morning Sun Herb Farm in Vacaville and Canyon Creek outside Oroville, were selling plants.
With the help of other members, we manned the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club booth. Scott Paris, owner of High Hand Nursery in Loomis, loaned some perennial plants for our table. The plants attracted many visitors.
But the plant that attracted the most attention was Ruellia brittoniana in a two-gallon pot grown by Monrovia, calling the plant Mexican petunia. The plant was in a raised bed in the center's display garden near our table.
Sunset describes Ruellia brittoniana as a shrubby perennial with lavender-blue flowers throughout the warm time of the year. It grows 3 feet high by one foot to one- and-a-half-feet wide and can be invasive.
My wife grows this plant in her garden and does not find it that invasive. If it starts to spread, she just pulls it out.
Ruellia brittoniana is easy to propagate from tip cutting. The Auburn Garden Club will have that plant available at the April plant sale.
My wife was very impressed with the Fair Oaks Community Garden next to the horticultural center. Begun in 1981, the garden offers 60 Fair Oaks residents of various ages the opportunity to grow flowers and vegetables.
Here in Placer County, we have a Senior Community Garden at DeWitt Center, coordinated by the Placer County Master Gardeners.
I was also impressed with the display ornamental garden at the entrance to the horticultural center. Grown in raised beds, the plants have large identification signs. It is a great example of plants that will grow in our area.
I was also impressed with the fruit and vegetable demonstration areas.
Auburn resident Ken Menzer, arborist for the city of Folsom and owner of Abacus, a retail and wholesale nursery in Auburn, was one of the speakers. He talked under the shade of a beautiful valley oak about his many favorite trees for the Sacramento and foothill area.
Next year, Harvest Day will be the first Saturday in August. I've already marked it on my 2008 calendar.
Saul Wiseman can be reached at swiseman368@sbcglobal.net.