NOT YET …JUST A LITTLE LONGER …ALMOST….ANY DAY NOW…

OK NOW!

THE TOMATOES ARE HERE!!

You’ve found the perfect spot, prepared your beds and endured our lectures about how you shouldn’t plant your tomatoes too early. You’ve waited long enough and now it’s time for the payoff. We are at this very moment stocking our shelves with the first wave of 2008 tomatoes(that's one of our resident trainees Linda in the picture, with just a few of the tomatoes we have ready for you!).

We will once again be one of the only places in the area, heck the entire universe, where you can get organic tomatoes starts grown by Kassenhoff Growers. As many of you know, the Kassenhoff growing grounds are located right here at Ploughshares Nursery. This means that your tomatoes will already be acclimated to our climate. Most of the tomatoes you will find “out there” are acclimated to the inside of a greenhouse. This year the Kassenhoffs are growing over 60 different varieties and we will carry them all at some point in the spring.

The best way to get started on your tomato season is to come to our Tomato Night on April 10th at 6:00 pm. We are co-sponsoring this event with Slow Food Alameda. Peggy Kass from Kassenhoff Growers will be describing some of the 60 varieties of tomatoes that they are growing and Ploughshares is selling this spring. Nursery Manager Michael Anderson will teach us how to help these tomatoes succeed in your back yard. At the bottom of this newsletter is a complete list of all the upcoming workshops we will be offering.

We want to pass along a reminder to pencil into your schedule both of the fabulous garden tours that will be happening in the East Bay this spring. If you’re not already in the know, then take a moment to check out the Bringing Back the Native Tour on May 3rd and 4th and the Bay Friendly Gardening Tour on April 27th. Ploughshares is proud to be featured destinations of both tours.

The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, and the weather is just too perfect. With that said we will see you out at the nursery.

Hope to see you seen.
Andrea, Christopher, Linda, Sue, and Michael

Spring Workshops at Ploughshares Nursery!

April 10th 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.
Tomato Night with Michael Anderson and Peggy Kass
Peggy Kass from Kassenhoff Growers will be describing some of the 60 varieties of tomatoes that they are growing and Ploughshares is selling this spring. Nursery Manager Michael Anderson will teach us how to help these tomatoes succeed in your back yard.

April 12th, 12:00 – 1:30
Herbs for Holistic Health with Theresa Elander
More and more we are learning that it is important to take responsibility for our own health. Come and learn about some simple herbs that can enhance your health and help you through some typical ailments we all face.

April 19th, please visit Stopwaste.org to sign up for this event
Year-round Edible Gardening Workshop
This hands-on workshop will offer vegetable gardening basics including: soil preparation, when and what to plant for our local climate, companion planting and pest control, plus creative ways to use your bountiful harvest. Seeds, catalogs, regional food source information, and other handouts will be provided.

April 20th, 12:00 – 3:00
Bay Friendly Advisors
Some of our friends from Bay Friendly Gardening and Landscaping project will be at the Nursery to answer all of your gardening question and to hand out some literature.

April, 27th
Bay Friendly Garden Tour, featuring a talk by Terrel Brand on Creating Backyard Habitat for Birds and Butterflies (tour is all day, talk is from 10-noon)
Learn about choosing plants that offer berries, nectar and other delectable treats for local wildlife. This event is part of the Bay Friendly Garden tour. To find out more about this wonderful event please visit www.stopwaste.org . Terrel Brand is a co-owner of Oaktown Natives. Learn about more about them please visit www.oaktownnativenursery.info .

May, 3rd and 4th
Bringing Back the Native Tour
In celebration of the Bringing Back the Native Tour returning to Ploughshares Nursery the Growing Youth Project we will be serving food and beverages. The first 50 people on each day will get a free California Poppy plant with any purchase. To learn more about the Bringing Back the Native Tour please visits www.bringingbackthenatives.net .

May 18th, 10:00 -12:30
Basic Basket Making with Rachel and Emily Harris
Back by popular demand the Harris sisters will once again teach us how to make harvest baskets using native Tully grass. There is a $30 material fee for this class and space is limited. Please R.S.V.P. by May 9th.

May 24th, 10:00 – 11:00
Kids Day
Children will have the opportunity to complete several hands-on activities including making their own soap, creating a flower using their handprint, make their own ecological footprint to grow at home, constructing a potato vase for flowers, and more. Children will also be able to discover materials for their artwork throughout the Nursery through a small scavenger hunt. Bring your creative ideas and be ready to explore the nursery and garden through art. Light snacks and refreshments provided.

May 31st 10:00-11:30
Basic Composting Workshop at Ploughshares
We'll learn about basic composting and what kind of soil you have and why composting plays an important role in having healthy soil. So bring a cup of your own soil in a small bag and we'll take a look at how healthy your soil is. We'll talk a little about worm composting as well. We'll learn just how easy and fun it truly is to compost in your own backyard!