Stock up at spring plant sales

In the spring, a peculiar thing happens to people, especially if they live anywhere near a patch of soil. They develop a lust for dirt. They must get their hands into soil; they must plant something. It’s an urge not satisfied until they see green leaves, flowers or a crop result from their efforts.

Should you have such a lust, you’ll want to find others who share it. Fortunately, garden clubs abound. Some share their plants at sales, along with the knowledge that has grown with the garden. Here’s a list of some, and with our abundance of gardeners, you are sure to find just the right plants for your microclimate.

Graton Community Club: This club holds the honor of being the oldest, as this year it will celebrate its 101st birthday. It began raising funds at “dahlia teas,” where the popular flower bulbs helped the club raise money for scholarships. From dahlias the gardeners branched out into all sorts of plants.

This year’s two-day Spring Plant Sale is an occasion, not just a sale. The theme this year is “Down the Rabbit Hole,” so some bunnies may put in an appearance along with some live musicians. The healthy variety of plants still raise money for scholarships. It is April 24 and 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 8996 Graton Road, Graton. There is a lunch for sale each day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $10, and homemade desserts and coffee are available all day for $5.

Harvest for the Hungry Plant Sale: This group gardens to raise food for four local hunger programs and in 2012 delivered an impressive 22,000 pounds of fresh produce. It has no-till beds as well as demonstration and medicinal gardens. The plant sale offers a wide variety of veggies and flowers to fill your beds and gives the volunteers a chance to show off their spectacular gardens on April 25, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1717 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa.

Healdsburg Garden Club Plant Sale and Garden Party: This is another venerable garden group dating back 86 years. When they throw a garden party, they do it in style. They will offer up 100 varieties of tomato plants, among other things. It is held in the Back to Nature garden at the town’s Senior Center on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a $2-$5 suggested donation. There will be live music, and the day starts with a continental mimosa breakfast for sale as well as plants. Later in the day, you can buy lunch or do some wine tasting as you load up on plants. It is at 725 Grove St., Healdsburg.

Luther Burbank Gold Ridge Experimental Farm, Sebastopol: Burbank’s lust for dirt lasted over 50 years. While his home in Santa Rosa was his showplace, his farm in Sebastopol was where he did the real work. From 1885 until he died in 1926, he grew plums, prunes, potatoes, flowers and more - 800 varieties. The farm fell into disuse in the 1950s, but in 1974, the Western Sonoma County Historical Society was formed, and in 1983, they began the restoration work on the farm to bring it to life again. The dedicated volunteers sell a wide variety of plants in the spring, including some of the master horticulturist’s rarest lily bulbs, on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 7777 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol.

Men’s Garden Club of Santa Rosa: While most garden clubs seem to have a definite feminine influence, men like to get their hands dirty, too. The Men’s Garden Club proved gardening in a manly fashion can hold its own when it took first prize and best of show at the 2012 Sonoma County Fair Flower Show. The plant sale offers lots of tomatoes and peppers as well as 500 varieties of geraniums. It is April 10, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and April 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Coddingtown next to Whole Foods.

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center: The Mother Garden, the county’s oldest organically certified garden (40 years old), provides the plants for the spring sale. The nonprofit organization does important environmental work and teaches schools how to garden successfully. It will offer a wide variety of perennial plants, some from exotic locales. Go to OAEC.org to pull up the impressive list of plants you will be able to purchase. The sale is April 4 and 5, and again April 11 and 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a members’ preview on April 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. OAEC is at 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental.

Petaluma Garden Club: This group dates back to 1941, when victory gardens were a patriotic thing to plant. The club supports a number of projects including beautification of various locations, such as the senior center in town. It has scholarships for school gardens. In addition to plants, there will be a garage and crafts sale. The plant and garage sale is the club’s first; it is Saturday, March 28, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 488 Casa Verde Circle, Petaluma.

Sonoma County Jail Plant Sale: Inmates are learning to garden while raising their own food. The program has proved its worth with rehabilitation for the inmates and money saved for the jail. Those going to the sale are asked not to wear sports attire or revealing tops. Inmate prices are very affordable at $2.50 for 1-gallon plants, so stock up. The plant sales will be held April 11 and May 9, from 9 a.m. to noon both dates, at 2254 Ordinance Road, Santa Rosa, just off Airport Road.

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Editor's note: The date for the Healdsburg Garden Club Plant was misstated in the original version of this story. It has been corrected in the article above.