Learning In The Garden Of The Seven Sisters
By Christie Withers UCCE Master Gardener
If you haven't been to the UCCE Master Gardener's demonstration garden, Garden of the Seven Sisters, now is the time. This lovely garden was designed and developed by Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County. Over 15 years in the making, the purpose of the garden is to serve as an outdoor classroom to provide science-based horticultural education to our community of home gardeners. The garden has been the main location for the program's public workshops and events such as the monthly Advice to Grow By (ATGB) workshops, worm composting demonstrations, garden based learning workshops, the annual Tomato Extravaganza and plant sales. Over the years, the garden has welcomed more than 4,000 visitors!
The garden is now open to the public every third Saturday of the month, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., immediately following the monthly ATGB workshop. Docents will be on hand to answer any questions about the garden or any other home gardening questions you may have.
The garden is divided into more than 20 plots, each with a different theme providing a host of ideas that can be applied to your home garden. The California native plot is a display of plants acclimated to our unique California climate. Once established, native plants require less supplemental watering than many non-native plants. The water retention plot demonstrates how to capture water, preventing runoff and erosion, while the rain barrel system shows you how to save water from your roof top and apply it to your non-edible landscape plants. The turf alternative plot has been experimenting with different plants and applying different mowing and irrigation practices to see how well these plants respond to different practices. Other garden plots include our composting corner, a fruit and nut orchard, kitchen garden, a cactus and succulent plot, wild life habitat, and a children's garden.
Private group tours are available upon request. Supervised children are welcome; service animals only, please. For more information, visit the UCCE Master Gardeners at http://ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/Demonstration_Garden/. To request a private tour, please call (805)781-5939 or e-mail us at anrmgslo@ucanr.edu.