"The master gardeners are all volunteer," explained Maria Lopez, who is coordinating the sale along with Gail Myers and Patti Joki. "Master gardener volunteers are trained agents of the University of California Cooperative Extension who provide research-based knowledge and information on home gardening. The money made on the sale will provide education to the community."
The edibles for sale will include tomato plants -- heirloom, cherry, slicers, container and paste varieties -- as well as peppers, from sweet and juicy to hot and spicy, plus squash, zucchini, pumpkins and other vegetables and herbs.
Due to COVID restrictions, plants need to be ordered in advance, at www.incredibleedibleplantsale.com, which will have photos of all the plants for sale.
"We grew our seedlings in a greenhouse at Las Positas College and have transferred them to our hoop houses at the Alviso Adobe Community Park where we are transplanting them into individual 4-inch pots to grow and sell," Lopez said.
When buyers place their orders for the plants online, they will sign up for a time slot, she added, and only cash and checks will be accepted.
She noted that home gardens have become even more popular during the pandemic.
"Because everybody had to stay home, people started to garden more and became sustainable," said Lopez, who grows tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and many herbs in her raised gardens. "It is satisfying to grow your own fresh vegetables."
The volunteers have been busy building the temporary hoop houses, which provide drainage and frames for plastic coverings, at Alviso Adobe and are also preparing labels and descriptions for each plant.
"We don't have a sale every year but we would like to," Lopez said. "We are looking for a permanent spot."
The Alameda County Master Gardeners are working on plans to develop a demonstration garden in Pleasanton near the Marilyn Murphy Kane Trail in Pleasanton that will offer hands-on learning through garden talks, workshops and demonstrations.
They have five demonstration gardens so far in Alameda County. Their 7,000-square-foot parcel of land in Livermore focuses on water conservation and low maintenance, featuring "Water Wise" plants as an alternative to the traditional home landscape; the Pleasanton garden is being planned to feature herbs, fruits and vegetables.
For more information about the Alameda County Master Gardeners, visit acmg.ucanr.edu.
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