Santa Cruz Garden Exchange for the early risers

Join fellow gardeners for a free monthly Santa Cruz Garden Exchange from 8-9 a.m. Saturday in the Santa Cruz Live Oak Grange parking lot, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. Don’t forget to visit for Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia). Please park in the northern rows of the parking lot away from the building. Gardeners are welcome to bring anything from their garden, seeds, bulbs, succulents, houseplants, veggies, fresh flowers, informational material, any garden-related items, to trade within your garden community. You do not need to bring something in order to participate and you must take back anything not given out. For questions, call 831-515-7162 or email santacruzgardenexchange@gmail.com.

Homeless Garden Project hosts farm and enterprise tour

A farm and enterprise tour will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Homeless Garden Project farm on Shaffer Road in Santa Cruz. The Homeless Garden Project is an award-winning urban organic farm that provides job training, transitional employment, and support services to people experiencing homelessness. This tour combines taste testing with a comprehensive exploration of the project’s 3.5-acre organic farm. Participants on the tour will taste products made in the program (such as cheezy kale and lavender shortbread) and take some home to savor the experience.

On this tour, the staff will guide you on a captivating 90-minute journey through the Homeless Garden Project’s Natural Bridges Farm. Learn about the Homeless Garden Project’s sustainable agriculture practices and their social enterprises. The Homeless Garden Project’s workforce development and support services programs for people experiencing homelessness have an impressive track record — 93% of program graduates obtain jobs and 84% obtain housing within three months of leaving the program.

Tour participants will gain an understanding of the employment and community-building programs. The tour is available once a month, making it accessible to everyone. Admission is $30 per person, which includes a pint of strawberries and a gardener soap to take home as a souvenir. Children ages 4 and younger can attend for free with a paid adult. To purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/HGPFarmTour2023.

Museum holds California native plants tour

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum will hold the Annual California Native Plants Tour this from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sunday at 1660 Park Ave., San Jose. The museum’s master gardener will reveal some of the fascinating species native to California, along with their wonderful secrets. You will learn how we created a habitat for native pollinators, including attracting four species of hummingbirds, while saving millions of gallons of water per year, helping preserve this precious natural resource. Come learn how you can do this at home. For information visit, egyptianmuseum.org.

Plant based Picnic in the Park

Eat for the Earth is hosting a whole food plant-based potluck picnic from 12:30-3 p.m. July 30 at Jade Street Park, 4400 Jade St., Capitola. The event offers some summer fun during picnic time. Each month, you are invited to gather and connect to nurture community, create a context for learning about and sharing whole food plant-based oil-free food, inspire involvement and have fun.

The topic for this month’s potluck is summer’s best. Summer is a great time to gather with kindred spirits in a park and celebrate the return of warmth to our region. We invite you to bring your favorite summer picnic dish to share. For inspiration, check out these recipe collections, Easy to Pack and Carry Recipes from Forks Over Knives, Salad Collection from Center for Nutrition Studies, or Picnic Recipe Collection from Monkey and Me. Please make sure the dish you bring is exclusively whole plant food and oil-free. If you’ve been eating this way a while, you probably have lots of great ideas. Not sure what to bring, here are some simple ideas: fresh cut up veggies and oil-free hummus, fresh cut up seasonal fruit, steamed edamame with lemon, also a green salad is always welcome.

Set-up starts around 11 a.m. If you can come early to help set, please contact organizers. Help is also needed for cleanup after. In addition to sharing a meal together, we will play some games and let you know how you can get involved (or further involved) with Eat for the Earth. The event is free, and we will ask for donations at the event in order to keep our mission alive and thriving. In addition to your dish to share, please bring your recipe or a list of ingredients, a chair or picnic blanket, plate and utensils. And please invite your friends. To find our spot, look for the canopy with the Eat for the Earth banner. For details visit, eventbrite.com.

The Garden Digest is compiled by Jesselyn Rego. To submit items for the calendar including events, meetings, resources, or anything garden related, email sentinelhomeandgarden@gmail.com.