January was replete with hard work and positive change at our beautiful nursery in Evergreen, San Jose.

From improvements to our front office area, to a huge clean-up of the sales yard (the shade plants in particular are looking fabulous!), to revamping our inventory for 2024, our staff have been keeping very busy through the rainy and cold winter months. We even took a moment to gather together on a recent sunny morning for our 2024 staff photo! Maybe you recognize some of the smiling faces shown above from your visits to the nursery.

In this edition of our newsletter, we’re taking inspiration from Garden Media’s 2024 trend report’s focus on power of community to help you find your landscape and garden people here in the Bay Area.

We see you out there looking to make a difference, and so we compiled local garden classes, landscape shows, ongoing workshops, volunteer opportunities, and more to help you get involved and make a difference in your communities in 2024 and beyond.

Looking forward to connecting with you in the coming year—

Happy planting,
Jane

Community Opportunities

Community can help you learn faster, leads to novel and innovative solutions, contributes to physical, mental, and collective health, and provides environments conducive to growth and inspiration.

Looking to be a part of something, find other plant people, and make a difference in San Jose and surrounding communities in 2024? Check out some of the local organizations recommended below.

San Jose Community Gardens Cultivate and harvest your own organic vegetables in one of 21 community gardens throughout San José. Search by location and apply at the link.

Our City Forest Get a free tree and learn about volunteer opportunities with this well-known Silicon Valley nonprofit.

Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener Training Become a certified GREEN gardener in 2024! Landscape professionals and hobbyists learn green gardening practices at this in-person, 10-week training held at FUHSD Adult School in Sunnyvale. Starts February 8.

UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara County Their monthly calendar is chock-full of local garden and landscaping classes, workshops, and courses suitable for all, from beginners to landscape pros.

South Bay Green Gardens With a tagline of “preserving our environment, one landcape at a time,” this site offers a comprehensive calendar of local workshops, plus info about soil and mulching, rainwater harvesting, landscape design, sustainability, and more.

UC IPM Webinars Integrated pest management is a key component of healthy gardening. Register for upcoming webinars at the link, including an “Easter Egg Hunt” (insect egg identification).

Connect with us!

We’re on Instagram, Facebook, and (less frequently) TikTok, and we’d love to dialogue with you about all things garden and plants. Have an event or organization you’d like us to feature in this newsletter? Simply reply to this email with your information to be considered.

Upcoming Events

Check out the Bay Area’s largest landscaping trade show Thursday, February 8th at the San Mateo Event Center (a 30-40 minute drive from San Jose).

This free event features landscape and nursery vendors, growers, educational seminars, and more. Be sure to register if you’re planning to go; each staff member needs to fill out a separate registration form. Parking is $15-20. Don’t miss this great opportunity to check out new products, make connections, and learn with industry peers.

In our next edition: February flowers - blooms to make you swoon!

….See you soon!