Master Gardeners, April 28

Heirloom Tomatoes, and lots more!

Please bring your empty six-packs

To keep bringing you those lovely little seedlings that they give away each month, the Master Gardeners plant new seasonal seeds each month. And they plant them in those little "six-packs" that you pick up at the nursery (not the liquor store!). Recycle by bringing them to the Master Gardeners and they'll put them to great re-use! If you've just done a bunch of spring planting, please bring your six packs - all year long - to them at the Green Tent (the fourth Sunday of each month). NOTE: Egg cartons are requested by Matthew Van Diepen - the seedling man at the Farmers' Market - not the Master Gardeners, though they do make great starter cups for seeds.

Meantime, at the Green Tent, they'll happily help you with any gardening questions. Plus: SPECIAL TREAT this month, thanks to their friends at TOMATOMANIA! They have about 30 heirloom and hybrid varieties of gorgeous, delicious tomatoes to give away.

As usual, they'll have free packets of seeds and many spring seedlings...including the last of the Red Russian Kale, some new lettuces, whatever tomatoes they've been able to coax out of the ground, lots of wasabi arugula, some beans if we're lucky, and possibly some scallions. There may be some other surprises (loofa, they hope!), depending on how well their little seeds have performed.

Here's a note from Yvonne Savio, the LA County Master Gardener director:

"For a handy monthly guide to gardening in LA County, you can access my extended monthly information on our University of California Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County Common Ground Garden Program website, http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program under Monthly Garden Tips!"

You'll also find her comprehensive Spring/Summer Gardening Basics, Fall/Winter Gardening Basics and checklists, by month, of what to do in your garden. It's a terrific resource.