The Garden of the Sun

The Master Gardeners of Fresno County maintain a demonstration garden near the corner of McKinley on Winery, and is located south of the Discovery Center. This garden shows examples of growing many different plants, shrubs and trees for the home landscape. The picture above is of the "All America" Garden showing plants selected from this and past years. The All America selections are various new flower and vegetable seeds that have been grown in trials in various parts of the United States, and have been found to be easy to grow, pest- and disease-resistant, and can be grown in many different climates.



This is a picture of the Cottage Garden. There are many different kinds of flowers that can be included in such a garden, and they are easy to grow, too. There is quite a variety of flowers in this corner bed.


Here we see part of the Patio Pot (container) Garden, which showcases flowers. There are many different kinds of containers in various sizes---something for everyone!


This last picture is of part of the Perennial Garden. Perennials are those plants that die back each winter, and return to grow and bloom the next spring.

Lest you think all they have are flowers, that is not the case. They have quite a Vegetable Garden covering several raised beds. I didn't get a picture of that because they are newly planted with summer vegetables and weren't as showy as the flowers! Other gardens they showcase are:
---Small Space Garden
---No Barriers Garden
---Sun/Shade Garden
---Low Maintenance Garden
---Herb Garden
---Children's Garden (children can go through the maze; see, touch and smell plants)
---fruit trees are scattered all over the garden, plus in an orchard
---Berry Garden (boysenberries, raspberries, blueberries)
---Vineyard

The Master Gardeners also hold classes here, with a minimum cost (twice a year there is a vegetable class that is free), on Wednesday and some Saturday mornings. To sign up to be on the mailing list for these classes go to http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=915&back=none . For more information or class registration, call UCCE at (559) 456-7285 or the Garden of the Sun at (559) 456-4151.

The Garden of the Sun is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9 am - 1 pm, and is staffed by Master Gardener volunteers. There is no charge to walk through the garden. If you would like a tour, it is $2 per person. All you have to do is go through the front gate and a Master Gardener will give you a tour. Otherwise, you can wander on your own. The grounds are connected to the Discovery Center, but to use those facilities you need to go through the Discovery Center building and pay a slight fee (which also includes a visit to the Garden of the Sun).

The Garden of the Sun is located at 1944 N. Winery; phone (559) 456-4151; online at http://mgfresno.ucdavis.edu . Master Gardener Hotline: 559-456-7563.