Hundreds of home gardeners from all over California were in Aromas on Saturday to enjoy the once-a-year opportunity to get inside five participating wholesale nurseries. Every nursery sold plants and trees to the visitors with a portion of the proceeds going to a local organization.
In Aromas, the Four Winds Nursery — specializing in dwarf citrus trees — participated for the second year of the tour, giving a portion of the days’ proceeds to the Aromas Schools’ Home and School Club.
Lorene Ryan along with her children, Violencia and Alejandro, worked during the day promoting the club’s programs.The children greeted visitors with stickers and showed them where the tour began.
Ryan supervised the booth where treats were sold, also for the benefit of the club.
“We are a club in the Aromas school, helping with activities for the students,” she said, adding that the club helps teachers when supplies are needed and oversees the student-of-the-month breakfast.
“We take care of what the School District doesn’t pay for, so the kids can have activities, and that includes field days held on the last days of school,” Ryan said.
The club is active with parents, a few teachers and Principal Heather Howell, Ryan said.
“We’re grateful today for Lexa. She is super accommodating, and willing to donate to the club for the second year,” Ryan said of Lexa Dillon, who is, with her brother, Aaron Dillon, the fourth-generation owners of the company, which has headquarters in Winters, Calif.
Aaron led tours of the nursery and gave details on how to save citrus trees due to a fatal disease called huanglongbing. It has been discovered in California, and can be quickly spread by the Asian citrus psyllid. He also shared ideas on ways to identify the pest and the disease.
Three of the other participating nurseries were in Watsonville: Suncrest, California Pajarosa Floral and Kitayama Brothers, joining with Succulent Gardens of Castroville.
Partnering sponsors for the event were, PG&E, Santa Cruz County Bank, System USA Inc., American Ag Credit, Crop Production Services, RMP Packaging, Ag and Commercial, Santa Cruz Sentinel, California Cut Flowers Commission, and Santa Cruz Farm Bureau.