Campus-Grown Veggie Starts at Spring Plant Sale

At its Spring 2026 plant sales, the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden will offer a special selection of campus-grown veggie starts, perfect for home gardeners. Each plant is available in a 3" pot for $5. Please note: veggie starts are cash only, while all other plant sale purchases may be made with cash, check, or credit card.

All varieties are open-pollinated (not hybrids), so you can save seeds and grow them again year after year. Many are also heirlooms, known for their flavor, beauty, and history.

These starts were grown from seed by Jay-r Balingasa, an AmeriCorps Fellow with the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Graden, in a campus greenhouse.

Available varieties include:

Tomatoes: 

• Pink Bumblebee

• Big Pink

• Redfield Beauty

• Wisconsin 55

• Jaune Flamme

• Thessaloniki

• Eva Purple Ball

• Green Zebra

Peppers: 

• California Wonder

• Shishito

• Criolla de Cocina

• Mini Yellow Bell

• Himo Togarashi

• Jimmy Nardello
   

Eggplants: 

• Violetta Lunga

• Ping-tung Long

• Diamond 

Herb: 

• Tulsi basil

Proceeds from veggie start sales support the maintenance, care, and future seed purchases for the Good Life Garden, helping sustain this hands-on space for growing and learning.

Want to see how these plants perform? Visit the Good Life Garden on June 17 from 12:10-1 p.m. during our June Behind-the-Scenes Garden Tour, where most of these varieties will be growing throughout the summer.