WATSONVILLE
Kick off the month at Strawberry Festival
The Watsonville Strawberry Festival returns to historic downtown Watsonville. Festivities start 5-9 p.m. Friday and continue 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. This free, family-friendly festival features live entertainment, carnival rides, kids’ activities, business and specialty vendors, local artisans and a mouthwatering variety of food.
Strawberry lovers can look forward to creative berry-infused treats like pizza, tacos, churros, popcorn, shortcake, beer and more! Don’t miss the Driscoll’s Flavor Taste Tent, where you can sample fresh berries, and be sure to catch crowd favorites like the pie-eating contest and the Berry Best Dressed Contest. Check out watsonville.gov/1117/Watsonville-Strawberry-Festival for parking instructions and directions.
APTOS
Summer seed saving workshop
Join Cabrillo Cottage Farms 1-3 p.m. Saturday for a hands-on Seed Saving Workshop on their organic rose farm at 4461 Porter Gulch Road. Learn how to harvest seeds from plants, collect them out in the field and plant your own to take home. Celebrate sustainability, connect with the land and bring a little piece of the farm home with you. Cost is $10 per person. Register at eventbrite.com/e/seed-saving-workshop-tickets-1538660718629.
SANTA CRUZ
Beekeepers guild monthly meeting held midweek
Join the Santa Cruz Beekeepers Guild monthly meeting Aug. 6 from 7-9 p.m., located at the El Rio Mobile Home Park Community Room, 2120 N. Pacific Ave. This month’s topic is hive robbing and prevention. Whether you’re an experienced beekeeper or simply curious about bee breeding, this presentation will offer valuable insights into the future of sustainable beekeeping. All are welcome, and bring your questions.
Remember not to park inside the mobile home park or along the fence at Lenz Arts. Metered street parking is available if the Lenz lot is full. Visit santacruzbees.com for information.
APTOS
Monterey Bay Iris Society annual rhizome sale
The Monterey Bay Iris Society will hold its annual iris rhizome sale from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Deer Park Marketplace, 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd., outside the Red Apple Cafe. This annual sale features iris rhizomes from the private gardens of Monterey Bay Iris Society members. The rhizomes are $5 each or 10 for $40. At the sale, expert iris growers will be on hand to help you with your selection and will have printed handouts on how to grow irises. Get there early to get the best selection. If you can’t make this sale, they will also be available Aug. 9 and 16 at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College, which opens at 8 a.m. and continues until noon.
Visit montereybayiris.org/mbis-events/iris-sales for information.
SANTA CRUZ
UCSC Center for Agroecology’s Farmstand is open
The Center for Agroecology’s Farmstand, 94 Ranch View Road, is open to all every Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., through Sept. 25, and features organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers grown at the UCSC Farm and Alan Chadwick Garden. Find the farmstand at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn near the base of campus. By shopping at the farmstand, you support agricultural education and research at UC Santa Cruz. Get discounted produce by signing up for a market share at tinyurl.com/Market-Share-Sign-Up. Students get 25% off produce, and EBT is accepted.
APTOS
You-cut roses available Saturdays through October
Cabrillo Cottage Farm invites the public to enjoy you-cut roses every Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at 4461 Porter Gulch Road, through October. This coastal garden offers guests a chance to stroll through blooming rose rows and cut their own fresh bouquets. It’s a relaxed, seasonal experience perfect for flower lovers and weekend wanderers. Make a reservation for $5. Minors 18 years or younger must be accompanied by an adult. Participants must be 13 years or older to cut their own roses. There is no minimum, roses are $2 per stem and if you purchase a dozen or more, you will be reimbursed your reservation fee.
Tickets and information are available at ucutroses.eventbrite.com.
SANTA CRUZ
Garden Club on Wednesdays
Do you have a green thumb? Or do you want to learn basic gardening techniques? Check out the London Nelson Community Center Garden Club at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday in the garden at 301 Center St. All skill levels and ages are welcome to join. Projects include pollinator and butterfly garden, as well as utilizing worm and composting bins. Led by local gardeners Tom Fordham and CJ. Community happens here.
Call 831-420-6180 to learn more or stop by and check it out.
SANTA CRUZ
Housing Navigation Services held weekly
Volunteer Housing Navigators provides housing navigation services for people experiencing homelessness every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Life Literacies Center located at the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Downtown Branch, 224 Church St. For information, visit santacruzpl.libcal.com.
The Garden Digest is compiled by Jesselyn Rego. To submit items for the calendar including events, meetings, resources or anything garden related, email sentinelhomeandgarden@gmail.com.
Originally Published: July 31, 2025 at 9:14 AM PDT