North Bay Woman

Clockwise from left: West End Nursery has a large variety of starters. – Photo provided by West End Nursery; Sloat Garden Center has everything to get you started on growing your own fruits and vegetables. – Photo provided by Sloat Garden Center; Walk out of the Petaluma Seed Bank with organic vegetable treasure. – Photo by Baker Creek Hudson/rareseeds.com. Below center: Orange trees at Sloat Garden Center – Photo provided by Sloat Garden Center; Cayenne peppers at West End Nursery. – Photo provided by West End Nursery West End Nursery Since 1909, West End Nursery has been the resource for Marin County garden lovers. West End's knowledgeable staff of avid gardeners is passionate about helping people make the most out of their gardens. West End sells quality plants, seeds and soils and has longtime relationships with their sup- pliers. Their 1,500-square-foot test garden allows staff to determine which varieties grow best in the region -- valuable knowledge for creating a bountiful home garden. During the planting season, West End carries 60 varieties of tomatoes and 30 varieties of peppers, among many other vegetables and fruit trees. West End Nursery 1938 5th Ave., San Rafael (415) 454-4175 westendnursery.com Sloat Garden Center The Bay Area's largest independent nursery chain, with 13 stores -- five in Marin County -- carries a wide selection of high-quality plants, including veg- etable starts and fruit trees. They also have tools, soil and everything you need for your summer veg- etable garden. If you want help growing a particular vegetable, herb or fruit, visit their extensive Kitchen Gardener page on their website, featuring useful tips for growing and using a long list of plants. Sloat Garden Center 700 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield (415) 454-0262 657 E. Blithedale Ave., Mill Valley (415) 388-0102 401 Miller Ave., Mill Valley (415) 388-0365 2000 Novato Blvd., Novato (415) 897-2169 1580 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael (415) 453-3977 sloatgardens.com e

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