Loomis town officials greenlight library public gardens

The town of Loomis will soon be home to the first public garden in Placer County following Town Council action last week. The University of California Master Gardeners of Placer County talked to Loomis library officials last year about community demonstration gardens on the library grounds. The Loomis Town Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the University of California Cooperative Extension group during the regular meeting on July 12. The Loomis Library & Community Learning Center is at 6050 Library Drive in downtown Loomis. "This will be the first and only public garden in Placer County," said Placer UC Master Gardeners program director Kevin Marini. The Placer UC Gardeners is a volunteer organization devoted to public education for home gardeners. The organization runs programs throughout the county with more than 100 volunteers providing education and resources for those who want to know more about gardening. There are 170 Master Gardeners in the county with 12 in Loomis, said Sandy Fitzpatrick, president of the Placer County Master Gardeners chapter. The Loomis Library and the UC Master Gardeners have a long-standing partnership, including many public workshops and the "Seed Library." Staff said the Loomis community has always responded well to these partnerships, with the many workshops being among the best attended. Loomis staff said the plan will be mutually beneficial to the UC Master Gardeners, the library and the community as a whole. The partnership will help to beautify the existing library grounds, as well as create an outdoor classroom usable for library events. Because the library is located close to Highway 80 and downtown Loomis, supporters said the location is ideal for area garden-enthusiasts. "Placer County currently has no public gardens, making this garden space a great addition to our community and will likely increase visitation to the library from the surrounding region," according to the Loomis staff report. "I think this is an excellent idea. It's always nice that Loomis is a trendsetter in Placer County," said Loomis Councilman Jeff Duncan. Other council members were just as supportive. "I think this is a great opportunity for Loomis and Placer County," said Councilman Brian Baker. Councilwoman Jan Clark-Crets was also pleased. "Thank you for picking Loomis Library to do this," Clark-Crets said. Loomis Town Council members voted 4-0 to approve the memorandum of understanding, with Councilman Danny Cartwright absent.