Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale
Put down your trowel and change out of your dirty gardening
clothes. It’s time to get ready for the North Central Louisiana Master Gardener
Spring Plant Sale!
Our seed guru, Donna White, and other dedicated Master
Gardeners, have been busily working in the greenhouse since January. They have
been lovingly germinating, transplanting, and caring for a special selection of
plants chosen just for your garden. You’re going to want to be first in line!!
The Master Gardener Plant Sale is known for its unusual
plants, expert advice from gardeners, and great prices. The prices range from 50¢
to $5.00. Plants in the traditional categories of shade and sun annuals, shade
and sun perennials, herbs, vines, and natives will be offered at the sale, but
will include varieties that you can’t always find at other garden centers.
There will also be plant categories that we have discussed together in this
article such as Tough As Woodpecker Lips
plants and Pollinator Friendly
plants. For those gardeners out there who have a creative turn of heart and a
whimsical wink in their eye, there are other categories of plants to be had….
Let’s explore some plant sale categories that might be of interest to you.
Woodpecker Lips:
Although the weather is cool and rain is reliable now, we all know that the
late summer, early fall drought will come. Then you will be so glad that you
planted tough, drought and heat resistant plants this spring. At the sale we will be offering narrow-leaf zinnia
(both yellow and white), melampodium, speedwell, and coreopsis. Native plants
fall into this category too, as they evolved in this environment and are
programmed to withstand native conditions. Bee balm, ‘Great Blue’ lobelia, and
Culver’s root will stand up to our tough summer situation because they are
tough as woodpecker lips.
Pollinator
Protectors: To support our pollinators, both host plants and nectar plants
will be included at the sale. Hyssop, bee balm, cosmos, calendula, penstemon, and black-eyed Susan vine will be
a few of the many nectar plants available. Dill, fennel, parsley, and cleome
are a few of the host plants for butterflies that will also be there. We are
very excited to be offering several different types of milkweed, the only host
plant for the monarch butterfly. We will also have our very own pollinator
expert present to answer your questions. Dee Hudson has raised monarchs in her
own garden and she will be able to help you start your personal monarch
project.
The Famous People
Garden: Imagine strolling through your yard with a friend and introducing
them to the famous people in your garden. ‘Aristotle’ basil, ‘Tinkerbell’ rose,
Joe Pye weed will all be available to “move in” to your home.
The Zoological
Garden: Royal Menageries were all the rage during the Middle Ages. Owning
rare animals was a status symbol. Master
Gardener, Cheryl Maxwell, has a menagerie garden. Her goal is to have a plant
representing an animal for each letter of the alphabet. We’ll be offering cleome(aka spider flower), ‘Swan
River’ daisy, and bee balm to start
your personal menagerie.
The Prayer Garden: What
could be better than a cup of coffee and Bible study in the prayer garden? And
if you were surrounded by angel trumpet, holy basil, and cardinal flower, well
that would just be the crowning glory!!
The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be held on Saturday,
April 23 at The Bridge Community Church located at 2301 North Trenton Street in
Ruston. The sale will open at 8:30
although lines will begin forming much earlier. Our friends from the Louisiana Tech
Greenhouse will be an important part of the sale. Last year they brought some
of their beautiful vegetable plants. Other participating vendors will be offering
metal art, wind chimes, cedar planters,
stained glass, natural soaps, fresh honey, hyper tufa planters, custom door
plaques, birdhouses, and wildlife feeders. The Union Humane Society will be
tempting you with precious pups and Taco Guero will be tempting you with
delicious snacks.
It promises to be a fun day and we’ll be looking forward to
seeing you there!
No comments:
Post a Comment