Botanical garden’s plant sale set for April 12-14
MADISON – The 32nd annual Spring Plant Sale at Huntsville Botanical Garden will include a menagerie of healthy selections for lawn and patio planting.
Native azaleas, heirloom specimens, various annual and perennial flowers, vegetables, trees, shrubs and more choices will give gardeners thriving selections.
“We’re calling the event, ‘Gardening for Generations,’ because anyone can be a gardener,” publicity chairperson Mary Lou Kraatz said. “It’s time to get your yard and garden ready for spring and summer, and we’ve got the inspiration and help you need.”
The event will open to garden members only on April 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On April 12 and 13, the sale will be open to the public from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. On April 14, the sale will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
The botanical garden will not charge admission to the plant sale.
Experts will attend the sale to answer questions and assist with plant choices. Members of Master Gardeners of North Alabama will conduct soil testing at no charge.
For spring planting, the sale offers a veritable treasure trove of ready-to-plant flowers and vegetables. Hundreds of geraniums, ranging from traditional red to hybrid colors, always are a favorite choice. Marigolds in solids or blends of yellow, orange and maroon are one of American gardeners’ favorites and repel damaging insects naturally.
The sale also will offer pansies in bright colors, petunias, bachelor buttons, several begonia varieties, daisies, dahlias, zinnias and numerous other choices. Hanging baskets with buds and blooms will brighten patios and front entrances.
Heirloom plants are popular, as are ‘pass-alongs’ or plants that a gardener can divide and pass along to share with friends and relatives. Pollinator plants will help bees in cross-fertilization.
Many homeowners enjoy wildflowers and herbs that grow as annuals, or solely one-year growth, or perennials, which return year after year. Ferns and roses also will be sold, along with hardy houseplants, trees, shrubs and vegetables. Specialty vendors will sell merchandise, ranging from whimsical garden accents to supplements that enrich a plant’s growing medium.
“Bring your own wagon (to transport purchases). Plants will be loaded for you,” Kraatz said.
The garden’s address is 4747 Bob Wallace Ave. in Huntsville. For more information, visit hsvbg.org.
