Make plant sale plans
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Easter has come and gone and Tax Day approaches. That means it's planting season.
Why it matters: That also means it's plant sale season, and two big ones are set for this weekend in Huntsville.
- Max McKeown, horticulture manager at Huntsville Botanical Garden, told Axios they've been working for nearly seven months to prepare for the sale, and expect about 500 people this weekend.
🌳 Huntsville Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale
A major fundraiser for the garden, the sale features plants from its signature collection, perennials, annuals, vegetables, and Alabama and U.S. natives.
- This spring's 20-page plant sale inventory lists more than 400 plant types, from Pawpaw trees to 41 different Daylily varieties.
- McKeown says a good get would be a native oak leaf hydrangea variety called Autumn Reprise, a rare type that blooms twice per year, and the Eared Coneflower, an Alabama native that's endangered in the wild.
How it works: The sale starts Thursday for members, 8am-6:30pm, then opens to the public through the weekend: 8am-6:30pm Friday, 8am-4pm Saturday, and 11am-4pm Sunday.
- McKeown says plants with blue tags are from the garden's collection: cuttings or divisions taken from plants currently in the garden, representing about 35% of the total.
- White tags denote plants that aren't part of the garden collection, but were grown at the garden and are recommended for North Alabama. Purple tags mean clearance.
Catch up quick: Last year, the Garden sold more than 15,200 plants at its annual Spring and Fall plant sales, including 7,631 that were native, and nearly 900 grown and sold through its native nursery.
Pro tips from McKeown include, first, becoming a member at the garden so you can get the best selection on day one of the sale.
- Also, he says, bring a wagon and prepare a list of plants you want. If you have challenging yard conditions, someone at the garden can help find a good fit.
🌿 Master Gardeners of North Alabama Spring Plant Sale
- The Master Gardeners' plant sale is set for Alabama A&M's Agribition Center, 4925 Moores Mill Road.
- It's Friday 8am-4pm and Saturday 8am-2pm.