TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Plant Sales Tend To Grow On Master Gardeners

ADVERTISEMENT

By FREDA LOWKE Special to the Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2008

Like me, you've probably been to any number of plant fairs and festivals staged by clubs and other interest groups. They have lots of great plants you don't usually find at the local garden center or nursery, and they usually have bargain prices.

The Pasco County Master Gardeners is in the throes of preparing for its annual sale in October. Like other clubs, our plants are homegrown (the better for adjusting to local gardens), dirt cheap and come with lots of free advice to ensure they keep growing after they get to their new residence.

Until last year, I had no idea how much coordinating, propagating and moving (yes, moving!) is required to pull together a sale. I just enjoyed the buying!

We have about 70 Master Gardeners in Pasco. Some, like our president, Adah Weitzel, have acreage. That's lucky for her since she admits "propagation is my passion." Her husband built her an 18-by-20-foot metal roof shelter for her hobby, and even supplied it with running water.

Most of the plants she grows for the sale are in pots, and many have to be repotted before the sale because they've gotten so big. She has more than 1,000 plants this year. So, like a parent of multiples, she enlists the aid of friends to help her repot.

Plant sale co-chairwoman Chris Storch also has acreage, which she makes available to other Master Gardeners to get soil or pots. She, too, works on this project all year. She takes cuttings from friends and soon has two, three, four beautiful plants from one cutting.

Not all Master Gardeners have the room to keep hundreds of plants. Many of us contribute what we can, 25 or 50, tucked away in a corner of our yard. Many are divisions or propagations of our favorites. Some Master Gardeners concentrate on natives or drought-tolerant plants. Some have a passion for butterfly attractors, and others focus on plants not readily available in retail. We also get many donations from people in the community, which helps round out the diversity.

Some Master Gardeners stay busy researching cultural information for each plant. No guessing! Buyers will know the plant's light requirements, water requirements and its size at maturity. Right plant in the right place is the first principle of a Florida-friendly landscape, and one that will ensure gardeners are rewarded for their efforts.

In the month before the sale, gardeners begin moving their plants to the greenhouse at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City. This is our staging area. In the past, members had to visit regularly to keep the plants watered, but this year we have irrigation. We still have to monitor, but not so closely.

About two days before the sale, we start bringing plants down to Clayton Hall in caravans. There were many of us last year sweating, laughing and loving every minute of it! Clayton Hall is air-conditioned and most plants are out of the weather. I'm told that it always storms the night before the sale, and it sure did last year.

Deb Hamilton, the other plant sale chairwoman, says weather is one of the most challenging aspects of the event. Not just on the day of the sale but now, when plants are getting readied to be moved to the greenhouse.

The main purpose of the sale is education. We hand out about the same amount of literature as plants sold, and this year, we expect that to exceed 1,750.

Equally valuable to our buyers is the person-to-person sharing from seasoned Master Gardeners. Our group reflects a variety of passions. We have bonsai experts, pruning experts, even an arborist. During the sale, we hold a plant clinic.

As for the money you spend, it's used to promote our programs and projects. We have a speaker's bureau and free Saturday seminars in three locations throughout the county. We plant butterfly gardens with children in elementary schools. This year we purchased a computer for the gardening help desk - (352) 521-4288.

The Pasco Master Gardeners is a great group. It's a rare camaraderie, enhanced by the many folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with one another and with the community.

Chris and Deb both are in fast-forward about now. They are busy rethinking what was done last year and how it can be improved this year.

"It's not necessarily about getting bigger and better," says Deb. "It's just about being better. The bigger just happens."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Pasco Master Gardeners Plant Sale

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 11

WHERE: Pasco County Fairgrounds, Clayton Hall, 36702 State Road 52, Dade City

INFORMATION: (352) 521-4288

Freda Lowke is a Pasco County Master Gardener with Pasco's Extension office.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT