Annual plant sale moved indoors

If some spring planting is in the near future, the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension has something for you: an annual plant sale of local plants, lovingly grown by area Master Gardeners.

“Every master gardener has participated (in the sale) in some way or other,” said Mary George Hocevar, one of 20 Master Gardener Plant Sale volunteers. “They’ve been working since last fall, propagating plants.”

Forsythia, vinca, iris, bee balm, coreopsis, dogwood, columbine, swamp sunflowers and many more — close to 900 plants were lined up across the cooperative extension’s grounds Thursday as the master gardeners prepared for their annual sale.

They were also preparing to have it inside as Saturday’s forecast calls for rain. But according to Mara Graves, one of the plant sale committee chairs along with Kay Graham and Judy Kohane, the sale will go on, from 9 a.m. to noon, as scheduled.

All the plants were grown in local yards and most will be priced between $2 and $4, said Graves.

She pointed out a flowering almond in a larger container than those surrounding.

“There are some exceptions (to the price),” she said. “That might be $10.”

The collection of plants is varied: shade-loving and sun-loving; flowering and foliage, a few select herbs and vegetable plants. But this year’s very late spring created both abundance and scarcity depending on the plant.

“We have lots of some things and not so much of others — it’s just been a cruel winter,” said Graves.

New at this year’s sale will be a table of yard art to decorate the spring garden, according to Janice Simons, a volunteer whose talent for topiary will also be on display.

All proceeds from the sale are used for gardening education projects such as the community and demonstration gardens at the Extension Center, as well as workshops for the gardening public.

For more information about the plant sale, contact the Extension office at 252-946-0111 or visit the Master Gardener website at www.bcmgv.blogspot.com. The Beaufort County Cooperative Extension Center is located at 155 Airport Road in Washington.