Be plant sale savvy

By Debbie Carlson

Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Veteran garden- ers will tell you there’s no better place to buy plants than at a local plant sale.

These events are usually fundraisers sponsored by garden clubs, community organizations, and botanical gardens and arboretums.

They’re a great way for these groups to raise money — and a great way for gardeners to cultivate their hobby.

“You don’t have to buy just yellow marigolds, red geraniums and white impatiens,” said Steve Bender, senior editor at Southern Living magazine and author of “The New Southern Living Garden Book” (Oxmoor House).

“You get plants that are adapted for your area, and you get a garden that doesn’t look like every other garden in the U.S.”

Heirloom vegetable varieties, unusual herbs such as chervil and lovage, lovingly tended perennials from a garden-club member’s yard, hard-to-find native plants — these are just a few of the reasons gardeners love local plant sales.