Dirt Friends to hold plant sale
The Dirt Friends Garden Group will hold its inaugural plant sale on at 9 a.m. on April 27 during the Farmers’ Market at MAD.
The market will be held in the MAD Amphitheater, 105 E. Locust.
The DFGG is a newly formed, volunteer garden-service group that splintered off from the Union County Master Gardners.
Proceeds from fundraisers, including the plant sale, will be used to operate DFGG and support some of its community garden involvement activities.
The DFGG is made up of dedicated local gardeners who are passionate about sharing their garden experience with the community through education and beautification.
The purpose of the plant sale, which is intended to be an annual event, two-fold, according to a DFGG press release.
In addition to raising money for DFGG operations, the sale is also a means by which DFGG members share plants and garden information with the community.
Many of the plants that will be avalable for sale are what DFGG calls “tried-and-true favorites”, including Coneflowers, Black Eyed Susans, Milkweed, Salvias, tomatoes and herbs and more.
The group also seeks to offer plants that may not often be readily available in local nurseries, such as Roselle, Porterweed, Rock Rose and Mexican Bush Sage.
DFGG members have said they enjoy trying out and growing plants they may encounter in their travels or learn about from gardening friends in other areas.
“When we find an interesting plant and it does well for us here in our hot, humid South Arkansas climate, we like to share that great plant with other people in our area,” members said in a press release.
“We dig and divide plants from our gardens, root cuttings of favorite plants and purchase seeds and corms of plants we would like to grow more of and
share with our community,” they continued. “The plants mentioned are just a few of what will be available (during the plant sale).”
John Segraves, DFGG vice president, will be on hand at the sale to sharpen garden tools as a free service.
Attendee are invited to bring their trowels, pruners and other tools to be sharpened, while they shop for plants and talk gardening with Dirt Friends.
Cash and checks will be accepted at the sale.
Last month, the DFGG participated in a MAD spring break activity with plant-related projects and crafts for children.
On Wednesday, DFGG members spent a workday in the South Arkansas Arboretum and today, they
possible. We like to take on a lot of those big projects and the more people we can bring in -the more volunteers- the faster we’re able to get it done. So if we end up with 100 people on Sunday, we should be able to get it done in about two to three hours of work. Whereas that would take one to two people weeks or even months to complete.”
Emery said the service work would be a great way for graduation seniors to earn service hours
He said, “So we will have New Haven there, they’re a registered non-profit or also we’re a registered nonprofit. And so in theory if high school students come and did their service hours with us. This one is planned from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The next one is planned for another four-hour period and we had the time set for Salvation Army. If they have gone those three events, they will likely walk away with about 10 hours of community service already for this year.” Emery said he hopes to see a big crowd for the event stating, “It is very much an easy opportunity to bring a big group of people there to serve and we will have plenty of work. Even if we have 200 show up. We’ll find something that can be done for sure.”
Additionally a second day of service will be held June 1 and will focus on planting flowers, removing weeds and laying mulch.