Master Gardeners' plant sale set for next weekend

he best way for a gardener to have success is to plant what grows well in this region.

Local Master Gardeners plan to capitalize on that idea with the annual plant sale Saturday and May 3 at the Vanderburgh 4-H center.
"This year we are focusing on many native species," said Barbara Patterson, member of Southwestern Indiana Master Gardening Association. "We think it's important for beginning gardeners to have success, and they are easy to grow and hardy."

Native plants grow naturally in this area, so they thrive under our climactic conditions. But these are not plants you can find in the field. The original wild species have been selectively bred into cultivars displaying different qualities. More than 40 Master Gardeners are growing plants for the sale — 23 of them have greenhouses — so the variety of the more than 12,000 plants is guaranteed to be great. Offerings will include hybrid and heirloom vegetables (with a large selection of heirloom tomatoes), annual and perennial flowers, and a special selection of native species.

The Tri-State is prime tomato growing area and tomatoes were nearly sold out by noon on the first day of last year's sale. This year look for Better Boy, Lemon Boy, Big Boy and Early Girl and heirlooms Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, and Aunt Ruby's German Green.

A number of native coneflowers or Echinaceas will be available at the plant sale. One interesting cultivar is the deep-orange Echinacea Tiki Torch. A cousin of the popular local purple coneflower, Tiki Torch has pumpkin-orange petals and a spicy scent. Unlike many Echinaceas, it retains its bright color for weeks without fading.

If you enjoy attracting butterflies to your garden, consider planting a member of the Asclepias, or milkweed, genus. The popular orange Butterfly Weed will be offered alongside the pink Asclepias Cinderella.

Other native flowers available will be the bright yellow Celandine or Wood Poppy, blue-flowered Salvias, pink Joe Pye Weed, variegated Soloman's Seal, and the burgundy-tassled switch grasses Shenandoah and Prairie Fire.

Non-native best-sellers will include shade-loving hostas, Heucheras including the bright Georgia Peach, delicate white Tiarellas, peonies and bleeding heart, to name just a few.

Master gardeners will be selling the plants and can offer suggestions for care of each item.

"The plant sale is first-come, first-serve," said Patterson, "so Saturday mornings are always very busy."

"One of the joys of the group is the diversity," said Patterson. "We have retired teachers, bankers, accountants and physicians, one retired railroader, business executives. Different people have interests in different kinds of gardening. Some do the vegetables and that's all. Some enjoy the altruistic side — giving to the community, helping the needy."

All the money from the sale ($38,000 last year) "is plowed back into our projects," Patterson said.

The Master Gardeners spend the proceeds on a variety of projects.

n The Display Garden at the Evansville State Hospital Park, a huge project, is located off the Lloyd Expressway near the Boy Scout headquarters.

Master Gardener Grant Hartman oversees the vegetable production area. In 2008 volunteers grew and donated more than 62,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to the Tri-State Food Bank.

Paths, made in part with bricks salvaged from the old State Hospital Buildings, wander through a shade garden, herb and rock gardens, a new bog and wetland garden. Kitchen gardens and a berry patch surround a historic cabin. Flowers bloom throughout the area.

n The after-school Roots and Shoots Gardening Club at Caze Elementary is led by Master Gardeners Nancy Cones and Ruth Metzger. Students learn about garden design and planting, and have begun an herbal tea garden and berry patch. This year they construct a sunflower and morning glory tepee, and have just put together a new greenhouse.

n At Parkview Care Center, Carol Peerman's group works with the residents to beautify the grounds. One raised flower bed is at wheelchair height, and another will be built this year. Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Vice President Carol Ruminer said "they couldn't get the patients to go outside, and now they're hammering to go out there." In June residents will tour the Display Garden.

n Line Street and Memorial Baptist Churches are working with the Master Gardeners to educate parishioners on the benefits of community gardening.

n The gardeners maintain the botanical gardens and run the educational plant docent program at Mesker Zoo, and they maintain the native plant garden at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. Their projects also include a number of other public gardens, such as the Reitz Home Museum Garden, the rose garden at the University of Evansville, the garden at the Historic Dam in Newburgh and Sunrise Park off Waterworks Road.