EDDYVILLE — The Lyon County Master Gardeners group will hold its annual native plant sale later this month featuring a variety of native perennial plants in diverse colors, heights and for different light and soil requirements.
This year’s sale is set to include more than 60 species of native plants, including local favorites and some less common ones, according to the group, which come from Kentucky sourced seed or propagated from regional plants. The sale will also feature plants propagated from personal gardens of the Master Gardeners, including herbs, medicinal plants and a limited group of nonnative ornamentals and house plants.
Informational booths will be available at the event to provide handouts and answer questions related to growing plants and supporting pollinators, according to the group:
• Shannon Brockway, Land Between the Lakes naturalist, will host a booth titled “Plant This, Not That.”
• Bena Travis will share the latest information about developing monarch butterfly gardens and certification.
• Master Gardeners Augusta Evans and Kelly Vaughn will provide native plant landscaping design and info on regional “top performers.”
• Honeybee enthusiast George Martin, member of the Western Kentucky Beekeepers, will provide information on beekeeping and the habitat of native bees.
• Master Gardener Melodie Metje will provide information on medicinal herbs.
Items for sale will include new and gently used garden items like garden decor, pots, supplies and small garden tools, according to the group. Attendees will also receive a free annual plant while supplies last.
“Native plants are plants that originate or occur in our area naturally. They support biodiversity,” the group said in a news release. “The declining bee, butterfly, and hummingbird population are in part due to loss of their natural habitats and insecticide use. Planting naive plants are good for the environment because they support the health and growth of pollinators and provide a food source for beneficial insects and birds. For the gardener they are naturally hardier and more disease resistant than their hybrid cousins and provide opportunities to see beautiful butterflies and birds. Our native plants thrive in Kentucky’s climate and are accustomed to our soil conditions which allows for less watering and chemical fertilization than nonnative plants. As a bonus many are naturally rabbit and deer resistant.”
The native plant sale event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 25, at the Lee S. Jones Convention Center in Eddyville.
Additionally, Master Gardener member Augusta Evans will present the “Native Plants for the Landscape” program at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Garden Center in Akridge Farm Supply/Ace Hardware in Eddyville, according to the group. The program will feature information on how to incorporate native plants into the landscape.
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