The Des Moines County Master Gardeners held the annual plant sale on May 2, drawing community members to the Iowa State Extension Office in West Burlington.
The event focused on a wide variety of plants available for sale, displayed both inside and outside a building and greenhouse, allowing guests exploration of plants that grow best in a variety of environments.
This event is the organization’s primary fundraiser for future events for the Master Gardeners, playing a crucial role in supporting local gardening initiatives throughout the county. According to Krista Hartman, one of the event’s organizers, the sale is the only opportunity each year to raise money for their projects.
Held annually on the first Saturday of May, the event this year had perfect weather. Not only was it sunny, there was no wind or blistering heat. This heavily promoted attendance, leading to more sales and funds for the program.
The plant sale has become a spring tradition, leaving residents eager to prepare their gardens for the warmer seasons. Visitors encounter a wide variety of plants, starting from seed to perennials donated from local gardens.
The process of preparing the event is just as rewarding as the event itself. “Starting the plants is my favorite,” Hartman said, using her own garden to provide some of the perennials for sale.
Organizers spend months preparing plants from seeds, starting as early as winter. The use of a greenhouse, shared through Southeastern Community College (SCC), allows the gardeners to nurture the growing plants in a controlled environment before preparing them for sale. “It’s exciting to see what pops up and what doesn’t. You learn something new every year,” Hartman said.
In addition to the greenhouse-grown plants, many of the perennials available for sale come directly from the personal gardens of Master Gardeners and other community members. Donations certainly play a role in expanding the selection the sale can offer. Friends and family of the organizers donate what they do not need in their own backyards.
“A lot of perennials we dug up from our gardens, or friends donate them,” Hartman elaborates, “They know we’re Master Gardeners so they’ll say ‘Hey I got some extras’,” and those plants will end up at the sale.
Everything is tagged with a label and care instructions from the beginning growth stages. When guests buy their plant, all of the information they need to keep it alive is right there attached. This system makes the sale beginner-friendly, providing guidance through the plant growth process.
With strong community support and a community passion for gardening, the Master Gardeners annual plant sale continues to celebrate the love for nature reflected throughout the surrounding area.
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