By Nathan Ham
You better be there early if you want to make sure you get what you’re coming for. The annual Watauga County Community Plant Sale is this Saturday starting bright and early at 7 a.m. sharp.
Customers can arrive earlier and browse through the selections, but no purchases can be made until 7 a.m.
The sale is located at the former Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques and Greer Historic Home & Gardens located at 375 Old U.S. Highway 421 South in Boone, and will last from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.
“When it’s all said and done, we will probably sell about 10,000 items,” said Pam Williamson, who is helping organize the event that is entering its 11th year.
This event is also an annual fundraiser where all proceeds will go towards the Watauga County Democratic Party.
If you’re worried about find a place to park, that will not be an issue, according to Williamson. She says that the nearby Hollar and Greene Produce Co. is letting patrons use their parking area for the day.
“We do have a loading area but we also have a shuttle for people moving their plants up there at Hollar and Greene if they want to,” Williamson added.
All sales are on a first come, first serve basis, so be sure to get there early if there is something specific you are looking for.
“We encourage folks to get here early for best selection because some things we may have 100 of but other things we have six or seven of so it’s always a good idea to show up early,” said Williamson.
With the cold April and the drenching rains in May, the weather has not made it easy on plant growers in the area.
“It has been a challenging year. It started in April and it was just too cold. We grow a lot of things by seed and trying to manage to baby them along the way and then have April be so cold was a challenge,” Williamson said. “Then we celebrated the turn in temperature in May, but then it started flooding so it has been a challenge but we’re real pleased with what we’ve got to offer.
The selection of plants to choose from will range from popular, easy-to-find plants to rare, unusual items that are extremely hard to come by around here.
Most of the plants that are sold are grown by seed, but some of the more rare items are bought from vendors.
The average cost of the plants are anywhere from $1 to $5 with trees and shrubs being a bit higher.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that everybody can afford something. That’s real important to us,” said Williamson.
An updated list of plants available can be found here.
Pictures from Tuesday afternoon as volunteers get ready for the big plant sale on Saturday.
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