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12th Annual Watauga County Community Plant Sale is Set to Unveil Native and Exotic Plants and Gorgeous Sculptures on Saturday, June 8th

The plant sale will be held at 375 Old 421 South in Boone (at the former Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques)

By Tzar Wilkerson

            This year’s Watauga County Community Plant Sale will be offering between 10,000 and 12,000 plants, including many nursery-grown trees and shrubs and flowering perennials, annuals, rare native specimens, vegetables, herbs, and houseplants. The sale will also feature many unique container plantings, miniature gardens, “broken-pot gardens,” antique garden decorative items, and vintage garden furniture. Held at 375 Old 421 South in Boone (at the former Aunt Pymm’s Table Antiques), free parking for the sale will be available at the Hollar and Greene Trucking Co. 230 Cabbage Row (about a block away). The event begins this Saturday at 7 AM and lasts until 2 PM, with a break to enjoy coffee and scones and tour the extensive perennial gardens at 375 Old 421 South.

            Among the featured plants this year are 50 rare and hard-to-find Japanese maples. Other featured plants will include “Champagne” Raspberries, Heritage Dwarf Cotton, new Anemone cultivars, oriental and Asiatic Lilies, American Beauty Berries, Ornamental Black Madira Rice, “Beneficial Insect” mixes, and ten different Dahlia varieties. The “Garden Room” Exhibition & Sale will display intimate outdoor garden spaces with vintage or modern garden furniture and accessories. “Personal Shoppers” will be available to help you choose the right plant for sun or shade.

Democratic Volunteer Jerry Williamson who was effusive with praise for all the volunteers who are working to make the event possible said, “We’re so thankful and dependent on the dozens of incredible volunteers who’ve come since March – and even earlier than that – to help plan and execute this plant sale.” The event is sponsored by the Watauga County Democratic Party and all proceeds from the sale will go to supporting the party. Jerry talked about the importance of donations to their operation: “We’re growing more and more from seed, but we’re still buying from several nurseries at wholesale — because we get donations to do that — so that we always have new plants featured. We like to get a lot of natives. We’re are able to get lot of this plants from commercial nurseries, and are able to sell it essentially at cost because they’re donated.”
            Jerry was also enthusiastic about this year’s theme: “Our theme this year is ‘From Scrap to Sculpture’, so we’ll be offering a large selection of garden objects that are made from scrap metal or other materials – and they are fantastic.” The plant sale seems ready to provide all the vegetation, consultation, and decoration that an aspiring gardener could ask for, so come on out if you want take advantage of the opportunity – or just to appreciate the beautiful gardens and art!

Pictures from last week as volunteers get ready for the big sale: