This Saturday, September 13, for the third year Grey County Master Gardeners (GCMG) are heading to the Meaford Rotary Harbour Pavilion for its annual fall plant sale.
“Fall is a great time to plant most perennials,” said master gardener and event coordinator Carole Warren. “Plants have until the ground freezes in December to really settle in before winter. Then, you have something to look forward to in the spring.”
Warren admits it’s a “crazy idea” to build what’s essentially a pop-up nursery in just a couple of hours. “That’s a big part of the challenge,” she said. “We’re always trying to improve the sale. This year, we’ve reorganized the set up to make it even easier for people to find the plants they want.”
Master Gardeners (MGs) are experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture extensively and continue to upgrade their skills through technical training. They share that knowledge as volunteers, offering presentations, advice clinics, and workshops tailored to the home gardener. The plant sale raises funds to support projects, equipment, and the group’s winter seminar series.
For months now, members of GCMG have been hard at work, growing hundreds of plants from seed, and taking the best from their own gardens to offer a wide variety of native, pollinator, and perennial plants including herbs. Warren calls it an “all-hands-on-deck” project for the group. Growing, labelling and transporting more than twelve hundred plants from across Grey and Bruce Counties to Meaford is a logistical challenge.
“People come back year after year because they know we’ll have a wide variety of healthy plants at very reasonable prices,” said Warren. “Because the plants we offer come from this area, with its particular climate, gardeners have more confidence that they’ll do well. And we’re there to offer advice on their choices, helping them find the right plant for the right place.”
This year, as usual, the sale includes the always popular Advice Clinic. “It’s so much fun, but get there early,” said Warren. “There’s always a line up.” Payment is cash or credit.
For more information and a sneak preview of the plants featured at the sale, visit:
www.greycountymastergardeners.com
Facebook: greycountymastergardeners
