Lewis Ginter Plant sale starts Thursday

New this year are butterfly kits which include, host and nectar plants, plus a “Virginia Butterflies & Moths” pocket guide.

April 30, 2014; 2:11 PM • by Richard Hayes

I’m not sure what the opposite of a green thumb but I’m pretty sure I’ve got two of them. The secret to gardening at our house is using native plants. Natives are built for the inconsistencies of Virginia weather and often don’t require much nurturing after the first year. Set it and forget it. It’s not exactly that easy, you still need to know how much sun they like, soil drainage, a few other tidbits, and the all important information of whether or not it’s a native species.

Starting on Thursday May 1st (keep an eye on the weather and Twitter) you can get answers to all your questions and pick up the latest and greatest in native plants at the Lewis Ginter Plant Sale. That previous link will give you a full list of vendors but I highly recommend you search out the Richmond Horticulture Association. All of the native and non-native plants I’ve bought from these folks have thrived and they can give you great advice that is very Richmond specific.

Thursday 1 – 6 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No admission fee required; regular Garden admission to visit the Garden

The Garden’s plant sales are among the largest in the region with more than 40 vendors selling plants ranging from well-known favorites to rare exotics. Presented by Garden volunteers.

New from the Garden this year:

2 new butterfly-related items for purchase: Monarch and Black Swallowtail Habitat Kits. Each DIY kit includes host and nectar plants (six plants total), plus a “Virginia Butterflies & Moths” pocket guide.

Also youth volunteers from our Service Learning Program will sell tried-and-true seed varieties harvested from the Children’s Garden plus popular herb transplants Saturday 9 a.m – 3 p.m. and Friday 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Be sure to Visit our Garden Shop for outdoor pots and statuary, a variety of special gardening tools, gardening books, decorative accessories. Members receive 15 percent discount during Plant Sale!/blockquote>

Image: Lewis Ginter Twitter