Native plants are becoming more popular because they grow better in this state, and thus keep away weeds and don’t need as much care. Photo by Eden Brown.
Nearly all the vendors at the Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale agreed it was great, despite blustery winds that took down a tent or two. The sale was held on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Church of St. Clement in Alexandria. It is a fixture on local gardeners’ calendars. One woman said she had rented a car in order to come to the sale. She wouldn’t miss it. Several others claimed they were not going to take anything home with them: their gardens were full. They were seen leaving with little red wagons (“plant taxis”) trailing behind them … full of plants. “It’s addictive,” said one.
The organizers (Scott Knudsen, a local expert, and his wife, Jennifer Pease) had arranged for live entertainment provided by local guitarist Jim Sheats; he would play soft jazzy/funky guitar to make shopping for native plants even more fun, they said.
This year the sale featured another of Catherine Zimmerman’s films, “Urban & Suburban Meadows,” inside the church. It is a step-by-step guide to establishing a meadow.
For more information: www.NorthernAlexandriaNativePlantSale.org
www.facebook.com/NorthernAlexandriaNativePlantSale.