Mid to late May is generally considered the safest time to plant vegetables and more delicate flowers outdoors in the Tristate region. In anticipation of the beginning of summer gardens, several organizations are holding their annual plant sales. The libraries are a good source for plants divided out of successful home gardens; they also usually offer “starts” of edibles such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
Freund’s Farm Market in East Canaan, Conn., is offering hanging baskets at the Douglas Library of North Canaan, Conn., sale on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Sweet Haven Farm in North Canaan has donated flower arrangements for the sale.
Anyone who is dividing their perennials is invited to bring them in containers for the sale. Call the library at 860-824-7863 for information or send an email to douglaslibary@comcast.net.
The D.M. Hunt Library in Falls Village, Conn., will hold its annual sale on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, May 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Plants will include tomatoes, vegetables, annuals and perennials, and houseplants including geraniums from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in pots and hanging baskets. Proceeds benefit the library and the high school. For more information, or to donate plants and pots, call the library at 860-824-7424 or go to www.huntlibrary.org.Drop-off for donations is Friday, May 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. Perennials, annuals, houseplants, decorative pots and garden accessories are welcome. Early drop-offs may be placed by the library’s back door near the faucet. Label all plants with their name.
Weatogue Farm in Salisbury, Conn., will begin its annual sale of vegetables, flowers and herbs on Friday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily into the first week of June.
Call Elvia with questions at 860-435-0345. The farm is at 78 Weatogue Road in Salisbury, near the border with North Canaan, Conn.
In Stockbridge, Mass., the Berkshire Botanical Garden’s annual Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale is scheduled for Mother’s Day weekend, May 6 and 7, with regionally appropriate plants hand-picked by the Garden’s horticulturists.
The sale is open to the public Friday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, May 8, from 9 to 5 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
And the Trade Secrets Rare Plant and Garden Antiques Sale, which draws gardeners from all across the U.S. and supports Women’s Support Services in Salisbury, Conn., will be held this year at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury on Saturday, May 14. The next day (Sunday, May 15) is garden tour day, with a mix of public and private gardens open to visitors. For more information, go to www.tradesecretsct.com.
