As the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” No one seems to know that better than members of garden clubs statewide.
A bevy of plant sales sprout up in May and June, often offering locally- or member-grown plants and flowers at prices cheaper than those you’ll find in stores.
“You are encouraged to support your local garden clubs by patronizing their spring plant sales. Not only because will you personally benefit from being able to purchase quality plants from your local garden club’s plant sale, you will have the opportunity to ask seasoned garden club members, including some master gardeners, for advice,” said Joyce Kimball, a member of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs and the Bow Garden Club.
The Hooksett Garden Club starts preparing for its sale, which will be held June 4, at its first meeting of the year, usually held in February or March, said Elena Whitefield, chairwoman of the sale.
The 24 members are responsible for dividing out perennials, plants that return every year, from their gardens. The club passes out labels for the type of plant and its preferred environment (sun, partial shade, shade, wet areas, drought-tolerant).
The club also grows vegetable and herb starters. Whitefield said the seeds used are often for heirloom vegetables that aren’t sold in conventional stores.
People know they’re going to get native plants, which are more likely to survive in their gardens, Whitefield said.
“We’ve gotten customers that come back every year,” she added.
Since plants come from members’ gardens, stock varies, but it usually includes hostas, stella, daylillies, daisies, brown-eyed Susans and other basic perennials.
Members and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and suggest appropriate plants.
Hooksett Agway, La Valley Farm, Johnson Flower and Garden Center and Faulkner Landscaping and Nursery donate supplies, such as trees, containers and gift cards, which will be raffled off. Tickets can be purchased in advance from members or during the sale.
For the first time this year, the club will sell garden-themed yard sale items.
The Wilmot Garden Club has hosted a plant sale on Memorial Day weekend for almost 30 years at the Old Firehouse next to the post office, member Lindy Heim said. But this year it will be moved up to May 21.
In past years, customers have taken to lining up outside the door, waiting for the sale to open at 8 a.m., Heim said.
Now, the club offers refreshments to those in line.
Heim said available plants include geraniums, New Guinea impatiens, tomato starters, parsley, lady’s mantle, phlox, sedum, ground covers and more.
Annuals and vegetable starter plants are delivered by the Jolly Farmer, a Canadian greenhouse with an office in Maine, a few days before the sale.
“Their plant material is just outstanding,” Heim said. “We’ve used them for years and years.”
Garden club members will also divide out perennials from their and their neighbor’s gardens.
Heim said perennials do best when they are divided periodically, so it’s a benefit to those who contribute.
“We leave gardens better than we find them,” she said.
Wilmot Garden Club members will be available to aid customers in selection, which can be loaded into a fleet of borrowed red wagons. Heim said prices are reasonable, just $5 for two six packs.
It’s best to be there early, too. The sale ends at noon, but Heim said they tend to sell out before then.
“Most of (New Hampshire Federation) clubs’ plant sales are only open for business for three or four hours and the doors open as early as 8 a.m. so ‘the early bird gets the worm’ definitely applies here,” Kimball said. “By holding their plant sales early in the day plant sale patrons are able to get in and out and back home to plant their new purchases or to head off on some fun family outing with a full day still ahead of them.”
An added benefit to purchasing plants from local clubs is that most put the money right back into the town by adopting and maintaining gardens, supporting students through scholarships or contributing to other nonprofits.
“Spring plant sales have long been the primary and often the only fundraiser garden clubs undertake on an annual basis,” Kimball said. “The proceeds from these events generally go toward underwriting the clubs’ ongoing civic beautification efforts, community projects and, in many cases, their scholarship fund.”
The Hooksett club uses the fundraised money to take care of its gardens on the library grounds at the Route 3A intersection near Memorial Bridge and next to the “Welcome to Hooksett” sign. This year, members will also return to caring for the 47 boxes of flowers along Memorial Bridge after taking a year off during bridge reconstruction.
“I think we do a lot of work for a small club,” Whitefield said.
Wilmot uses proceeds from its sale to maintain at least nine public gardens, mostly at intersections and in front of town buildings and the library, and it sponsors a $1,000 scholarship for someone interested in studying horticulture, botany, conservation and agriculture.
“Your investment will be returned in a variety of ways, from the sheer enjoyment of your personal plant purchase, of course, and also when you drive by one of the gardens, planters or other beauty spots your town’s garden club plants and maintains,” Kimball said.