Shoppers are encouraged to bring a wagon to transport their plants.
Linda Roche, of Holyoke, works on divided perennials in preparation for the 2011 Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association plant sale at Wistariahurst. The group will hold its annual plant sale on the grounds of the museum on May 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gardeners looking to spruce up their flower beds are invited to the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association's annual Wistariahurst Museum plant sale. The sale, which includes a wide variety of perennials, shrubs and annuals, takes place on May 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the museum in Holyoke.
The Master Gardeners have been working many hours over the past several weeks in preparation for the sale known for its bargain prices and big selection. The money raised through the plant sale helps to fund the gardeners' projects at Wistariahurst.
"We propagate plants we grow in our display beds, and then we also take donations from the public and a lot of the Master Gardeners," said member Toi Graham.
"It's a collaborative effort between the Master Gardeners and community volunteer gardeners."
Members are accepting donations of plants from the public on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, until May 14, at the museum.
"We never know until the end exactly what we're going to have," Graham said.
The plants raised on site by the gardeners serve as the basis for the sale, with gardeners looking to thin their own perennials donating the rest.
Shoppers can expect to find a wide variety of bearded iris, Japanese iris, Siberian iris, dwarf and tall daylilies, hosta, asters, bleeding heart, clematis, coreopsis, daisies and heirloom chrysanthemums, May apple, standard and variegated ivy, creeping phlox, periwinkle, hardy geraniums, coneflowers, obedient plant, salvia and sedums.
There will also be a variety of herbs, azaleas, spireas in white and pink, summer sweet, spreading deutzia and small numbers of other plants.
Graham said you never know what you might find.
"Someone brought in gooseberries," she said. "Last year we had raspberries. Sometimes, we've had asparagus and rhubarb. We have a little bit of everything. We take whatever people bring us."
Handmade hypertufa pots, made from a mixture with Portland cement, will be offered for sale, planted with succulents.
The plant sale brings in many repeat customers. Graham said experienced gardeners, in particular, know a good deal in terms of price when they see one, even when a plant is not in season.
"More experienced gardeners know what they're looking for and know what it's going to look like when it's in bloom," Graham.
For a sale of its size, Graham said it's not too difficult to find things and get questions answered.
"We've had a lot of people comment on the fact that we're the most professional, non-professional plant sale," Graham said. "They really like the way we have things displayed on the lawn, and it's easy to find things."
In addition, the Master Gardeners have plant experts all over the property to answer questions. The Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners biennial course recently was completed, and students now must serve as interns and complete volunteer hours. Students are assigned a block of plants, three of our four contiguous varieties, which they study.
"They can answer questions and explain everything about it. People don't usually get that at a plant sale," Graham said. "Those are the things we try to do to make it easier for people."
Graham said education is a major part of what the Master Gardeners do.
"Our mission is to teach the public good gardening practices, and this sale is actually an extension of that," she said. "We try to offer them plants they can be successful with, and give them information to be successful."
Shoppers are encouraged to bring a wagon to transport their plants in, if they are expecting to make big purchases. Parking is available around the building, as well as at the Holyoke Senior Center. The Senior Center is located on Beech Street, but the entrance is on Hampshire Street. There will be a pickup area where volunteers will load plants in vehicles.
The Wistariahurst Museum, the 1874 estate of the Skinner family, will be open for mini-tours. The gift shop will also be open in the museum's carriage house.
Wistariahurst Museum is located at 238 Cabot St. in Holyoke.