Aldridge Gardens 2021 spring plant sale starts April 29

Aldridge Gardens is moving forward with plans for its annual spring plant sale after having to cancel the event last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sale will take place April 29-May 1. It will include a large number of hydrangeas and azaleas, as well as many native herbaceous plants, such as black-eyed susans, yarrows and kitchen herbs like basil and oregano, said Rip Weaver, executive director for the public gardens off Lorna Road.

There are usually about 1,000 plants to sell, Weaver said. Most are shrubs, but there likely will be a few trees as well. Most are usually sold, but it depends on whether it rains, Weaver said.

Some of the smaller herb plants will be priced as low as $3, but some of the larger ones may be sold for as much as $50, he said. The average price of grounds shrubs at the sale is about $20 to $25.

Some years, the spring sale has raised around $10,000, but the average probably is closer to $5,000 to $7,000, Weaver said. The money from the sale is used to pay for improvement projects, such as expansion of the irrigation system, replacing dead or diseased plant materials or making more trails in the gardens accessible for handicapped people, Weaver said.

Volunteers and gardeners will be at the plant sale to help shoppers select the right plants for their homes and give advice about placement, care and maintenance. Staff will be spaced out more this year to help with social distancing.

“The sale is a lot of work for the amount of financial return, but it’s something people have come to expect from a botanical garden,” Weaver said.

For more information, visit aldridgegardens.com.

Aldridge Gardens Spring Plant Sale

WHERE: Aldridge Gardens

WHEN: April 29-30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May 1, 8:30 a.m. to noon

WEB: aldridgegardens.com