Master Gardener plant auction set for May 14

Sunday, May 1, 2016

The second annual Master Gardener plant auction is scheduled for Saturday morning, May 14.

Gardeners and future gardeners are invited to gather at the Producers Building at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. At 9:15 a.m., set-up should be finished, and folks are welcome to come and see this year's offerings. At 10: a.m., the auction will begin.

The flowers, shrubs, vines and trees that are being auctioned off are plants that have been raised by Putnam County Master Gardeners. There are also several garden-related items that have been donated by local businesses and they will be auctioned, too. Rick Parent of Sellabration Auction Services will be the event auctioneer for the second year in a row.

This is a great opportunity for gardeners to get some outstanding bargains.

First off, the plants come from the gardens of our friends and neighbors. This means that these plants will thrive in this area with our soil and our weather extremes. With water and a little care, these plants will continue to be successful when they're transplanted to new local gardens.

Second, the plants at the auction come from plants raised by Putnam County Master Gardeners -- folks who are passionate about growing plants and who genuinely love to share their successes with other gardeners.

And finally, the plant auction is for a good cause. The proceeds from this auction go toward funding scholarships for post-secondary students who intend to study in a gardening-related field, such as plant science, landscape design or horticulture.

Several businesses in the community are also supporting the plant auction, by contributing garden-related items for the auction. Just a few of the businesses that have agreed to donate are: Butler's Flowers and Plants, Cloverdale High School Greenhouse, Cloverdale Ag Center, Greendell Landscape Solutions, Headley Hardware, Herriman Farms, Hilltop Orchids, Ponderosa Aqua Farm, RTM/Garden Shop, and Sinclair House Greenhouse.

Do you believe you have something in your garden that could be included in the plant auction? If your flower beds are overgrown and you are thinking about thinning them out, we would welcome your donations for the auction. Call 317-341-1324.

Plan to spend the morning of May 14 with other plant lovers. Come and check out the healthy, hardy and well-loved plants that will be auctioned off.

Fair warning: You'll probably be hauling home several plants. So clean out your car's back seat and make room in the trunk.

Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding this week's column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.

Upcoming Events:

May 4 -- Exploring 4-H meeting, Fairgrounds, 6-7 p.m.

May 6 -- Gardening Brown Bag: Gardening for Pollinators, 12-1 p.m., Extension Office.

May 7 -- Sheep/Goat tagging and retinal scanning for 4-H, Fairgrounds Beef Barn, 8 a.m.-noon.

May 9 -- Junior Leader meeting, Fairgrounds, 7 p.m.,; Officers, 6:45 p.m.

May 11 -- Camp counselor training, Session 1, Fairgrounds, 5-8 p.m.

May 14 -- Purdue Master Gardener plant auction, Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.

May 15 -- Due date all online 4-H livestock enrollment (except poultry, rabbit meat pen, steers).

May 15 -- Deadline to enroll in 4-H camp for June 8-11.

May 15 -- Last day to drop or add a 4-H project for 2016.

May 18 -- Camp counselor training, Session 2, Fairgrounds, 5-8 p.m.

May 20 -- Gardening Brown Bag: Coping with Wildlife, 12-1 p.m., Extension Office.

May 26 -- Buyer Beware: Ins and Outs of Buying Property, 6-8 p.m., Fairgrounds (register by May 19 at 653-8411).

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