If you’ve never been to a plant swap, here’s the information you’ll need:

The Etowah County Master Gardeners invite you to the 2017 Spring Plant Swap to exchange plants and other garden items, along with ideas, information, and fun conversation with people who share your love of gardening. You’ll find favorite pass-along-plants that you won’t see in local nurseries - things that have flourished in the heat and humidity and clay soils of Alabama gardens just like yours. Bring a dish to share for a covered dish lunch and visit after the swap.

Bring a friend, some plants, food, and a chair and join us:

Date: Saturday, May 13

Time: 10:00 a.m. – Gates open by 9:30 a.m.

Place: ECMGA Greenhouses: 3200 West Meighan Boulevard (behind the Etowah County Bd of Education), Gadsden, AL

The best part: it’s free and no money changes hands [unless you want to buy marked-down plants left from the recent MG plant sale]. Here’s how it works:

Load your car up with plants or other garden-related items to swap:

plants (potted and clearly labeled!)

seeds, bulbs

home grown fruits or vegetables

cuttings suitable for rooting

pots

garden ornaments, decorative rocks

gardening books, magazines

potting soil, soil amendments

When you get to the Master Gardeners’ property, pull through the gate, find a place to park inside the fence, and get a name tag from the table near the building.

Arrange the things you have brought on the ground by your vehicle. It’s a good idea to write your name on a sheet of paper and tape it where everyone can see who to look for if they spot something you have that they want to swap for.

That’s when the fun begins. Check out things other people have brought. If you find something you like, ask the person who brought it what they’d like that you brought and arrange to swap. Feel free to ask for information about a plant: How big will it get? Sun or shade? What color are the flowers? Gardeners love to tell you all about their plants.

As you gather your new goodies, be sure to put them in your vehicle or another place where people will know they are not available to swap.

Then, when the swapping is done, we’ll enjoy a good old-fashioned covered dish lunch! If you prefer to just bring a sandwich for yourself, that’s fine, too.

Visit our website at https://www.etowahmastergardeners.com/ or, if you’re on Facebook, check our page at https://www.facebook.com/Etowahmg/. 

See you Saturday, May 14th!