Annual Plant Sale - Saturday, May 18 at 8:00am

​University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension North County Master Gardener Volunteers Association (NCMGVA) is holding their 18th annual plant sale on Saturday, May 18th starting at 8:00am at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station. Specially chosen heirloom tomatoes and a variety of peppers will be featured at the sale. We will again be featuring our native perennial pollinators, featuring Wild Lupine, Swamp Milkweed, Blazing Star Liatris, Butterfly Weed, Black eyed – Susan, Cone Flower. New for 2019 is our herb six-pack, including Thyme, Rosemary, Giant from Italy Parsley, Genovese Basil, Garlic Chives and Bouquet Dill.

Heirloom tomatoes were the cornerstone of the group’s very first plant sale. Since then, NCMGVA has increased the number of heirloom choices and added a few of their favorite hybrid varieties. The tomato and pepper plants are started from seed and grown by volunteers specifically for the sale.

Though hundreds of the plants will be at the sale, they tend to sell out quickly and gardeners are advised to go early for the best selection. The sale begins at 8 a.m. at the Spooner Ag Research Station on Hwy 70 east of Spooner and runs until the plants are sold out.

The proceeds go toward supporting the Teaching and Display Garden that is open to the public on Orchard Lane, just east of the Ag Research Station; for garden-related grants; for promoting horticulture outreach and education in Sawyer, Washburn, and Burnett counties; and other horticultural projects.
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“According to Kevin Schoessow, Area UW-Extension Agriculture Development Educator and advisor to NCMGVA, Master Gardener volunteers come together from many backgrounds.” They find common ground in their appreciation for growing plants, whether edible or ornamental. They are trained volunteers who assist the University of Wisconsin-Extension staff by helping people in the community better understand horticulture and the environment, and they donate thousands of hours’ worth of their time each year toward that end.