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Classifieds

Publication Date: Friday, April 04, 2003

How does your garden grow?

Springtime means gardens full of blossoming flowers. However, if your home is lacking a colorful landscape because you forgot to plant your bulbs, you're in luck. You can take advantage of the Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club's annual plant sale.

A wide variety of up to 2,000 plants, including perennials, roses, trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs, native plants, grasses, annuals, ferns and more will be available for 50 cents to $2 (exotic plants can be more). The low prices and wide selection will allow anyone interested in gardening to throw together a last-minute garden just in time for spring.

The sale will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, tomorrow, April 5, in the parking lot of the Amador Valley High School, 1155 Santa Rita Road. Event organizer Sondra Bierre, who expects hundreds of buyers to show up, warns people to get there early.

"The best plants will be gone in the first hour or so," Bierre said. "There will be no early bird sales or previews."

Through this fund-raising event, the club hopes to raise up to $4,000, which it will use to do things like maintain the Sensory Garden in Centennial Park, give presentations to elementary schools on Arbor Day, and have guest speakers educate members eager to learn more about gardening.

The club's 220 members donate the plants from their gardens for the sale. Bierre said a lot come from dividing perennials, but she never knows exactly what they're going to have until the day of the sale.

"Most of the members are avid gardeners and enjoy collecting interesting plants," Bierre said.

The Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club, which was founded in 1984, has been hosting this sale since 1989. Bierre, who has been a member for four years, used to attend the sale herself. Through her fondness of the plant sale and encouragement by members, Bierre agreed to take on the responsibility of organizing the annual event.

"I have a lot of help from members," Bierre said. "Everyone pitches in and it all comes together."

For those new to gardening, the sale is a great place to learn about plants and how to garden, and to meet people with a similar interest. Bierre said this is a great way to get your first garden under way. Plants that have not bloomed yet will have a laminated photo attached so the buyer can see what it will look like. The name of the plant and instructions on how to care for it will also be provided.

"Come to the sale, buy some plants, and we'll help you get started," said Bierre.

Bierre, whose favorite plant is antique roses, encourages people to give gardening a try.

"It is a lot of work, but I enjoy learning from other people," Bierre said. "I like going to other people's gardens and seeing how they've done it. I'm still learning."

If you aren't picky about what type of plant you want, hit the sale just before it closes at noon. At this time, what's left over is usually sold at a discount or given away. Plants that are remaining after the sale are donated to Crow Canyon Gardens in San Ramon.

For more information about this event, contact Sondra Bierre at 485-9513.

Time to garden