Master Gardeners plant knowledge
5/11/2008 12:26 AM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By SUZANNE R. STONE Staff writer

The Aiken Master Gardeners shared their skills -- and their greenery -- with the city Saturday at the annual Master Gardener Plant Sale.

The sale started a little later than anticipated Saturday at the Aiken Farmers Market thanks to inclement weather, according to organizer Vickie Browder. But the storm had passed by 8 a.m. and shoppers came out to the Farmers Market in force, bringing in approximately $2,500 to the Master Gardeners.

"We got off to a very rough start because of the weather, but we've done very well," Browder said. "We've got daylilies, perennial flowers, trees, shrubs, and a good variety of vegetable plants and herbs. Our raffle has gotten a lot of attention too -- we have two handmade benches and baskets of plants up for the raffle."

All plants on offer at the sale were grown by members of the Aiken Master Gardeners in their own gardens.

Shoppers at the plant sale also got the benefit of the Master Gardeners' expertise, in the form of the Meet a Master Gardener program held most Saturdays at the Farmers Market, and through the 2008 Aiken County Almanac assembled by the group. The almanac was available at the sale for $10 per copy, as was the Master Gardeners' cookbook for $12 per copy. Visitors could also sign up for the Rent a Master Gardener program, in which a team of Master Gardeners visits the client's yard, garden or landscape site and does an assessment of problem areas.

"I've bought some perennials and some herbs," said shopper Della Hertzberg. "It's a very nice sale. People were very helpful, and the prices were right."

"I've been hearing how much people enjoy the variety of plants we have to offer," Browder said.

Proceeds from the sale go into the Aiken Master Gardeners' scholarship endowment at Clemson University, according to Browder.

For more information about the Master Gardeners course or the group's programs, call the Clemson Extension Service at 649-6297.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.

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