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By Margaret Alford Cloud, Orange County Master Gardener℠ volunteers
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a pollinator plant that will be sold at PlantFest. Photo by Margaret Cloud
PlantFest – a plant sale and garden festival – will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 1020 US Hwy 70 West, Hillsborough (across from the DMV office). If you like plants or want to learn more about gardening, we hope you’ll join us!
PlantFest is hosted by the Master Gardener volunteers of Orange County. There will be fun for all: kids’ activities, gardening exhibits and demonstrations, a nature art sale and food.
In 2022, volunteers at the PlantFest welcome table were ready to greet everyone. Photo by Margaret Cloud
When you get to PlantFest, volunteers will help you find a parking spot. Then stop at our welcome table, where kids can pick up PlantFest passports.
Also at the welcome table, you can pick up gardening information handouts and learn about the work that Master Gardener volunteers do in the community. Don’t forget to pick up a “Leave the Leaves” yard sign!
At PlantFest, you’ll find:
A big plant sale. We’ll sell hundreds of plants, mainly native plants that grow well in North Carolina’s Piedmont region. We’ll have many plants that are hard to find at local nurseries. Get there early for the best selection! Plant lists will be posted in early September on the PlantFest website, www.plantfestnc.org
We’ll accept cash and credit or debit cards. We’ll have some boxes for carrying plants but feel free to bring your own. And, if you like, bring a wagon to haul plants to your car.
Despite heavy rain during PlantFest 2023, the plant sale was well attended. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Proceeds of the plant sale benefit our Master Gardener volunteers’ educational activities in Orange County. We help the public learn about gardening and plants through community demonstration gardens, information tables at farmers’ markets, a seed library, and educational events such as the “Dig Deeper With Us” talks at the Orange County Library.
In 2022, children could use a magnifying glass to look at samples of bugs. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Kids enjoyed looking at worms and learning how they help the soil at PlantFest in 2022. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Children’s activities. We’ll have hands-on activities where kids can learn about caterpillars, butterflies and other insects. Kids can pick up a PlantFest passport with words and pictures of the booths at the event; they can get it stamped as they visit the booths. They can plant a seedling and try puzzles or games.
Fred Nijhout, a Duke entomology professor, and his grandson, Ben, will tell kids about caterpillars and butterflies – the two of them have been a big hit at previous PlantFests!
At PlantFest in 2023, these kids got a close-up look at insects, including this tomato hornworm. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Invasive plant information. Learn to recognize and manage common invasive plants that displace native plants and disrupt ecosystems.
Biodiversity information. Our biodiversity team can help you select native plants that will support pollinators. You can learn how to use the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox for information about plants that grow well in our area.
Bees. Learn about bees and how they help with pollination of plants. (No live bees will be present.)
Master Gardener volunteer Julee Herbert answered gardening questions at PlantFest in 2022. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Garden basics. Volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions about gardening, plant problems and soil.
Tool sharpening. Learn how to use whetstones, files and diamond stones to sharpen garden tools. Hear about safety and cleaning, maintenance and storage. Bring up to two hand tools for sharpening. Please return the tools to your vehicle once they’re sharp.
Master Gardener volunteers helped people learn how to sharpen tools at PlantFest in 2023. This year’s PlantFest will also feature tool sharpening. Photo by Katie Rentzke.
Free seeds. Our Community Seed Library team will have a selection of seeds and information about each seed type. You can choose seeds to take home.
Propagation and winter sowing. Learn how to propagate plants from seeds or cuttings. Winter sowing is a great way to start seeds in winter, using plastic jugs. We’ll show you how!
Craft and yard art sale. We will sell nature art items including concrete birdbaths, hypertufa pots, jewelry and watercolors, as well as items donated by local garden shops. Proceeds benefit our Master Gardener group’s activities.
PlantFest will include a sale of nature art, jewelry, watercolors and items donated by local garden shops. This concrete leaf birdbath was made by a Master Gardener volunteer. Photo by Val Blettner.
Food! The Orange County 4-H group will sell coffee and baked goods. Ring the Bell food truck, featuring barbecue, will sell lunch and beverages.
For updates and more information, visit the PlantFest website at www.plantfestnc.org
More from the Master Gardener volunteers of Orange County:
- Have a plant or garden question? Email the Orange County Master Gardener volunteers at ocmgardeners@gmail.com or phone 919-245-2061.
- Subscribe to The Garden Buzz, the Orange County Master Gardeners’ monthlynewsletter, for gardening news and tips. And visit our website, The Orange Gardener, for helpful gardening information and tips.
- Follow us on Facebook! Our page is NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, Orange County
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