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Duke Gardens Plant Sale Set for Saturday

Sale will include information sessions on gardening in a drought

Dozens of plant varieties will be on sale at the Duke Gardens Spring plant sale.

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens will be "greener" than usual during the 2008 Plant and Craft Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday.

Workshops on sustainable gardening and drought-tolerant landscaping, along with a demonstration on installing rain barrels, are among the new offerings at this year's festival.

 

"We feel like we have a mission of education, especially during the drought," said Edna Gaston, a longtime volunteer at Sarah P. Duke Gardens who is overseeing the 2008 Plant and Craft Festival. "This is an opportunity to educate the public about how to garden during the drought and also to showcase the wonderful staff and volunteers who work diligently every day to make the Duke Gardens the amazing place it is."

The festival, which raises money for projects at the gardens, will also feature plant and craft vendors, horticultural advice, live music, special gift items in the Terrace Shop and other activities.

 

Saturday's festival is open to the Duke community and admission is free. (There's an invitation-only pre-sale for Friends of Duke Gardens members on Friday. For more information on becoming a member, visit the Duke Gardens website or call 684-3698.)

Duke Gardens will staff booths with a variety of plants propagated in recent weeks by a team comprised of Duke horticulturists and volunteers. Selections will include herbs, assorted bulbs, plants for sun or shade, and even specimens from the Blomquist Garden and Culberson Asiatic Arboretum.

"We're going to have a lot of wonderful plants, ranging in price from 50 cents for our bargain selections to $50 for young trees," Gaston said.

 

Gaston said one of the most popular parts of the festival is the free advice from Duke horticulturists and master gardeners, who will be available to answer questions and assist in the selection of plants to withstand challenging weather conditions and water restrictions.

"As gardeners, we've all got to be considerate about our environment and learn new ways to garden with less water," Gaston said. "To help save water, we all need to plant more ground cover and drought-tolerant plants instead of worrying about how to keep a lush lawn. It's about putting the right plant in the right place and using native species and drought-tolerant selections."