Plant sale offerings well-suited to soils

The countdown has begun for the Port St. Joe Garden Club’s fall plant sale.

Rain or shine, the event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 8 a.m. until noon ET at the Garden Center located at 216 Eighth Street.

Members have been dividing and repotting their mature plants that are well-adapted to Gulf County’s weather and sandy soils.  This fall plant sale is timed to coincide with the optimal time to set perennials, shrubs, and trees into the ground in the Florida Panhandle.

Given that garden club members are known to avidly search far and wide for unusual varieties, there will be many plants featured that are not to be found at the big box stores.  Shoppers will be pleased with the reasonable prices and the wealth of horticultural knowledge that members are delighted to share.

The garden club has received some very generous donations from the community. For instance, longtime local resident Larry Chism donated an overflowing truckload of robust plants that had been nurtured by his mother, Lilly Loraine Chism. Mr. Chism shared that his mother loved to sing with her Highland View Church of God choir but when she wasn’t singing, she doted on her family, pets, and plants.

Proceeds from the sale are dedicated to furthering the mission of the garden club, to support charitable, educational, and scientific endeavors that foster interest in horticulture and conservation of natural resources. In addition to community beautification projects, the organization has also erected and maintained Blue Star markers to honor veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

To learn about upcoming events, meetings, and outreach, please visit the Port St. Joe Garden Club’s Facebook page. Please contact Sue Meyer at 513-504-1679 for details regarding the rental of the lovely and historic Garden Center.  The venue accommodates up to 70 guests and is perfect for weddings, showers, and family reunions.