Over 16,000 new and unusual perennials and annuals, native Ohio plants, herbs, and heirloom and organic vegetables will be offered at Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale and Auction Fundraiser set for May 9–11 on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.
Carefully chosen, good for Ohio
Hand-picked by a team of horticulturists from CFAES, all plants in the sale are disease-resistant, of high quality, and adapted for growing well in Ohio. Visitors will also find colorful hanging baskets, specialty trees, edible plants, unusual and dwarf conifers, and rain garden plants.
A preview party will be held for Chadwick Arboretum members, known as Friends of Chadwick, on May 9 from 5:30–8:30 p.m. The event will include an auction starting at 6 p.m., as well as a reception with gourmet food, entertainment by Wry Grass Bluegrass Band, and the first opportunity to buy discounted plants. Chadwick Arboretum membership is $40 per year; new membership sign-up is offered at the door.
The plant sale, held at the northwest corner of Lane Avenue and Fred Taylor Drive, will be open to the public on Friday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Premium tree and shrub auctions will start at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 10, and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11.
Auction and vendors, too
Auction items will include unusual trees and shrubs donated by over 25 Ohio nurseries and landscape businesses. Vendor offerings will include native Midwest plants from Scioto Gardens in Delaware, organic vegetables from Swainway Urban Farms in Columbus, and unusual trees and evergreens from Dannaher Landscaping in Galena.
“We offer varieties that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Crystal Salt, Chadwick plant sale co-chair. “All proceeds benefit our education and research programs. We offer plants that we know will be successful for you and, in turn, you’re helping to support this one-of-a-kind public learning garden and arboretum.”
Chadwick Arboretum horticulturists and Master Gardener Volunteers from the Franklin County office of Ohio State University Extension will be on hand to answer questions about edible and ornamental plants. Ohio State student groups will sell plants they have grown to raise funds for educational trips and conferences. OSU Extension is CFAES’ outreach arm.
Plants for monarchs
New this year is a focus on plants selected to help monarch butterflies. Plants that supply food for both the butterfly and the caterpillar, such as butterfly bushes, coneflowers, and Shasta daisies will be offered along with the milkweed plants on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs.
Plant sale attendees will also find a selection of gardening tools, handcrafted jewelry, stationery, garden art, honey products, and more. Have garden tools that need to be sharpened? Bevel Edge Sharpening will be on hand to take care of that.
Chadwick’s Spring Plant Sale and Auction Fundraiser also coincides with National Public Gardens Day. Created in 2008, the national celebration highlights the importance of building vibrant, relevant gardens committed to community enrichment and environmental responsibility through community engagement, sustainable practices, and conservation.
CFAES’ Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens offers 60 acres of urban gardens and green reserve with more than 2,000 types of ornamental plants, including trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, wildflowers, ferns, and ornamental grasses. Learn more and sign up for membership at chadwickarboretum.osu.edu.