Denison, Texas -- The 2025 Grayson County Master Gardeners Plant Sale promises to be fun for the entire family. Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 3, 2025, for the Let's Grow Expo, which will be inside the Mayors Arena in Loy Lake Park, located at 770 RC Vaughan Road, Denison, Texas, (behind Frontier Village), from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Besides homegrown plants, there will be educational presentations, sponsors, vendors, and food and beverages for sale. Children can participate in a scavenger hunt. Customers may purchase raffle tickets for the opportunity to win unique garden-themed items. The prices for the plants will range from $3 to $12, except for specialty plants.
A plant sale grows from ideas, seeds, cuttings, and diggings. I recently toured “Ground Zero,” where over 3,000 plants were grown for the 2024 Master Gardener plant sale. Each week, Master Gardeners meet at “Ground Zero” to cultivate, transplant, water, and nurture plants for the plant sale. Diligent volunteers practice their gardening skills and enjoy fellowship while caring for the plants.
In winter, seeds are sown in small pots and kept warm in a cozy greenhouse. The sprouting plants are housed in the greenhouse until they are ready to face the elements outside.
The greenhouse is equipped with a rain collection barrel. As the rain falls, it collects in the gutter attached to the greenhouse, flows into the downspout, and fills the rain barrel. Master Gardeners water the plants twice a week with rainwater. This water gives the plants an extra boost as it contains nitrogen in the form of nitrates. Also, rainwater enhances soil structure, aids in the absorption of minerals, and helps build moisture levels in the soil.
Before positioning the plants outdoors for further growth, the ground is prepared to inhibit the emergence of weeds in the containers. Initially, cardboard is placed on the ground, followed by a layer of weed block fabric. Subsequently, the pots are positioned on top of this arrangement.
Plants are also cultivated during events known as “Big Digs.” During these digs, gardeners convene at a fellow Master Gardener's house and dig plants that have multiplied profusely. Examples of these plants include Native Texas plants, Gregg’s Mistflower, Mexican petunia, Coreopsis, Sunflowers, Fall Aster, Salvias, and Mallow Hibiscus, which are also obtained from these digs. These plants are well-suited to the climate and soil. Several “digs” happen months before the plant sale. Once the plants are harvested, the Master Gardener takes them home and nurtures them until the sale.
Plants and friendships grow during the weeks and days leading to the plant sale. At the heart of every Master Gardener is a passion for growing plants and passing on their knowledge to all who aspire to garden.
To learn what plants will be available at the plant sale, visit the Grayson County Master Gardeners website at https://txmg.org/grayson/. Click on the Plant Library tab, then click on 2025 Plant Library Sale. This list is updated on a regular basis.
