The 15th annual Spring Plant Sale and Festival at Crabtree Farms will be held Friday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, April 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The sale will once again offer gardeners healthy, sustainably-grown fruit, vegetable, flower, and herb plant starts for their spring and summer gardens. Guests can enjoy free gardening workshops, live music, food, fun-on-the-farm activities for kids, and handcrafted items from local artisans.
Over 100 varieties of plants will be available at the sale. Mike Barron, Crabtree Farm’s green house manager, grows and propagates the plants with help from community volunteers. Specific plant varieties are tested on the farm to ensure that the plants are well suited to grow in the Chattanooga region.
“What keeps drawing Chattanooga area gardeners back each year is our wide variety of high-quality, sustainably grown food plants,” said Sara McIntyre, Crabtree Farms’ executive director. “Since 2001, we have offered our community plant starts that have been propagated on the farm, grown using only sustainable methods, and acclimatized to our local environment. What makes us different from other nurseries is that you know exactly where your plants came from and how they were grown.”
Vegetables for sale include: Over 15 varieties of tomatoes, from Sungold cherries to an assortment of heirlooms
Flowers for sale include: Several varieties of Marigolds and Zinnias, Johnny Jump Ups, Bachelor Buttons, and Celosia
Herbs for sale include: Jasmine, Bay Laurel, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and several varieties of Basil
Fruits for sale include: four types of Fig and several varieties of Blueberries
For those who have spring fever but no green thumb, Crabtree Farms offers free gardening classeson Saturday and Sunday of the Plant Sale. Led by local experts, classes include Composting, Backyard Fruit Selection, Cooking with Herbs, Growing Edible Mushrooms, and the ever-popular Organic Gardening 101.
Hand-crafted gifts and garden goodies will be available both Saturday and Sunday from festival vendors, including specialty herb varieties and herbal products from Down to Earth Farm, tinctures, salves, teas and butters from Wooden Spoons Apothecary, relish marinades, artist proof prints and notecards from Shuptrine’s Twisted, jewelry and handmade décor from Marshall and Rose, metal garden art and sculptures from Rust Worx, blueberry ginger and strawberry basil kombucha from Blue Indian Kombucha, and herbal soaps, shampoo, salves and lip balms featuring home grown herbs from White Ivy Farm.
Crabtree accepts cash, Visa or Master Card, check, and SNAP (edible plants only).
For more information, including a complete list of plants available, visit http://crabtreefarms.org/events/spring-plant-sale