Kushal Bhandari didn’t know much about home gardening before the Niagara-on-the-Lake Horticultural Society’s yearly plant sale.
Now, he’s got a wealth of knowledge.
The new homeowner was one of hundreds of people who flocked to the Meridian Credit Union Arena in Virgil on May 11 for the annual event, picking through everything from floral arrangements, herbs, hanging plants, potted plants and much more.
“The team here is wonderful,” he said. “They told me a lot about how to start gardening, which plants are easy to plant for a new gardener, which plants would need the sun, which plants would need the shade.”
“It was very helpful to understand the plants. I really enjoyed talking to them.”
His yard will appreciate his beautification efforts as well.
“I have a bunch of weeds right now so I am looking forward to getting rid of them and having some plants there,” he said, looking over his haul. “I have flowers and I love to have different colours.”
Joy Janzen was another happy shopper on Saturday.
Where Bhandari may have needed some help in discovering his greenthumb, Janzen came in knowing exactly what she was looking for.
“It is so great to get these plants because most of them have hardied several Niagara winters,” she said, speaking about the selection of perennials. “So you know that once you plant them that they are going to grow well.”
Janzen was also quick to give props to the sale’s organizers who put in a lot of work to make it enjoyable for everyone as well as affordable.
“It is so fantastic. All the volunteers and the effort that they put in,” she beamed. “And the pricing is so amazing.”
Opening with wall-to-wall offerings, all available products were nearly cleared out within just a few hours of opening.
For those who missed it, while there may not be another chance to purchase in such a variety for another year, they will be able to see the results of the sale come July.
The society’s annual Gardeners Garden Tour, which allows people to move through the community and stop at a number of pre-planned homes, is set for July 6.
Most of the money raised from the plant sale, the garden tour and another event at Kent Heritage Farms at the end of July will go to support two scholarships, one at the Niagara College School of Environment and Horticulture and the other at Niagara Parks School of Horticulture.
