a perennial favourite

It's become one of my favourite rites of spring: the Fredericton Botanic Garden annual plant sale.   Last Sunday after platefuls of eggs and hummus and our favourite quattros and rodrigos at Cedar Tree Cafe, Denis and I headed to the Boyce Farmers Market for the sale.   While I love my planters of colourful annuals, perennials are the "set it and forget it" plants of the garden and this sale is a great chance to pick these up at a low cost.  An added bonus is the chance to chat with some of the city's most avid and knowledgeable gardening enthusiasts.  And the proceeds from the sale go to the ongoing development of the Botanic Garden.

Interestingly, the smart phone has become the must have plant sale accessory among younger attendees.   Saw more than a few people looking up various plants on their iPhones to determine if a plant was a good match for their garden.

The annual sale may be over but there's still an opportunity to take advantage of the garden know-how of the FBG folks with their Talks in the Garden. Here are the sessions I'm looking forward to:

• June 21, 2012: "Cooking with Herbs" by Marg Routledge.
• August 16, 2012: "Eating and Preserving Local Produce", by Margaret Langille.
• September 20, 2012: "Storing Vegetables for Winter Use", by Karen Davidge.
• October 18, 2012: "Forcing bulbs Indoors for Spring Bloom", by Mary Pugh.  

And I'm crossing my fingers for some good weather next week to take a wander through the gardens and snap some shots particularly of the rhododendrons.