COMMUNITY Horticultural Society members digging, splitting and potting plants ahead of next Saturday’s annual sale

By Casandra Turnbull

Finally, all the ‘spring is here’ false alarms are behind us. Plants and trees are in bloom, the sights and sounds of a new season are fresh in the air, and if you haven’t already, it’s time to put a shovel in the ground! Whether you’re new to town, or just not aware, let us share a town secret (albeit a well known one) – the Paris Horticultural Society’s Annual Plant Sale is one week away!

This Unofficial ‘official’ launch into spring takes place the second weekend of May as members of the town’s Horticultural Society fill the Syl Apps Community Centre with plants, grasses and flowers. When the Paris Independent reached out this week to see how preparations were going, Serryn Stephenson, Horticultural Society Publicity

Director shared that they were busy digging up, splitting and potting plants from members’ gardens. It’s these locally grown plants that will go on sale next weekend. It’s a large undertaking, as you can imagine, so requests for help can turn into special potting days with all hands in the garden, so to speak. It takes nearly all of the club’s approximately 75 members to ensure this sale goes off without any issues.

The Plant Sale starts at 8 am on Saturday, May 11 at the Syl Apps Community Centre. This may be an annual show, but in fact, you’ll find plenty of perennials to get your garden and flower beds started this season Every year’s sale features a stunning variety, depending on what blooms each spring, what survived the winter and what is donated, said Stephenson.

Last year’s sale including a range of selection like Hostas, perennial geraniums, Shasta daisies, hellebores, lady’s mantle and much more. If you’re curious what this year holds, you’ll have to make the trip to the Syl Apps to find out And don’t wait too long, the popular sale has been known to sell out in recent years. Money raised during this Plant Sale helps kick off the gardening season where members will host their Annual Garden Tour and buzz around town upkeeping parks, the cenotaph, the fairgrounds, and various stretches of roadway through the Adopt a Road program. So much of Paris’ natural beauty and maintenance is attributed to the members of this group so be sure to support them by marking May 11th on your calendar.

Members of the Paris Horticultural Society gathered for a Potting Party this week to dig up, split up and pot plants to go on sale next Saturday at the Paris Agricultural Society’s Annual Plant Sale.

Photos by Anne Vernon