Longview Arboretum to host Gregg County Master Gardener Association plant sale Saturday

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - The Gregg County Master Gardeners Association has been busy doing what they do best: growing things. In fact, hundreds of those things will be available for purchase on Saturday at their Master Gardener plant sale. And, their ranks have been growing for a quarter of a century.

The plants are ready for new homes according to Vice President of the Gregg County Master Gardner Association Tom Babin.

“All of our master gardeners, they’ve grown, they work on these plants all year long. We ask everybody to do at least 10. But last year, we had a thousand plants. This year our goal is 1,200,” Babin said.

Tom volunteers at the Longview Arboretum and just likes to grow things, just like all the Gregg Master Gardeners. All the plants for sale have been:

“Propagated by a master gardener and they’re all good healthy plants. There will be plenty of people here to explain anything you need to know about those plants,” Babin said.

Last Thursday morning the Supervisor for the gardener’s association, Gregg County Ag Agent Shaniqua Davis, appeared before Gregg County Commissioners. They gave approval of October 11 as Gregg County Master Gardener Association 25th Anniversary Day. It’s honoring their work.

“So far this year our master gardeners have been able to do volunteer hours in the county,” Davis said.

Nearly 3,000 hours so far this year. Shaniqua said part of that was reworking landscaping around the Health Department/Extension Service.

“We put in new gardens, we amended the soil and we put in what we’re calling our Jubilee Garden, out master gardeners. And there will be a big ceremony there,” Babin said.

That will be on October 11. Shaniqua said the master gardeners have grown to over 80 members in recent years and are attracting younger members.

“Which is great to be able to see because it draws in different backgrounds and different entities,” Davis said.

And those members, new or tenured, grow plants for the big sale.

“All the money that receive from our plant sale goes back into scholarships for our graduating seniors,” Davis said.

Babin said in previous years people have lined up at 8 a.m. for the 9 a.m. opening like it’s Black Friday:

“But a Green Saturday morning,” Babin said.

That name could grow on people: Green Saturday.

The sale is Saturday morning at the Longview Arboretum at 9 a.m., but get there early. Davis said there will be a line and most of the plants are gone by 10:30 a.m. since all plants are $5 each.

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