A seasonal and sensational tradition returns to Hernando County this Saturday, when the Brooksville Garden Club will host their annual Spring Plant Sale on April 20 at Hernando Park, 205 E. Fort Dade, Brooksville, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kathy Schemmel, president of the Brooksville Garden Club, says that the Spring Plant Sale is a much anticipated and longstanding event on the garden club calendar. Brooksville Garden Club is a member of the Florida Federated Garden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. The Brooksville Garden Club meets from September through May at noon on the second Wednesday of the month at Sylvan Grove Clubhouse, 2490 Broad Street, Brooksville.
“We have been doing this Spring Plant Sale for many years,” she said. “We used to hold it at a pavilion in Tom Varn Park but have found that the newer downtown location works better.”
The plant sale offers a fragrant plethora of fresh and lovely blooms. “We always have a variety of indoor and outdoor plants that our members have nurtured,” said Schemmel. “Some have been Devil’s Backbone, Staghorn Fern, Variegated Agave, Parlor Palm, Ponytail Palm, Norfolk Pine, and air plants. We are now incorporating some painted rocks, decorated pots, and yard art and garden totems that have been handmade by our members.”
Visitors can profit from the vast body of horticultural knowledge provided on-site by garden club member experts in addition to purchasing “homegrown” plants to add color to their lives and gardens. “There will always be someone available to answer questions and/or give advice,” said Schemmel.
Also, at the plant sale, donations will be accepted to support BGC’s fundraising efforts to benefit their Pasco Hernando State College Scholarship Fund, the Wekiva Youth Camp Scholarship Fund, their local Habitat for Humanity efforts, and 100 Acre Woods.
The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. (FFGC) sponsors Wekiva Youth Camp, a residential nature camp for kids in third through eighth grades. The camp is intended to instill a love and respect for native Florida in our youth through nature study, conservation, and protection of our environment for the future of our state and planet. The American Camp Association accredits Wekiva Youth Camp. It comprises six one-week sessions during June & July in Wekiwa Springs State Park, where FFGC (a not-for-profit organization) partners with the Florida Parks Service to enhance and maintain facilities. Wekiva Youth Camp offers nature, crafts, and the beauty of the natural world in an ethereal setting. Campers learn in a supervised outdoor classroom, intending to evolve from campers to environmental leaders.
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and enhance their homes. Habitat for Humanity works in more than 70 countries, where they have aided more than 59 million people since 1976.
100 Acre Wood Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc., is a Brooksville-based sanctuary devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick or injured animals. This facility also offers constructive, nature-based activities for kids who visit.
Those with questions about the Brooksville Garden Club Spring Plant Sale can call Christine at 321-420-2863 or Kathy at 352-797-2483.
