Plant Sale


27th Annual Plant and Garden Market

May 11th, 2024

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

on the front lawn of Smith Vocational School (80 Locust St./Route 9) in Northampton, MA

This annual garden sale features treasures from local area gardens and workshops:

*annuals  *perennials  *shrubs  *trees  *veggie starts  *houseplants  *compost  *garden art  *birdhouses  *planters

*A seed starting station for kids! 

 

The sale of donated plants and raffle tickets raises money for NEF’s book fund, which is distributed to all seven public schools in Northampton. Schools use their allotted money to diversify their curriculum offerings, provide additional books when enrollment increases, and so much more!


*Raffles

We run two raffles at the sale, one for a local handmade quilt, and one for a bench/trellis made by Smith Vocational students out of Eastern Larch wood (Tamarack) with a clear finish.

The drawings for both will take place at 12:45 at the Plant and Garden Market.  You do not need to be present to win.

Raffle ticket sale locations will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets will also be for sale on the day of the garden market before the drawing.

If you choose to buy tickets, you can enter one or both raffles.

Raffle Ticket Prices:

Individual ticket $1

Pack of six tickets $5

Pack of eighteen tickets $10

 The more you buy the more you save!


*Have extra plants or divisions of perennials you can donate?**

 Potted plants may be dropped off from April 20 through May 9 at the following addresses:

  • 373 North Farms Rd, Florence

  • 36 Wilson Ave, Northampton

  • 31 Forbes Ave, Northampton

Plants may also be dropped off at Smith Vocational (80 Locust St Northampton) on Friday evening May 10 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

Please try to label them, pot them early, and water them, so they look happy on the day of the sale!

**Please help prevent the spread of jumping worms by rinsing the roots of your plants first and then potting them into sterilized soil.  The worms themselves don’t appear until later in the summer, so please be aware that their eggs are nearly impossible to see.

More information about the worms can be found in this Gazette article and these facts sheets from UMass Amherst.

If you need pots or popsicle stick labels, please contact Amy Levine at alevine7@gmail.com or Mandy Gerry at mandygerry@gmail.com. In some cases, we can also provide helpers for digging, dividing and/or potting, or picking up potted plants.


*Interested in volunteering?

We need volunteers to collect and organize donated plants on Friday, May 10, and to work at the event offering advice and answering questions to gardeners.  Contact Mandy or Amy below.


Please help us grow the book fund!  Spread the word, donate plants, volunteer, and shop the sale on May 11.

To donate directly to the book fund, go here.

For information contact:

Mandy Gerry   mandygerry@gmail.com

Amy Levine      alevine7@gmail.com

 

The money raised from the sale is distributed on a per capita basis to Northampton Public Schools and Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School (now its own district) for the purchase of books and other learning resources.  Schools use their allotted money to diversify their curriculum offerings, add high interest stories to libraries, strengthen the nonfiction resources in libraries, provide additional books when enrollment increases, and add supplemental texts to enrich students’ learning experiences or to assist those with special needs.  Since 1997, the Book Fund has distributed more than $400,000 to the schools.  Thank you for your support!

Special thanks to our 2024 sponsors!

D.A. Sullivan & Sons, Inc.

Fierst Bloomberg OHM LLP Attorneys at Law

Friends of Marcia Burick

Greenfield Savings Bank

High Five Books

Keiter Corporation

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