By Jackie Sledge
Big Country Master Gardener Association
We’ve been working on the 2026 version of the Spring Plant Sale, and now it’s here! This year is the 30th anniversary for the Big Country Master Gardener Association, and we are going to use the Plant Sale as an opportunity to celebrate.
Most of the plants available for the Spring Plant Sale will be advertised online, allowing you to see and learn about the plants, make your selections, and pay for the plants. You can place your order online beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday April 8th through 12:00 noon on Friday April 10th. You will be given a time pick up your on-line order on the afternoon of April 10 between 2:00 and 6:00 at the Modern Living Mall on the Expo Center grounds.
On Saturday April 11th, we will have an in-person sale from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Modern Living Mall – like we have had for years. During the sale on Saturday, you will have the opportunity to shop in person to purchase plants left after the online sale ended PLUS some plants that will be added just for the in-person sale as a way to celebrate our 30th anniversary.
Here are some of the special plants we will have only at the in-person sale on Saturday:
Salvia greggii – Teresa. This salvia grows up to 24” x 24” and has beautiful light pink and white flowers. It is a long-blooming perennial that works great in borders, beds, and containers.
Red Turk’s Cap – Malvaviscus. This is a hardy perennial that thrives in full sun to shade. It produces bright red turban-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies from summer to fall. It is drought tolerant once it is established.
“Found” Hibiscus – This variety features large deep maroon flowers. The plant can survive freezing temperatures by going dormant, but they return in the spring.
Laura Bush Petunia – If you need a hardy, heat-tolerant plant, this is one you need. It is known for its violet-magenta blooms. It survives in full sun and can be used as a trailing plant, or spiller, in landscapes.
Gregg’s Blue Mist – This is the plant you need to have if you want to have butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds in your garden. It is low-maintenance, drought tolerant, and thrives in full sun to part shade.
Is there a plant named for Abilene? Watch for future posts with information about that plant, and maybe you will be able to see or get one.
Please watch the Big Country Master Gardener Association Facebook page for the list of available plants as well as online and in-person sale information. There will also be a link to the Spring Plant Sale on our website at bcmgtx.org. This is a great opportunity to purchase plants that will do well in our area.
The Big Country Master Gardener Association presents free education programs every month. There is a program at 6:00 p.m. on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Abilene Public Library South Branch in the Mall of Abilene, and the same program is presented again at 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of the month at the Abilene Public Library main location. The Friday program at the Downtown Library will be suspended during the months the library will be moving to the new location, but we will still provide the programs at the Mall Library location. Be sure to check our website to know when the Friday program will be held again. We also have a Master Gardener Saturday Seminar from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on the last Saturday of the month from February through August in the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room.
We are here to help you. If you have any questions, call the Taylor County Extension Office at 325-672-6048 or email us at bcmgardeners@yahoo.com. We hope you will visit our Facebook page, our website at bcmgtx.org, and the BCMGA YouTube channel for all Big Country Master Gardener information, events, and training.
We hope to see you this week during the Spring Plant Sale.
Until next time… Happy Gardening!