Gardeners to swap plants, knowledge at annual event

Betty Crowther has lots of plants left in pots after recently remodeling the yard and gardens at her Evans home.

Those garden treasures won't go to waste.

As a gardener who loves to trade plants and talk about gardening, she plans to trade or give away the plants at the Cherokee Rose Garden Club's annual Plant Exchange and Sale, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Savannah Rapids Pavilion parking lot.

The event, in its sixth year, is held in the fall, which is considered optimal time for planting. Most importantly, the event gives gardeners a chance to trade plants and share information.

"I don't go just to come back with plants," said Crowther, a longtime member of the garden club that started the event in 2000, modeling it after the similar annual spring swap and sale at Pendleton King Park. "I really enjoy the interaction you have with everybody. Gardeners are nice people."

Crowther said the plant exchange and sale offers new gardeners a chance to get inexpensive plants that are easy to grow as well as get growing tips from the gardeners who successfully grew them.

"Some people who are just starting out, they want things that are easy," Crowther said. "Often things at the plant swap are easy (to grow), they multiply and people can share it."

The event is free and anyone is welcome to set up a booth for selling or trading plants or garden accessories. For more information, contact Crowther at (706) 860-3696 or Helene Hondrum at (706) 854-8215.