Native Plant Sale on April 25

From a D.C. listserv:

PARKFAIRFAX NATIVE PLANT SALE
April 25, 2009 -- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Vendors from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia will be at the 12th Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale, which is held twice a year and has grown into the largest native plant sale in the Washington D.C. area. Several of the vendors carry native trees and shrubs as well as perennials, and several of the vendors specialize in some aspect of native plants, such as fruiting shrubs, wetland plants, carnivorous plants, or native azaleas. A few of these vendors do not come to our local area for any other plant sale.

For a list of vendors, and links to their websites, please see the plant sale website, http://www.home. earthlink. net/~sknudsen/, and click on the "vendors" page.

The sale is entirely organized and run by volunteers. No one makes money from it except the vendors. The purpose of these sales is to promote native plant gardening in our region because gardening with natives is better for our watershed, our woodlands, and our wildlife, especially birds. Bringing together a variety of growers makes it easier for local gardeners (especially those new to native plant gardening) to find quality plants and encourages greater demand for natives in the nursery industry.

For those interested in news about these sales, the Parkfairfax Native Plant Sale has gained a definite following. From a modest beginning with just five vendors, this sale now regularly hosts over ten vendors from four states and regularly draws over 600 attendees. A year ago at the April 2008 sale, ten vendors sold an estimated 2,400 plants to over 700 people who came to the sale, making it our best sale yet! A few vendors even sold out!

Directions: Parkfairfax is located in the Washington DC metro area within the I-495 Beltway, in northwest Alexandria directly across I-395 from Shirlington. From I-395, exit Shirlington/ Quaker onto Quaker Lane. At the first light on Quaker, turn left onto Preston. Follow Preston to Valley and turn left on Valley. The sale will be just past Gunston on your right. Maps and directions are available on the sale website.