Each year the North Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers coordinate a spring plant sale, of which all profits are used to provide college scholarships for Fannin and Copper Basin High School students pursuing higher education in an agriculture-related field.
Unfortunately, due to the shutdown brought on by COVID-19, the annual sale was postponed this spring in hopes that conditions would improve and the sale could be offered at a later time this year. After much work and collaborative planning, the North Georgia Master Gardeners and the Fannin County Extension Office are pleased to announce that the Master Gardeners have rescheduled their annual plant sale for this fall!
Fall is the best time of year in North Georgia to plant flowers, shrubs and trees. Plants add beauty and benefits for wildlife and pollinators, and gardening is also a great way to provide healthy food as well as peaceful therapy for our minds – just ask any of our Master Gardeners and I’m sure they’d agree! Additionally, one of the biggest benefits of purchasing plants at a fall plant sale is that it gives local gardeners an opportunity to purchase a wide variety of locally grown perennials, shrubs and bulbs that are well suited to our climate.
Due to continued concerns over the spread of COVID-19, the sale will be organized as an online plant sale with in-person pickup, which is a different format than in the past. Please, keep reading to learn more details about how the sale will work so you can snag some new plants for your landscape this fall and support this amazing community project at the same time!
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the North Georgia Master Gardeners, UGA Extension, and the Fannin County School System Agriculture Education Department, who are partnering with us this year by hosting the sale at the Fannin Agriculture Facility, are taking steps to keep our community healthy by limiting large public gatherings and extended social interactions.
Here are the adjustments we are making:
- There will only be pre ordered plants available at the pickup location.
- Order early and prepay to secure your selections either by emailing the North Georgia Master Gardeners at ngmg2021@gmail.com or by calling/visiting the Fannin County Extension Office.
- The entire list of plants and descriptions are on the NGMGEV website along with an order form to be down loaded and printed at www.fanninmastergardeners.com. Order forms are also available at the Extension Office and requesting one via e-mail ngmg2021@gmail.
- The deadline for orders and checks is Monday September 28, 2020.
- Please, make checks payable to Fannin Extension. You may either mail or drop off order forms and payment to the Fannin County Extension Office, located at 205 Church St, Suite 1, Blue Ridge, GA 30513.
- Plant pickup will be available Friday, October 2nd, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or Saturday, October 3rd, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fannin County Agricultural Center, located at 43 Station Ridge Rd. Blue Ridge, GA 30513.
- We will practice recommended social distancing and safety measures.
At past sales, patrons have enjoyed being able to get advice from our Master Gardeners. This year’s virtual plant sale requires us to modify our approach.
For questions on plant selection and placement, Master Gardener, Charlotte Dickinson, has offered to field your questions about any of the plants being offered at the sale. Don’t hesitate to give her a call at 706-900-6263.
