Spring Plant Sale Festival at the Wylde Center, April 15-17, 2016

As spring approaches, many Atlantans begin to plan their summer gardens. Savvy planters and backyard enthusiasts alike know they can find the best selection of vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials and much more at the annual Plant Sale Festival hosted by the Wylde Center at the organization’s Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road in Decatur (www.wyldecenter.org/plant-sale/). This year’s three-day event is presented by Cummin Landscape Supply and will take place Friday-Sunday, April 15-17, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day. Wylde Center members are invited to shop at a preview evening, Thursday, April 14 from 6-8 p.m.

The Wylde Center’s staff has propagated numerous vegetable transplants including over 50 varieties of tomatoes, 25 varieties of peppers and more than 10 varieties of eggplant, as well as okra, beans, soybeans, cucumbers, squash, culinary and medicinal herbs and flowering annuals. Beech Hollow will supply native trees, shrubs, vines and perennials; Southeast Succulents will offer hardy and tropical succulents, hypertufa pots and dish gardens; while Hall’s Garden Center will provide flowering annuals for purchase. Proceeds from the Plant Sale Festival will benefit the numerous educational offerings at the Wylde Center and help support the non-profit organization’s four public greenspaces.

“Our wonderful volunteers have spent hundreds of hours sowing seeds in the greenhouse and potting up plants for the sale,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center. “We only offer plants that we know will thrive in Atlanta’s climate, and each plant is well-labeled. Because the Wylde Center’s mission is to inspire communities of environmental stewards, we encourage new gardeners to participate in the sale. There will be plenty of experienced and professional gardeners on hand to answer questions and help you get started. And, because we offer our members a chance to shop the sale prior to the public opening, this is a good time to join the Wylde Center.”

Seasonal plants will be available for the public to purchase on a self-serve basis March 1-April 15 (greens, arugula, kale and swiss chard), April 1-June 15 (summer vegetables and herbs) and Sept. 1-Oct. 15 (fall vegetable varieties). Plants will be labeled and on display in front of the Wylde Center’s main building at the Oakhurst Garden.

About the Wylde Center

In 1997, an idea took root in the Oakhurst area of Decatur, Ga. Neighbors Sally Wylde and Louise Jackson envisioned a community garden where children could learn about the natural world and enjoy hands-on gardening activities. With the purchase of a half-acre of property at the corner of South McDonough St. and Oakview Road, the Oakhurst Community Garden was born. Today, supported by members, foundations, corporations and donors, the non-profit has been re-named the Wylde Center to honor its co-founder and to better encompass its expanded range of properties and programs. The Wylde Center oversees four distinctive greenspaces, directs a year-round educational program for all ages, hosts social events and directs the Decatur City Schools’ Farm to School Program. Staff and volunteers engage children, families and individuals in activities designed to develop creative skills in sustainable urban living, organic gardening, health and nutrition. Despite its robust growth, the Wylde Center has stayed true to its original mission of cultivating vibrant greenspaces for everyone to enjoy and inspiring communities of environmental stewards. www.wyldecenter.org.