Mercer Botanic Garden Host Grand Re-Opening After Harvey

HUMBLE, TX — Celebrate the grand reopening of Mercer Botanic Gardens and browse a variety of hard-to-find plants during the annual March Mart Plant Sale on Saturday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mercer Botanic Gardens.

Purchase a TMS membership to gain VIP early access to the sale Friday, March 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. or Saturday, March 17 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Visit www.themercersociety.org to learn more about becoming a TMS member and the various membership benefits. (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

“Mercer staff have worked hard to recover plants in preparation for our grand reopening,” said Mercer Interim Director Jim Nutter. “Even if you’re not in the market for new plants, we encourage you to see how renovations are progressing.”

The event marks the first time Mercer’s East Side Gardens have opened to the public since Hurricane Harvey.

With hundreds of plants to explore, this premier event offers tax-free shopping with no admission charge.

Featured items include vibrant tropical gingers, special selections of Mercer-grown plants, Gulf Coast natives, and monarch butterfly host plants, such as native and tropical milkweed.

Plants will be organized throughout Mercer in the following groups: annuals and perennials, gingers, native plants, herbs and vegetables, trees and shrubs, and shade plants.

Vendors with tropicals, ferns, and carnivorous plants will also be on site.

March Mart began in 1974 as a fundraiser featuring plants donated by local garden club members in old coffee cans and milk cartons. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest plant sales in the Gulf Coast region.

March Mart now offers nearly 1,200 species of plants on a site spanning several acres.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own wagons to transport purchases, as only a limited number of wagons are available for use on a first-come, first-served basis. A large plant holding area will be available to allow multiple wagon loads.

The sale is sponsored by TMS, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, and is operated by more than 150 volunteers, many of whom work year-round on plant committees to research, propagate, and care for the plants sold at March Mart.

Interested in learning about the volunteer opportunities at Mercer?

Discover the many ways to offer your time and talent by visitingwww.hcp4.net/community/parks/mercer/volunteering.

With leadership from Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, Mercer Botanic Gardens is a Harris County Precinct 4 Parks facility located one mile north of FM 1960 at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road in Humble, 77338. For more information, contact Mercer at 713-274-4160 or visitwww.hcp4.net/community/parks/mercer.

Image: Harris County

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