Smith County Master Gardeners celebrate 25th Earth-Kind “From Bulbs to Blooms” Conference and Sale
For their 25th anniversary, the Smith County Master Gardeners will present well-known speakers and authors, Chris Weisinger of The Southern Bulb Company and Greg Grant, Smith County’s Texas A&M AgriLife Extension horticulturist. The lectures begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, 21 October, at Pollard United Methodist Church (3030 New Copeland Road, Tyler). They will be bringing a selection of their own East Texas grown bulbs for sale only to those who attend the conference. Attendees will also have a chance to win fabulous door prizes, including two wonderful, two-night getaway packages, and a “super-sampler” of locally-grown bulbs.
Get-away Package Number One is a two-night stay at The House of Seasons, Lady Bird Suite, in historic Jefferson, Texas, valued at $500. Get-away Package Number Two is a two-night stay (king room) at Church Street Inn, a boutique hotel, in historic Natchitoches, Louisiana, valued at $1000.
After the door prizes are awarded, there will be a mini “Run for the Bulbs” when the special bulbs farmed by our speakers are presented for sale; first come, first served. Back by popular demand, the SCMG webstore will open at 7 a.m. on Monday, 9 October, and close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 18 October. Bulbs featured in the sale are all locally-trialed, hardy, heirloom, and hard-to-find – quite a few of them rarely available for sale. A small selection of hardy trees and shrubs, autographed books by the two speakers, plus the new SCMG 2024 calendar and garden guide, packed with information, will be available for pre-order.
All items ordered from the webstore must be picked up between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday, 21 October, beginning immediately after the conference. During pick-up hours, there will be a plethora of Smith County Master Gardeners to answer gardening questions; “bonus” bulbs, artwork, and tee shirts for sale; free children’s activities, and more, helping them celebrate their exciting milestone. For a fun, educational, and exciting day, plan to join!
The Smith County Master Gardeners have worked diligently through the years identifying and making available long-lived, Earth-Kind bulbs that don’t require irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizer.
To access to our online store click HERE. The store will be open October 9th at 7:00 am. until October 18th at 10:00pm.
This year’s event will feature a special conference on the day bulbs are picked up. More on this to come.
Mark these times and dates on your calendar:
To download the list of BULBS and more, click HERE!
To find out more about the history of our Bulb sale, click HERE for a link to the SCMGA YouTube channel and find out more!