SPRING PLANT SALE: Get ready for VCMGA’s long-awaited 2025 event
by Linda Lees/Victoria County Master Gardener
March 15, 2025
Begonia (Contributed photos)
Peace Lily
Cookie Red Bloom
Tomato Plants (Contributed photo)
Spring has been long in coming. Too long.
It’s time to put on some comfortable shoes and be ready for Victoria County Master Gardner Association’s 2025 Spring Plant Sale and Boutique set for Saturday, March 22, at VEG Pavilion.
Homeowners and gardeners will be greeted with hundreds of plants and items just waiting for a home. The event will be held 8 a.m. until noon at the pavilion which is located at 283 Bachelor Dr., across from the Victoria Regional Airport control tower.
Even though the pavilion will be stocked from wall to wall, buyers are encouraged to arrive early to assure themselves of good selections. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and help with loading your selections in your cars. Cash, credits cards and checks will be accepted.
Many of the plants come from VCMGA’s greenhouse, but there are also selections, particularly vegetables and herbs, that were contributed by a master gardener. Other VCMGA members have donated plants, and the remainder of the stock was purchased from nurseries.
Boutique Is Extra Attraction
As an extra attraction the sale will feature the popular VCMGA boutique. This section is not like a garage sale. Oh, no! There are some really good buys to be had. Looking for a Mother’s Day gift? This is the place.
The boutique will have numerous gardening items including decorations.
There will be hanging garden signs perfect for shepherds’ hooks, privacy fences and patio walls, in addition to bird houses, some brightly painted, others with shingled roofs.
Anyone looking to highlight a garden path will find turtle shaped stepping stones. As for garden work, there will be garden aprons, garden gloves, small hand tools in decorative baskets, succulents and coleus in painted pots, hummingbird feeders and wind chimes.
Also contributed are a handmade Raggedy Anne Doll and a gingham Easter bunny, and decorative floral baskets to serve as gift containers. Since items were still incoming at the time of this writing you can expect so much more.
In other words, the really curious will have to come see for themselves.
Wall to Wall Plants at VEG Pavilion
As for the plants there are too many to list in this limited space, but we can give everyone a good idea of what to expect. Let’s start with some of the sun loving plants: Louisiana iris, trailing lantanas, five varieties of antique roses, and at least 17 kinds of zinnias.
Numerous plants that like sun and part shade will be available, such as purple fountain grass, marigolds, the night blooming cereus, ornamental sweet potato vine, Rangoon creeper, aloe vera, trailing daisy, hibiscus, dwarf gray sedum, shrimp plant and plumeria.
For the shady areas there are African False Hosta, bugleweed, Painted Fingernail and Queen’s Tears bromeliads, desert rose, long dill and satin pathos.
For the vegetable garden there are at least 10 varieties of tomatoes, including Big Beef F1, Celebrity, Roma, Martino’s Roma, Super Sweet 100’s, Black Kim and Berkley Tie-Dye H. Hot pepper lovers can pick from cayenne, jalapeno, poblanos and chilipetin. There is also a sweet pepper to note, the Sweet Marconi Red. Also chives and lettuces, not to mention herbs like basil, variegated Cuban oregano, catnip, spearmint and Mexican mint will be available.
Don’t Forget the Natives
Gardeners who are trending toward Texas natives in their landscapes will discover red autumn sage, blue mistflower, prickly pear cactus, desert rose, Drummond’s hedge nettle, frog fruit, purple coastal muhly grass, mealy blue sage, coreopsis, pink rock rose and snake herb. Native trees are also on the list: cedar elm, live oak and sycamore.
Potted Daylilies Take the Spotlight
Last but not least there are daylilies, always a favorite. These are potted and include the Christmas Showcase, Leebea Orange Crush, Little Orange Tex, Lovely Lady Bug and Nacogdoches Pansy.
Bring your friends and come early for the best selections! You will be glad you did.
Gardeners’ Dirt is written by Victoria County Master Gardeners and published in The Victoria Advocate each weekend.