Master Gardeners plant sale returns to Mynelle April 30
When Marsha Barron became a Master Gardener in 2010, one of the first projects she took part in was the Metro Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale.
“I’ve been a Master Gardener for 12 years, and one of the first things I did was join the Master Gardeners Plant Sale committee,” said Barron. “I live in Madison and work on different projects in Madison County and the Jackson metro area.”
The plant sale this year takes place at Mynelle Gardens in Jackson from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.
Barron received her Master Gardener title through MSU’s Extension Service. She said the training to become a Master Gardener is now online, so it is easier for people who can’t come to the training four hours a day for several months.
“I’ve been a Master Gardener Plant Sale committee member since 2010, and it was one of the first projects I worked on when I became a Master Gardener,” Barron said. “I also worked at the doctor’s garden at the Ag Museum along with a few other projects.”
Master Gardeners are a volunteer branch of the Mississippi State University Extension Service from across the Jackson Area.
The Master Gardeners have propagated a wide variety of native and naturalized heirloom plants, perennials, shrubs, and trees that are suited to Mississippi’s southern soils and climate. Many of these heirloom plants have come from project and demonstration gardens throughout the metro Jackson area.
“Our reputation lets people know that we have plants native to Mississippi,” Barron said. “We have a lot of unique plants. Plants as far as you can see, trees and shrubs, large pots that we combine plants in, and hanging baskets. We’ll have our gardeners there that can answer questions for anyone who might need help on anything.”
After finalizing their plant purchases, shoppers can enjoy a free stroll through Mynelle Gardens.
“We have a lot of customers from places like Warren and Copiah County, but the biggest draw is the Jackson Metro area,” Barron said. “I also know people who have come from Meridian as well. “Our prices are very reasonable. We’re not in competition with other plants sellers, and we have unique plants you can’t find in a lot of places.”
Barron said proceeds from the sale go to Hinds Community College for landscaping and agricultural scholarships and towards funding projects like the doctor’s garden at the Ag Museum and other activities in the Mynelle Gardens.
“We try to fund any gardening projects around here, such as the Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson,” she said. “We’ve propagated 100 antique roses and will be planting them at the cemetery this week.”
Laura Lillard, another member of the 2022 Plant Sale Committee and Master Gardener, said committee members meet as early as November and plan for weeks until the day of the sale.
“This sale has been going for at least 20 years,” Lillard said. “I started with the committee in 2010, and I’ve loved every year of it. It’s a 6-month project for us. We start meeting weekly in November at the Mynelle Gardens Greenhouse in west Jackson, where we propagate and plan for the sale. We make plans throughout the year but start meeting in earnest in November.”
Lillard said her favorite part of the plant sale is interacting with the public and helping spark peoples’ interest in plants that may not have been interested in plants before.
“It’s a great feeling to interest someone in getting into gardening, and I want the next generation to be interested in keeping this going,” Lillard said. “We welcome everyone to come to check us out, and if you’ve been here before, we welcome you back, and if this will be your first time, we welcome you as well.”
For more information about the Metro Master Gardener’s Annual Plant Sale, contact Laura Lillard at 601-613-5223, or email sadiecat17@comcast.net. The sale takes place at Mynelle Gardens, 4736 Clinton Boulevard in Jackson on Saturday, April 30.