20th annual Spring Affair Plant Sale is April 22

Twenty years ago, a dedicated group of gardeners, frustrated by their inability to find native herbs, grasses and perennials in local garden centers, decided to hold their own plant sale. Fast forward to 2006, and the annual Spring Affair Plant Sale is going strong and some would argue it helped prompt garden centers to carry those items.

This year's plant sale, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 22 in Agricultural Hall at State Fair Park, is bigger than ever. Planners have ordered more than 1,000 different varieties -- some 47,000 individual plants. Most are perennials but some are annual herbs and "temperennial" plants that are hardy in warmer regions and are grown as annuals in Nebraska, also are on offer. In addition, several vendors selling garden art, sculpture, birdhouses and other items will be on hand.

The plants, purchased from Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson, Neb., are selected for their hardiness in Nebraska and for past popularity. There is no charge to visit the sale. Plants cost between $2.50 and $7 each depending on pot size. Some large specimens or rare specialty plants may be priced slightly higher.

Proceeds from the plant sale benefit the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, the State Fair Park Arboretum and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Landscape Services, which is responsible for UNL's Botanical Garden and Arboretum. Volunteers from the three organizations plan and produce the annual sale.

In addition to the plant sale, six educational seminars are scheduled. Speakers are: 10 a.m. -- Harlan Hamernik, co-owner of Bluebird Nursery, "The World of New Plants"; 11:30 a.m. (concurrent sessions) -- Steve Nosal and Alice Reed, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, "Lincoln Sunken Garden: Past, Present and Future," or Sue Kohles, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, "Planting and Design Demons"; 1 p.m. (concurrent sessions) -- Mark Harrell, Nebraska Forest Service, "On the Lookout for Plant Diseases and Pests," or Luann Finke, co-owner of Finke Gardens and Nursery, "The Spirit of Spring Affair: The People, the Plants, the Possibilities"; 2:30 p.m. -- a panel discussion featuring Hamernik and local garden experts Bud Dasenbrock, Gladys Jeurink and George Edgar. All seminars occur in the State Fair's Youth Complex building.

This year's Preview Party is 5:30 to 9 p.m. April 21. The cost is $35 per person and tickets must be purchased in advance; the reservation deadline is April 9. For ticket information, contact Paula Steinberger, 6052 Meadowbrook Lane, Lincoln NE 68510 or (402) 483-0547.

For information about Spring Affair or the Preview Party, visit http://springaffair.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Susan Budler, Operations Manager, Landscape Services, (402) 472-1229