Budding gardeners invited to plant swap Saturday morning

If you want to add new plants to your yard, or if your flower beds are crowded and you would like to share, the solution is the Green Thumb Garden Club’s annual plant swap from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Poplar Bluff History Museum on Main Street. There will be an assortment of plants and trees.

This is an annual project for the club, created many years ago as an outreach to the community, said Irene Hamm, who has been a member of the club since 1972. She is the club’s oldest member.

“Perhaps you have plants which need to be divided or taken out of your yard,” Hamm said. “Dig those up and bring them in to swap for another plant. Or perhaps you might like to try some new plants or trees in your garden but don’t need the expense. Swap your plants for new varieties for free.”

Hamm, who club members describe as the club’s most knowledgeable member, explained the plant swap is “a great opportunity for fellow gardeners to talk about how they care for plants or to share a tip on making gardening a little easier.”

The plant swap “is a chance for club members to get acquainted with some people in the community,” Hamm said. “We do have some people that come every year, and they look forward to it. It’s a way for us to get out into the community and for the community to get to know the garden club, and perhaps beautify the city. I think that’ll help beautify the city and also help people get more interested in perhaps taking care of their yard.”

Hamm admits when she goes to the local stores, the first place she visits is the gardening center to look at the plants.

“They are so pretty and I notice different plants,” she said.

Anyone who wants to take plants and/or trees but doesn’t have anything to swap can just leave a small donation.

For any further information, call Becky Brooks at 573-718-4684.