LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Master Gardeners of Wilson County are holding their biggest fundraiser of the year Saturday — a native plant sale featuring more than 120 native species of plants, trees, and shrubs that all have deep roots in the Midstate.
The sale kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Assembly Hall at Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
Group leader said the first 100 people there will receive a free native plant.
The group has a variety of projects growing across the area.
"Gardens all over Wilson County that we sponsor, we have some in schools, we have some greenhouses in schools," said Debbie Williams, a volunteer with the Master Gardeners of Wilson County.
The group also grows food to donate to food banks.
Members begin preparing for the native plant sale months in advance.
"December and January we plant the seeds, they grow up into little seedlings and then when they get big enough we put them in bigger pots and then they're ready to be sold," Williams said.
Williams said the native plants do more than add beauty to a yard.
"Songbirds, butterflies and pollinators have been on the decline for the last 30 years and it's partly because they're losing their habitat," Williams said.
Williams said the native plants attract pollinators and give them a place to grow.
"Mother Nature has worked all this together, so there's a symbiotic relationship," Williams said.
She also highlighted milkweed as the only place where monarch butterflies can lay their eggs.
"The milkweed are here, this is butterfly weed, it has orange flowers on it, so it's a real magnet for all sorts of pollinators," Williams said.
Joni Wohnrade joined the nonprofit gardening group in 2018.
She moved to Tennessee not knowing anyone and credits the organization with changing that.
"I took the class, and it was the best thing I ever did, I met 160 people, that I love," Wohnrade said.
The group is trained through an extension program of the University of Tennessee.
Click here for more information on the plant sale and Master Gardeners of Wilson County.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
As a parent, staying one step ahead of the "bad guys" is getting increasingly tough due to the vast landscape of the online world. Like me, if you are raising kids - Phil Williams' latest investigation is a must see. I appreciate the knowledge and practical steps he delivers in this report.
- Carrie Sharp
