Garden Club Auction can be a lot of fun

The weatherman is calling for a beautiful spring day with sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s on Saturday providing the perfect setting for the annual Worthington Garden Club Auction.

The auction, which has been conducted at least the last 15 years, will feature a large selection of healthy starts of perennials, annuals, shade plants, herbs, trees, ground covers, garden décor, cookbooks and more.

"We have just about everything you can think of," club member Denise Green told the Greene County Daily World. "It's a bidding thing like an auction."

The fast-moving auction will run from 10 a.m. until noon in the Worthington Park Community Building. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.

The auctioneering chores are handled by club members.

The garden club sponsors this plant sale near the end of April every year. The plants, donated by the community and various club members, are fresh from their own gardens.

The quality is good and the prices are affordable with bidding usually starting in the 50 cent to $1 range.

Green says the sales provides funds for the club's community projects. It is also an economical way for plant lovers to add variety to their own gardens.

"All of our proceeds go back into the community for planting trees or taking care of the urns in downtown Worthington," Green said.

In addition to the plants, members donate arts, crafts, wreaths and primitive items to sell -- most with a garden or flower theme.

"It a really enjoyable time with fellow gardeners and can you not only purchase plants, but it is very educational. There are a lot of gardeners there that know about the plants that we are auctioning off. It's very informal and everybody always feels very welcome," Green explained.

The Worthington Garden Club is one of the oldest garden clubs in the state -- established in 1953.

With 20 members, the club volunteers each year to replace and maintain the flowers in the urns in downtown Worthington.

In recent years, the club, which has members that hail from all parts of the county, has taken the lead role in an on-going effort to replace trees along Main Street.

They also volunteer to pick up trash along roadways and they've planted wildflowers along the railroad tracks.

There is no cost of admission and free finger type food will be available Saturday.

For more information contact Green at 384-2879 or by e-mail at dengreen@node1internet.com .