David Stenklyft for Wausau Pilot & Review
After a two-year hiatus, the North Central Wisconsin Master Gardener Plant Sale returned to Wausau Saturday at Marathon Park.
Customers lined up early for the 7 a.m. start and the event, known by planting enthusiasts throughout the area, as the “unofficial start of summer planting,” was well attended.
Saturday marked the 20th year for the event, organizers say and the group started to make plans for the sale months ago. Seeds were started in late February to early March and even with plants in the greenhouse, the non-existent spring hampered their development. Despite the cool weather in recent months the plants looked healthy and ready for their new homes.
The Master Gardeners have around 40 members in the area and live in and around Marathon County. Members are required to complete classes offered at UW Stevens Point-Wausau in the late fall and winter months.
Attendees rolled wagons, pulled winter sleds and loaded cardboard boxes full of everything from heirloom tomatoes to vegetables galore, ground cover, herbs, an endless selection of flowers and small trees and bushes.
A table exclusively for children offered youngsters a chance to choose a favorite flowering plant, a planter and ornamental extras such as bugs, stickers and other add-ons to complete their gardening creation. Experienced gardeners were also on hand to offer answers to any questions buyers had.
Proceeds from the sale go to some individual growers to cover their expenses, with the remainder going to the group.
