Published: August 29, 2024, 07:00
On September 7, from 9 a.m. to noon, there will be a native plant sale at the CH Booth Library, 25 Main Street, with proceeds benefiting Protect Our Pollinators (POP).
POP is a local group founded in Newtown 14 years ago to raise awareness of the plight of pollinators through education and advocacy.
The purpose of this fundraiser is twofold. First, to raise funds for the organization to use for educational programs, purchasing books for school libraries, and planting native plant gardens in Newtown. The sales will also make native plants more readily available in the community.
In addition to the plant sale, there will also be a raffle table with offerings from Eco59 and Earthtones Native Plant Nursery.
It is often difficult to find native plants in the area. Most nurseries either do not sell them at all or sell only cultivars. A cultivar, sometimes called a nativar, is a plant that resembles native plants but has been altered in some way by humans. Changes can affect color, petal shape, size and form. Some of these changes make the flower nectar inaccessible to pollinators or produce a color they do not recognize. There have not been enough studies done on the quality of nectar and pollen to determine if these cultivars are good for pollinators, so scientifically it is best to stick with native or pure species. Earthtones in Woodbury, Tiny Meadow Farm in Danbury and Eco 59 in Ridgefield are all nurseries that sell native plants.
POP’s plant offering launched in January 2023 from locally sourced seeds, mostly from Eco59. They are perfect for planting in beds this fall and will flower next spring and summer. Fall is the best time to plant native plants as the heat is not as intense as in the spring and summer months.
For sale are goldenrods, forget-me-nots and asters, all beautiful autumn-flowering plants.
There will also be Purple Top Tridens grass, a host plant for skipper butterflies and many others.
Sales will take place regardless of weather. For more information, visit propollinators.org.
Protect Our Pollinators is planning a native plant sale to raise funds for various relief projects. The sale will also make native plants more readily available in the community. — Photo courtesy of Lisa Shirk
