Seedling Giveaway Garden Party

[RosieRenee]

I posted this last year and may post again later in the Spring, but this has been so much fun, I thought I'd share.

For the last few years, I've started lots of veggies, herbs and annuals in the late winter and early spring in my portable greenhouses and have held two annual seedling giveaways, the first in March for cool season seedlings and the second in May for the warmer season seedlings. The first giveaway is very casual, and my friends come and pick up lettuce, chard, onions and spinach. (I remind them to bring their own pots/soil for transport.)

For the second party in May, I have many more offerings for my friends' gardens as their needs vary. Most of my friends are parents, so I make sure they at least go home with sunflowers and pumpkins! It really is a fun day, and I serve as much home-grown party food (salad, pumpkin bread, berry or apple pie, most of which was preserved from the prior year) as I can muster up. Again, I have them bring their own pots and soil for transport. I display the seedlings in categories and let my friends pick what they want and need.

It's a great way to spread the love of gardening to those who may not have much experience, and they leave feeling a bit more empowered. In this economy and with food-safety concerns, most are quite interested in at least trying lettuce or something else which is easy.

I'm just passing this on to you all in case you were looking for a way of spreading the joy of gardening. Last year, a reader commented that this could also be a great fund-raiser. Enjoy!

[rainbowgardener]

I might have been the reader that commented about the fund raiser. Every year I start hundreds of little plants under lights in my basement. About half of them go to my church. I sell the plants for $1 each and give all the money to the church. Everyone wins... the church members get nice well started plants for only $1, the church gets about $250 I raise that way, and I get to while away my winter growing things....