Plant sales and giveaways

All three of the Triangle’s major public and private gardens – JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, and N.C. Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill – are hosting their own plant giveaways, sales or sales for other gardening organizations.

Here are the details:

2 groups host plant sales at Raleigh arboretum

The JC Raulston Arboretum is hosting two plant sales this weekend and next.

▪ The Piedmont chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society is having a plant sale starting at 9:30 am. Sept. 19. The chapter members do not sell exclusively rock garden plants, but also unusual plants, and generally in smaller sizes.

▪ The Pi Alpha Xi annual plant sale is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 26 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 27. The sale includes rare and unique annual, perennial and woody ornamentals. The sale is sponsored by the N.C. State University chapter of Pi Alpha Xi, an honors society for horticulture undergraduate and graduate students. Proceeds benefit horticultural charities, scholarships and organizations.

The arboretum is at 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh.

Info: 919-515-3132, jcra.ncsu.edu.

JC Raulston Arboretum’s annual plant distribution

Technically, this is not a plant sale.

The Raleigh arboretum gives away thousands of plants, including rare ones, for free at their annual plant distribution. It is only open to members and is quite a sight to behold.

The plants up for grabs are set out in a field. At 9 a.m. sharp, everyone lines up near the plants they hope to take home, a horn blares and everyone dashes to grab a coupleOF plants. The procedure repeats several more times until all the plants are gone. There are videos on YouTube of of the 2010 and 2011 giveaways.

If you ever thought about becoming an arboretum member, this event is certainly an enticement. Individual membership costs $50 and gets one person into the plant distribution. Family memberships cost $75 and offer two admissions. People can sign up for memberships on the day of the plant distribution.

Duke Gardens plant sale is next weekend

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens is hosting its annual fall plant sale from 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 26.

Shoppers will find an array of plants, including trees, shrubs, vines and bulbs, many propagated from Duke Gardens specimens. Plus, the gardens’ staff and master gardeners will be on hand to offer free gardening advice.

If you are a member of the garden, you can shop the preview sale from 8-9 a.m., preceding the public sale. You can join that morning: $50 for individuals, $75 for couples and $100 for families.

Check out the gardens’ Facebook page for some highlights on what plants will be for sale.

Info: 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu

N.C. Botanical Garden hosts fall plant sale

The N.C. Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill is hosting its annual fall plant sale Oct. 2-3.

Members can receive a 10 percent discount and attend a pre-sale from 5-7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 to buy native perennial wildflowers, vines, shrubs and trees, as well as seeds. You can become a member beforehand or that night. Individual memberships cost $50, family memberships cost $75.

The sale is open to nonmembers 9 a.m.- noon Oct. 3.

Info: 919-962-0522, ncbg.unc.edu

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Plant sales and giveaways."