Native Plant Sale and Green Living Expo set May 4

Delaware Center for the Inland Bays will host its Native Plant Sale and Green Living Expo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 4, at James Farm Ecological Preserve in Ocean View. There will be tours, demonstrations, gardening tips and food, and a chance to explore the latest updates to the preserve. This is a rain-or-shine event. 

Visitors can shop a wide selection of native flowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses, and explore some intriguing green-living goods. Native plants are adapted to the soil and elements of southern Delaware, making them easier to maintain, and requiring less water and fertilizer, a common source of nutrient pollution in Inland Bays. They also provide important resources for pollinators like honey bees and butterflies, as well as native birds like ruby-throated hummingbirds, eastern bluebirds, northern cardinals and black-capped chickadees.

A variety of local plant nurseries will offer plants native to the area including Envirotech Environmental Consulting Inc., Inland Bays Garden Center, Roots Landscaping and Garden Center, and Sussex Landscaping LLC.

Attending vendors will include Good Earth Market & Organic Farm, Annie's Acre Apiary, Tall Oak Trading Company, Clean Water: Delaware's Clear Choice, Delaware Nature Society, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Energize Delaware, Sussex Master Gardeners, Delaware Solid Waste Authority, and insects with Dr. Dennis Bartow.

Once again, the Good Earth Market will offer snacks and lunch throughout the day. Many vendors are cash-only, so attendees should plan accordingly.

The James Farm parking lot will be closed for the day but free parking is available in the mowed field directly across Cedar Neck Road. Attendees should exercise caution when crossing. Accessible parking spaces by the entrance are available by request. Drivers can simply pull up and ask a parking attendant where to go.

For more information, call 302-226-8015, Ext. 103.