Native and wacky plants. Good
local growers and seed savers around here. may be some grape vines too...
http://www.nrcd.org/verde/
AlterNATIVE Plant Expo; May 5th!
Just in time for Spring planting and Mother's Day! The Verde NRCD is pleased to announce the second annual AlterNATIVE Plant Expo at Verde Growers on Saturday, May 5, from 9:00am until 4:00pm (2613 Rocking Chair Road, Cottonwood).
Expanding on last year's success, this year's Expo will include classes, music, an
art activity, vendor booths, and rain barrels for sale. Classes include:
* 9:00am - Verde River Growers' Shaun Seymond - "Native Plants for 2012"
* 10:00am - Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens - "Community garden"
* 11:00am - USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service - Kresta Faaborg "Know What You've Got" Backyard Inventory
* 12:00n-1:00pm - Nursery Tour
* 1:00pm - Verde NRCD's Chris Jensen - "Impact of Invasive Plants"
* 2:00pm - UA Extension's Jeff Schalau - "Wildlife In Your Garden: Friend or Foe?"
We will also have rain barrels for sale. $30 each or 2 for $50.
Local artist Joan Bourque will be on hand all day to direct a children's
art activity to decorate pottery for Mother's Day. Also, Cottonwood Middle School students have created trivets decorated with native plants for sale. All proceeds from the trivets will go to CMS for art education programs.
Live acoustical music: Hank Levine 9 am - noon and Pam Costello with Wendy Ferguson from noon - 2 pm.
Numerous vendors will be on hand to
answer questions about
sustainability and related topics, including: Master Gardeners; Garden of Eden; Verde Food Council; Sedona Recycles; and Verde Valley Farmer's Market. Refreshments and educational materials will be available from the Verde NRCD. Verde River Growers will donate a portion of all
native plant sales to the Verde NRCD's Education Center.
Invasive plants impact natural areas by fueling unnatural and destructive desert fires, displacing native vegetation, degrading wildlife habitat, depleting soil nutrients, increasing allergens, and altering natural
water flows. Because as much as 70 percent of the water used by every individual is used outdoors, planting native species helps conserve scarce water resources in landscaping. Residents who incorporate water-efficient plants into their landscape will help to preserve water for future generations.
