Submitted by the Bedford Garden Club
One of the Bedford Garden Club’s members has potted up a large batch of Pin Cherry tree seedlings and will be giving them away for free to children at this Saturday’s Plant Sale in front of the Bedford DPW Building, 314 The Great Road.
The sale, which will run for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, May 11, also will feature flower arrangements in two sizes to be sold just in time for Mother’s Day, lots of perennials dug from Club members’ gardens, including native plants, as well as various colorful annuals, including geraniums.
Katie Durham, the Garden Club member who is donating the tiny Pin Cherry seedlings to the sale, said they came from a tree in her yard “that has produced a load of teeny babies.” She potted them in three-inch biodegradable “cow pots” (made from dried manure), to encourage children to “plant the entire thing, which should make it more successful,” she explained.
The Pin Cherry, also called Bird Cherry and Fire Cherry, has straight trunks, many branches, and loads of shiny, dark green leaves that turn yellow to red in the fall. The bark is smooth, shiny, and reddish, with horizontal lines. White spring blossoms produce small summer berries that the birds love.
“This Massachusetts native tree is one of the most important for wildlife,” Durham added.
The Bedford Garden Club is promoting the sale of native plants because these plants support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. Besides the native plants for sale on Saturday, they also will be selling their newly published pocket guide, “Native and Invasive Plants of Bedford, Massachusetts and the Surrounding Area”. The guide has been produced for the home gardener and landscaper interested in selecting native species that promote diversity and perform well.
This event is the Garden Club’s main fundraiser for the year, and will be held rain or shine.
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