Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 16, as the first day of the Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society (NNVNPS) Annual Native Plant Sale. The sale will begin at 9 am Saturday morning and continue through Saturday, September 23. Again, this year, the Native Plant Sale will be held at Dug In Farm on Fleets Bay Rd, off Rt. 3 in White Stone.

*NNVNPS Native Plant Sale by Kevin Howe*

Knowledgeable Chapter members will be on hand on both Saturday’s from 9 am until noon to help, answer questions, and assist with picking the right plant for the right place. The Chapter will also have the free must-have 2022 third edition of “Native Plants of the Northern Neck” as well as various other education materials available for the public – all free publications including Deer-resistant Plants, Salt-tolerant Plants, and others.

“Our sale will feature over 1,000 plants, all of which are Virginia natives with most native to the Coastal Plain of Virginia including the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, said Betsy Washington, President of the Chapter. It is one of the few sources of native plants in the area, although Dug In Farms has been offering a variety of Virginia native plants for the past few years at their nursery.”

Nearly all of the native plants offered for sale have been raised by Chapter members, all of which have a love and appreciation for natives. “Our Chapter members understand and are doing their part to keep our native flora available for the public, said Kevin Howe, past President of the Chapter. Native plants are well adapted for our local conditions and so vitally important for all of our wildlife and so much of our natives are being out competed by many non-native plants which are just not suitable for all of the life stages for our fauna.”

Throughout the year, the Chapter holds a number of educational events including native plant presentations by experts (in person and by Zoom), field trips to various native plant venues, sponsorship to nature camps for children, a $1,000 college scholarship for an environmentally oriented student and this annual Fall native plant sale raises money to support these endeavors.

The Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society is one of 11 chapters in the state. It is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the native plants of Virginia and their habitats, in order to sustain for generations to come the integrity of the Commonwealth’s rich natural heritage of ecosystems and biodiversity for purposes of enjoyment, enlightenment, sustainable use and our own very survival.

One last tasty tidbit, a member’s only Presale will be held on Friday, Sept. 15 from 2 to 5 pm. Members only will be allowed into the presale. For membership in the group, please visit the state website at https://vnps.org/select-membership-type/. Please specify the Northern Neck Chapter if you sign up.

NN Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society Press Release 2023 ANNUAL NATIVE PLANT SALE, Sept. 16 & 23