Spring Affair plant sale and gardening event is April 23

April 14, 2016

Lincoln, Neb. — Spring Affair, the Midwest's largest plant sale and gardening event, marks its 30th anniversary on April 23. The annual event, sponsored by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, is expected to draw more than 3,000 gardeners to the Lancaster Event Center, 4100 N. 84th St. The plant sale will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

More than 700 varieties of perennials, herbs, grasses, trees, shrubs and other plants will be available. Plants available at the sale are selected for regional suitability, uniqueness and demand, and are provided by Bluebird Nursery, Inc., of Clarkson.

The majority of plants are perennials that will survive for many years, but annual or "temperennial" plants are also available. Many of the plants new to this year's sale are regional natives that can survive variable temperatures, moisture, heat and exposure to sun. 

Plant presentations will take place at the west end of Pavilion I:

• "There's No Place Like Home: A Look at Native Plant Combinations," 11:15 to 11:45 a.m., by Mark Canney, park planner and urban designer for Lincoln Parks and Recreation;
• "Native Trees," noon to 12:30 p.m., by Graham Herbst, community forestry specialist for the Nebraska Forest Service;
• "Planting for Pollinators," 12:45 to 1:15 p.m., by Justin Evertson, green infrastructure coordinator for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

Plant experts will be available throughout the sale to answer plant and landscape questions and help shoppers.

Admission to the sale is free. The plant sale, talks, educational booths and vendors of garden art, sculptures, furniture and other items will be in Pavilion I, on the northeast edge of the Lancaster Event Center. Parking is available north of the building. 

The Spring Affair Preview Party is 6 to 9 p.m., April 22. The ticketed event gives plant lovers an opportunity to meet friends, enjoy a sit-down meal and purchase plants with a wine glass in one hand and a basket in the other.

For more information, to sign up for the preview party or to get a digital copy of the newsletter, call 402-472-2971 or visit http://plantnebraska.org.