The Acton Garden Club’s annual plant sale transformed the grounds of the historic Red House at 468 Main Street into a beehive of activity and joy on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Garden Club members hurried to and fro, attending to last minute details and donning their Acton Garden Club Sales aprons as eager customers, some lined up 30 minutes early from the entrance to Main street, some with their own wagons, streamed on to the Red House grounds to enjoy the wonderful selection of plants, from annuals to perennials, native species, houseplants, and locally grown herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees.
The highlight of the sale were 2000 plus “local” plants, donated directly from the personal gardens of Club members and from Club-maintained public gardens. Additional plants, such as annuals, vegetables, and pollinator varieties, are sourced from nearby farms like Cucurbit Farm in Acton, Brigham Farm Stands and Greenhouses in Concord, and farms in Stow.
To make shopping easier, wagons were available for collecting plants, and a holding area was set up to store selected items while customers continued browsing.
The Acton Garden Club master gardeners provided answers to gardening questions, and customers explored the resource table for helpful materials on topics of tick bite prevention, managing invasive species, planting native varieties, general gardening advice, and Club membership.
Susanne Fuller, Acton Garden Club’s chair of Ways and Means, along with Mary Smith, reported, “One of the many benefits of buying plants at our sale is knowing that the plants will grow and prosper in this exact climate. Some members have so many plants to donate that a team of other Club volunteers help dig and pot them.”
She added, “The plants cover a wide range. This year we had a collection of cannas in addition to our usual categories of Vegetables/Herbs, Groundcovers, Houseplants, Hostas, Pollinators, Shrubs & Trees, Shade/Wildflowers/Ferns, and Sun Perennials. The last two categories have the greatest number of plants (70% of the total).”
Fuller explained, “We begin planning [for next year] the minute the sale ends. We have 17 committees that begin preparing 5 months ahead. We spend Tuesday through Thursday before the sale taking in the plants, pricing them, and organizing them in groups according to their type. On Friday, we set up with additional help from spouses and adult children of members. On Saturday, all members who are able participate in the sale.”
She continued, “In addition to selling plants, we also have an information booth staffed by some of our most knowledgeable gardeners. They answer questions such as which plants are the best for a particular setting, why some plant isn’t blooming, or how to deal with garden pests, etc.”
Every year, the Acton Garden Club Plant sale is a true team effort where every member of the Acton Garden Club, including spouses and children, contribute. From digging and potting to pricing, watering, selling, and cleanup, countless hours of volunteer work are key to making the sale a success.
It’s a time when the spirit and dedication of the Club are on full display.
The Plant Sale is the primary fundraiser of the Garden Club and proceeds of the sale support the Community and the Club activities.
- Educational speakers at our monthly meetings. The topics include floral design and many horticulture-related subjects.
- Scholarship to a graduating high school senior at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS), who plans to pursue an education in environmental related studies, such as Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, conservation, agriculture, or forestry.
- Educational grants to a full-time employee of the town who is sponsoring a horticulture or environmental related project.
- Maintenance of the Town Gardens – The Wildflower Garden, The Meeting House Hill Garden, The Herb Garden at the Acton Arboretum, The Oval Garden and the Town Planters and Watering Troughs in Acton Center and West Acton.
“We are very grateful for the support of the community” expressed Fuller on behalf of the Club members. ”There are some people who come every year and even stand in line for an hour before the sale so they can get the best choice of plants. We also appreciate the Town permitting us to use the grounds of the ‘Red House’ for our sale.”
Fuller ended with this warm greeting from the Acton Garden Club: “We welcome all who have an interest in gardening to join the Club, regardless of their level of experience or expertise. The meetings and other activities are an excellent way to learn, and members are always generous in sharing their knowledge.”
The Acton Garden Club was founded in 1934 and celebrated its 90th Anniversary with the renovation of the Oval Garden. Acton Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts and National Garden Clubs, Inc. and is a 503C organization.
For more information, go to their website www.actongardenclub.org .
Greg Jarboe writes on many topics for the Acton Exchange. Ann Marie Testarmata is the Garden Club correspondent to the Acton Exchange.