Photo by Steve Berry
by Renee’ Benage, Plant Sale Chairperson and Membership Chairperson
During the 2024 native plant sale at Shaw Nature Reserve, Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter sold 1,657 Missouri native wildflowers, vines and shrubs to Spring Wildflower Market shoppers that were eager to learn about and purchase native plants. Some folks came in with plant lists, others were looking for guidance about what to buy, and we helped them all. This year the weather did not cooperative and we moved near the Visitor Center, apart from the non-plant vendors.
Photo by Steve Berry
45 Wild Ones members helped with this year’s sale by:
- gathering boxes for shoppers
- setting up the booth and unloading plants
- helping customers locate and select plants
- checking out shoppers and keeping the line moving
- loading up the remaining plants at the end of the sale and tearing down the booth
- photographing the event
- talking about Wild Ones and the upcoming native plant tour with BCH
Photo by Steve Berry
Photo by Steve Berry
Thanks to the board for once again participating in the planning for the sale. I appreciate everything they did to make the plant sale successful for us and our customers. Volunteers were given a $1 per plant discount as a thank you for donating their time, and many took advantage of the opportunity.
After paying the vendor, our Chapter made a final profit of $4,482.98. This money supports our Chapter’s gatherings, grant program, tabling event materials, the Landscape Challenge, and our support of the Native Plant School at Shaw Nature Reserve.
Thanks again to all who participated by volunteering or shopping. Feel free to offer suggestions for how we can improve our outreach at this sale.
Hope to see you in 2025!
Photo by Steve Berry
