Spring warm-up: Wildflower walks and plant sales coming up

By Susan Pierce

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Dahlia Society of Tennessee members will sell dahlia tubers at the Chattanooga Market downtown and Bachman Community Center on Signal Mountain.

TODAY-SUNDAYNative Plant Sale* Where: Chattanooga Arboretum and Nature Center, 400 Garden Road.* When: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today, 1-5 p.m. Sunday.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Sale of native plants propagated in the nursery on-site; trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials for sale; guided wildflower walks, gardening and nature talks, bird-watching.* For more information: www.chattanooganaturecenter.org.APRIL 12-14Trails and Trilliums* Where: Historic Monteagle Sunday School Assembly Grounds, 1 Assembly Ave., Monteagle, Tenn.* When: 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, April 12; 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 13, 8:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14. All times CDT.* Admission: $10 general admission, $20 general admission plus all workshops and two days of guided hikes; free for children with their parents.* Includes: Plant sale, hikes, workshops, Brush with Nature art sale, market vendors, bird walks led by David Haskell. Family fun in Assembly Grounds gymnasium, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday only.* For more information: www.trailsandtrilliums.org.APRIL 13Wildflower Walk* Where: Cloudland Canyon State Park, 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road, Rising Fawn, Ga.* When: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, April 13.* Admission: Free to participate, $5 parking fee.* Includes: Larry Williams, an expert on wildflowers, leads a walk to point out and identify wildflowers, blooming shrubs and trees.* For more information: 706-657-4050.APRIL 13-14Spring Plant Sale* Where: Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St.* When: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 13; 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, April 14.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Tour the urban farm on a hay ride; vegetable, flower and herb sale; vendors; release of TasteBuds local food guide.* Saturday workshops: Backyard Composting, 10 a.m.; Lotion Making, noon; Identifying Edible Mushrooms, 1 p.m.* Sunday workshops: Growing Grapes Sustainably, 11 a.m.; Gardening Basics, noon; How to Grow a Medicine Herb Garden, 1 p.m.; Creating Gardens to Draw Backyard Wildlife, 2 p.m.* For more information: crabtreefarms.org.APRIL 19-20Dahlia Sale* Where: Bachman Community Center, 2815 Anderson Pike, Signal Mountain.* When: 4-7 p.m. Friday, April 19; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 20.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Members of Dahlia Society of Tennessee selling dahlia tubers.* For more information: tndahlia.org.APRIL 19-21Georgia Northwestern Technical College Spring Plant Sale* Where: Greenhouses located across from college's Floyd County campus in Rome, Ga.; on Cedar Avenue next to Woodlee Building.* When: Noon-6 p.m. Friday, April 19; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 20; noon-3 p.m. Sunday, April 21.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Trees, shrubs, ferns, woody plants, annuals, perennials, vegetables, sun and shade plants.* For more information: www.gntc.edu.APRIL 21Shakerag Hollow Wildflower Walk* Where: University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.; meet at Green's View parking lot on campus at end of Green's View Road.* When: 1:30 p.m. CDT, Sunday, April 21.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Mary Priestley leads moderate-to-strenuous 2-mile hike into "mecca" of wildflower lovers. Wear appropriate shoes, bring water.* For more information: lal.sewanee.edu/herbarium.APRIL 21 and 28Dahlia Sale* Where: Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd.* When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, April 21 and 28.* Admission: Free.* Includes: Members of Dahlia Society of Tennessee selling dahlia tubers.* For more information: tndahlia.org.

A general rule of thumb for spring planting in this region has always been "April 15 or after the last frost."

By then, say nursery owners, temperatures should steadily be reaching the 70s during the day and dropping no lower than 50 degrees at night.

"I'd like to think planting season is going to start this weekend, and a lot of plants will be fine outside," says Ray Painter, owner of Green Thumb Nursery in Hixson. "But if you are picking tender annuals, like begonias, you might have to protect them a time or two to keep them from getting damaged by cold weather."

Rodney Holcomb, owner of Holcomb Garden Centers in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., and Hixson, says perennials or flowering shrubs can be planted now, and a light frost won't hurt them.

"For vegetable gardens, put out your beans and corn now. You'll have to wait until it warms up for okra -- about the end of April, first of May. If you put out tomato plants, cucumbers and squash, you might still have to cover them up if there's a chance of frost."

Over the next three weekends, a variety of plant sales are being held to tempt gardeners dreaming about their summer flower and vegetable plots.

Those who admire nature's beauty, but don't want to get their hands dirty, might want to sign up for an upcoming wildflower hike.

Contact staff writer Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.