If you’re wanting to spruce up your garden, you won’t want to miss the annual Kimmswick Daylily Plant Sale this weekend.
The sale, now in its 26th year, is set for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or while supplies last. It will be held in Kimmswick resident Carrol Wrather’s state-inspected garden at 6005 Fourth St., where 1,200 freshly dug and bagged plants will be for sale. The sale will also offer a limited number of value-priced, pre-bagged daylily collections. A free page of planting and growing advice is available to buyers.
Attendees are advised to arrive early to secure their preferred daylilies.
Wrather, an 89-year-old master gardener, started the sale to manage his growing garden and to help out the Kimmswick Visitor Center.
“When it comes to tending to daylilies, they multiply easily, and you need to divide and split them up every few years,” said Betteanne Smith, Kimmswick Visitor Center board president. “Mr. Wrather’s garden just became bigger and bigger over time. He decided to use his garden to benefit the Kimmswick Visitor Center and connect with the community.”
Prices for the daylilies range from $3 to $10, depending on rarity, and more than 90 varieties will be available. The sale offers unique daylily varieties not commonly found in big box stores.
Kimmswick merchants, residents and Wrather’s family members will help with the sales, making it a community effort, Smith said.
“It is a nice community project for those involved in prepping for the sale,” she said. “We bag the plants and get them ready for purchase. It is nice to see everyone come together. We estimate that attendance will range from 150 to 200 people, consistent with previous years.”
Proceeds from the sale typically range from $3,000 to $4,000 and benefit the Kimmswick Visitor Center, which relies entirely on donations, Smith said.
“The Visitor Center uses proceeds from the sale to cover operational costs, including staff salaries. The visitor center provides maps, information about the town and public restrooms, making it a crucial stop for visitors,” she said. “We also sell locally famous strawberry jam and apple butter, which supports the Visitor Center further.”
For more information about this event, visit gokimmswick.com.