COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Follow the scent of fresh soil and blooming roses, and you’ll find yourself in the heart of one of Colorado Springs’ most beloved garden traditions.
For more than 60 years, the Horticultural Art Society of Colorado Springs has been cultivating not just plants, but a community.
While maintaining multiple public gardens, the society transforms Monument Valley Park into a place where native plants thrive, pollinators gather and the Pikes Peak community takes root.
“Our mission is to cultivate beautiful gardens with mostly native plants,” HAS trustee Gaye Woullard said. “We like to showcase plants that do well in Colorado Springs with our demonstration gardens. We want to connect, enrich, educate and inspire people in this region.”
For two weekends a year, those gardens grow into something much bigger: a can’t-miss plant sale where seasoned gardeners and curious beginners alike come ready to dig in.
Here are three things to expect at the Gigantic Plant Sale, May 8-9 and May 15-16 at 222 Mesa Road.
Expert help is available from the gardeners behind the greenery
Behind every blooming bed and carefully labeled plant is the work of the HAS nonprofit, powered entirely by local volunteers who simply love to grow.
At the sale, members of the society will help run the event and offer plant-shopping advice to locals.
For those looking to become a green thumb themselves and join HAS, memberships start at $25 for individuals, $40 for families, $60 for patrons and $500 for a lifetime membership, providing access to gardening classes, workshops and a network of fellow plant enthusiasts.
Along with guidance from members at the sale, master gardeners — trained through El Paso County’s Colorado State University Extension— are also part of the mix, available to answer any plant-related questions.
Whether it’s figuring out what thrives in Colorado’s climate or how to revive a struggling plant, there’s no shortage of expertise on hand before locals make their final plant-purchasing decisions.
What you’ll find inside the plant selection
The sale brings together a mix of local and regional vendors, offering everything from native perennials to vegetables, herbs, grasses and flowering vines suited for the Pikes Peak region.
Vendors will include Desert Canyon Farm, High Country Roses and Bluebird Nursery, which will deliver plants from Nebraska to be a part of this year’s lineup, among others.
“What makes the sale different from Lowe’s and places like that is that we get a lot of plants that nobody else gets,” Woullard said. “We have people standing in line all the way down the sidewalk before our doors even open.”
Beyond vendor-grown plants, one of the most popular stops is the sale’s Dug & Donated section, a more personal corner of the event filled with plant goods straight from the community.
“We have people, volunteers and members bring in plants they dug out of their own yard or divided from their own gardens to donate to us,” she said. “We price them and sell them, and sometimes people donate gardening equipment they’re not using.”
A few things to keep in mind
Before you grab a wagon and start loading up on plants, there are a few things to know before you go.
The sale is free to attend, making it easy for anyone to stop by; it’s simply a pay-per-plant kind of deal.
For bargain hunters, the Dug & Donated section offers some of the best deals, with many plants and garden items priced around $5, Woullard said.
When it comes time to check out, shoppers have plenty of options. The sale accepts cash, checks, credit cards and wireless payment methods.
Visitors should also plan for parking. Ongoing construction near Monument Valley Park will close the bridge crossing Monument Creek, meaning access to the gardens will primarily be from Uintah Street via Glen Avenue.
Most of the event takes place outdoors, so it’s best to come prepared: think sunscreen, comfortable shoes and a reusable bag or two.
Otherwise, between the rows of plants, buzzing pollinators and fellow gardeners, prepare to spend your day digging into Colorado Springs’ growing season.
IF YOU GO
What: Gigantic Plant Sale by the Horticultural Art Society of Colorado Springs
When: Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 8-9 and May 15-16
Where: The Demonstration Garden at Monument Valley Park, 222 Mesa Road
Admission: Free
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