Skidaway Audubon News: Audubon Pollinator Plant Sale/Fundraiser April 1-20

Make your garden a special space for birds and butterflies with Skidaway Audubon’s online pollinator plant sale fundraiser, set for April 1 to 20. Order on Audubon's website (skidawayaudubon.org). Plant pickup is April 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Skidaway Island United Methodist Church parking lot. Plants will be loaded into the purchaser's car by volunteers. Volunteers are needed to work in two-hour shifts April 21, 22 , 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help unload and sort the plants. If interested, email Skidaway Audubon President Dawn Cordo (cordodawn@gmail.com).

This is Skidaway Audubon’s second annual sale of pollinator plants, blooming plants that attract pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other insects critical to the survival of most flowering trees, plants, and food crops.

The plant sale/fundraiser is by pre-order and pre-pay only.  Orders must be placed by April 20. The online order form includes a brief description and color photo of each kind of plant. There are more than 30 varieties available, in various sizes with prices ranging from $5 to $12 plus tax.

“This year, we have new suppliers and are offering a great variety of perennial pollinator plants, mostly natives," said Cordo. " We’ll also have some herbs and border plants to enhance your garden. Populations and habitat of the monarch butterflies and other important pollinators have been on the decline, and this special plant sale is part of a nationwide effort to counteract those losses.”

Among the many plants procured for this special sale are the milkweed plants which are host plants for the monarch butterfly caterpillar. The caterpillars will devour the milkweed, which is the objective, but happily, these are perennials that should re-grow the next season. Cordo explained that perennials are known to “sleep in the first year, creep in the second year, and leap in the third year.” Other plants to be sold include salvia, lantana, firebush, dianthus, butterfly bush, and many more. Order early for the best selection.

The pollinator plant sale is an Audubon’s fundraiser that dovetails with its Nature Notices project.  The goal of the Nature Notices initiative is to encourage island residents to “nature-scape” their properties by eliminating some grassed areas and replacing them with native shrubs, understory trees, and pollinator plants, making yards more nature-friendly, and helping to stem the loss of critically important pollinators and their habitat.                

Nature-scaping benefits both the homeowner and the environment, as it can increase home values, decrease water bills, reduce the use of chemical pesticides, and discourage deer. Deer normally do not bother native plants, but they may investigate anything new, so gardeners will want to take protective measures, said Cordo. 

“In addition to helping residents nature-scape their lawns, the plant sale is a major fundraiser for us which will help us continue our many environmental projects on the island,” added Cordo. “So not only will these plants bring beautiful blossoms to your yard and help restore butterfly habitats, you’ll also be helping Audubon protect our island environment.”

Skidaway Audubon maintains the Southeast’s largest network of bluebird houses and one of the largest Diamondback Terrapin rescue projects, a state-of-the-art bird cam, an invasive tree removal program, bat houses to reduce mosquito populations, pollinator gardens to increase native habitat, and weather stations to promote water conservation.  Audubon also offers special events to promote environmental awareness, stewardship, and sustainability.

“Start your nature-scaping project today by placing your pollinator plant order at skidawayaudubon.org and be sure to click on About Us for a list of our very generous donors who are going above and beyond to help make our programs and environmental initiatives possible,” said Cordo.