5 Things You Need To Know Before You Go To El Paso’s Biggest Native Plant Sale This Weekend

I'm a gardener, and by that I mean I throw plants into the ground at my house and hope like hell that they will grow and not waste my time and money by dying terrible deaths in the desert wind and sun.

My mom and my sister are amazing gardeners. Anything they plant grows like it was touched by the hand of God and their front and back yards look like magazine covers. I, alas, am not that talented with dirt and plants. I can make you anything you anything you want to eat, but plants - meh.....

That's why when Flora Fest comes around, I always go just so I can see what beautiful plants they have, but also to pick the brains of people who don't murder plants. Here's why you should go to Flora Fest:

1. El Paso can be a hellhole, m'kay - The wind, lack of rain, relentless sun, and blast-furnace temperatures are all just waiting to kill anything you plant. Plant native plants and you have a better chance of having some green in your yard.

2. What are native plants - El Paso Master Gardeners can tell you which plants are native to our area and therefore are more likely to not suffer and die during the summer.

3. Reasonable prices - I have gotten plants at the Flora Fest for way less than I have paid at national chain stores, and you are helping out local businesses and groups by buying from Flora Fest.

4. Master Gardeners - These people have been gardening in El Paso for, in some cases, decades. They can tell you which plants will attract butterflies and hummingbirds and which plants can be grown in problem soil. They know everything about plants.

5. Save money - There is nothing worse than buying a trunkful of plants, taking them home, and then having them wither and die because they are not from around here. Native plants aren't just cactus. Find out what they are and make your yard beautiful without wasting money on stuff that can't take it in El Paso.

WHAT: Flora Fest 2018
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, April 28 - 29, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens, University Avenue & Wiggins Rd
INFO: 915-747-5565