Nearly all the vendors at the Northern Alexandria Native Plant Sale agreed it was great, despite blustery winds that took down a tent or two. The sale was held on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Church of St. Clement in Alexandria. It is a fixture on local gardeners’ calendars. One woman said she had rented a car in order to come to the sale. She wouldn’t miss it. Several others claimed they were not going to take anything home with them: their gardens were full. They were seen leaving with little red wagons (“plant taxis”) trailing behind them … full of plants. “It’s addictive,” said one.

The organizers (Scott Knudsen, a local expert, and his wife, Jennifer Pease) had arranged for live entertainment provided by local guitarist Jim Sheats; he would play soft jazzy/funky guitar to make shopping for native plants even more fun, they said.

This year the sale featured another of Catherine Zimmerman’s films, “Urban & Suburban Meadows,” inside the church. It is a step-by-step guide to establishing a meadow.

For more information: www.NorthernAlexandriaNativePlantSale.org

www.facebook.com/NorthernAlexandriaNativePlantSale.