Organized by the Wild Ones organization, the 22nd Annual Native Plant Sale at Oak Ridge Prairie in Griffith offered flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees for sale. Native to nature, they all appeal to gardeners that enjoy low maintenance in their planting endeavors.
“Once I found out that I could garden without a lot of upkeep, I turned to native plants,” said Dina Kranston of Highland, as she loaded her wagon with lush grasses and a dogwood tree. “These species are very beautiful and don’t require continual looking-after.”
Indeed, they are becoming very popular, as evidenced by the yearly increase at each Wild Ones spring sale.
“I decided to start using my green thumb for my do-it-yourself outdoor projects,” said George Harris of Gary, with a laugh. “I never heard of natural plants for sale, but once I found out, I was hooked.”
Harris said he works two jobs and is renovating the inside of his house, so landscaping chores were low on the to-do list.
So, when he found out that natural plants were less bother than others, such as no fertilizing needed, as well as less watering, he decided to give it a try, beginning last year.
“Now, I have natives all through my yard, and it looks beautiful,” he added.
When the Native Plant Sale first began more than two decades ago, it was held at the organization’s greenhouse in Griffith. Then it was transferred to the Gibson Woods Park building in Hammond before the current location at Oak Ridge Prairie.
Attendance has expanded each year as more gardeners became aware of the positives effects natural plants have. Many repeat customers recalled the early years of the event.
“People came hours before the sale began, and there was a line that stretched throughout the parking lot,” Marie Parker of Hammond said, of the Gibson Woods location. “Only a certain amount of people were allowed in the building at a time, since it was very small. So you had to plan to spend a lot of time to purchase your plants.”
Fast forward to 2022, and the wide-open spaces of the north parking lot at Oak Ridge Prairie. Hundreds of customers spend hours perusing the tables set up by members of the Wild Ones group.
Todd Turine of Gary was one of those customers that left the sale with one big smile on his face.
He currently bought a house, but had no idea how he would configure the outdoor area, as he found that some invasive greenery would have to be pulled and replaced.
“I want my yard to be better for the environment,” he said. “And native plants are one way to make a start.”
Wild Ones is a non-profit, educational and advocacy organization. The group promotes environmentally-sound landscaping practices to encourage biodiversity through preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities.
For more information about the Wild Ones organization, call (219) 844-3188.
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
