The Plant Festival and the Plant Sale are our two big spring events.

Formerly known as the Backyard Treasures Plant Sale, what started as a small fundraiser based on the sharing of our favorite passalongs has grown into a sophisticated, thoughtful curation of quality plants for this much anticipated sale. You’ll find an incredible selection of native plants, vegetable and herb starts, and ready for display houseplants - all propagated or grown by Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers of Durham County, NC. As the sole fundraiser for the Durham EMG program, the nonprofit Friends of Durham County Extension Master Gardeners was formed to ensure that all proceeds from the sale go directly into supporting the program and its mission to connect North Carolinians with science-based horticultural knowledge to cultivate healthy plants, landscapes, ecosystems, and communities through volunteer service and outreach.

The Plant Festival was started in 2023 to bring together community partners, cooperative extension affiliates, and EMG volunteer gardening experts, as a way to share a wealth of knowledge and experience while highlighting the plants in the upcoming sale. The Plant Festival is scheduled one to two weeks prior to the sale and is a completely free event with activities and experiences for the whole family. Plus we give away free plants in hopes that you’ll come back for the sale!