ELLSWORTH — The Master Gardener Volunteers of Hancock County are local citizens who have completed a three-month intensive course in horticulture and volunteerism given by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

On Saturday, May 19, area Master Gardeners will offer perennial plants for sale at the UMaine Extension Office in Ellsworth from 8 a.m. until noon.

Tony Aman of Blue Hill volunteers his gardening expertise at Birdsacre Wildlife Sanctuary along with Jane Freeman and other Master Gardeners.

“We are excited to offer a variety of native Maine perennials this year,” Aman said. “With such intense interest in avoiding introducing non-native invasive plants, we thought this would be most beneficial to area gardeners.”

Master Gardener Program Coordinator Marjorie Peronto says the proceeds from this sale will benefit volunteer projects all over Hancock County. Last year, for example, program participants grew and donated 8,550 pounds of fresh vegetables to area food pantries, community meal sites and limited-income senior housing facilities.

During the plant sale, the Extension office will also host an open house during the plant sale with free workshops on worm composting, native plants for landscape and tips to save your back, wrists and knees while gardening.

A cubic yard of “nannieberrries” (composted goat manure from Seal Cove Farm in Lamoine) and a worm composting bin will be raffled.

For more information, call 667-8212 or (800) 287-1479.

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