Posted by – Elizabeth Brennan, Executive Assistant

I’m stealing a line from the old English nursery rhyme “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” because it begs a great question.  How does your garden grow?  

Personally, my garden grows much better than it used to and that is due in no small part to my involvement with the Auburn Hills Perennial Exchange event.  The Perennial Exchange, hosted by our Beautification Advisory Commission, is a terrific opportunity to diversify a garden at absolutely no cost.

This free event draws gardeners to Auburn Hills from cities near and far; from White Lake and Clarkston to Armada and Grosse Pointe and everywhere in between. Attendees range from gardening experts to brand new beginners.

The trade works like this: If you have an overabundance of a particular perennial, divide it into small sections, put the plants in disposable containers with soil and label them with the type (if known) and indicate whether they like sun or shade.  At the event, meet your neighbors, see what types of plants you would like to swap and strike a deal!

If you are a beginner, you may want to buy a couple of small perennial plants to trade, just to get your garden started.  In my experience, gardeners are always happy to share their extra plants and steer you in the right direction.  In no time, your garden will grow like crazy!

The Perennial Exchange will be held on Saturday, May 21^st from 11am to 1pm at River Woods Park.  For more information, please call 248.330.2488 or email eabrennan@auburnhills.org.  We hope you can join us.