The Bowral Uniting Church will hold its annual Spring Plant Sale next weekend - the church's first public event since March.
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The sale will take place in the front yard of the church, on Saturday, September 26, 8am to 1pm.
Gardeners can buy flowers, blooms, houseplants, fruit, vegetables, and succulents, but the morning is also an opportunity to support good works in the community, church marketing co-ordinator Celine Healy said.
"Hopefully a lot of people will come; I'm sure it will be a good morning," Ms Healy said.
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Plants for sale include alyssum, English daisies, orchids, begonias, iris, petunias, mini agapanthus, gazanias, mondo grass, blue grass, strawberries, parsley, spinach, rhubarb, tomatoes, and a huge range of succulents.
Prices start at $2.00, while a tray of petunias might cost $10. Good prices for healthy plants, Ms Healy said.
Each week, the Grey Gardeners (the church's green-fingered group) pot the plants, sprout them, and look after them to make sure they're blooming for the plant sale.
Most of the money raised will go towards the church's community programs.
The church runs a food pantry on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, supplying free groceries, and hosts a free lunch (take-away at present) on Wednesdays.
Ms Healy said that they regularly get 40 people to lunch, and at least that amount buying groceries. With COVID and the recession, however, the number of clients has increased.
This year, the Uniting Church built a free shower and laundry for homeless people. It also runs a lunch mentorship program at the primary school, and supports Challenge Southern Highlands, a charity that trains people with disabilities and helps them find jobs.
Coronavirus has stopped many of the church's activities this year. Religious services have been held on Zoom since March.
"We've all had to upgrade technologically speaking," Ms Healy said.
Normally, too, the plant sale would be part of a two-day church fair.
"Because our members are in the old age group, they decided to have a small plant sale outside," Ms Healy explained.
She hopes that they will be able to hold their Christmas fair in December.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the church looks after its community. In its 'good neighbour' system, an elder will ring half a dozen people each week to see how they are faring, Ms Healy said.
The church also prints a weekly newsletter to keep parishioners abreast of church news, birthdays, local life, and print photographs.
"It's a vibrant community, and we're itching to get back into it!" Ms Healy said.
The Bowral Uniting Church is at 28 Bendooley Street, Bowral. Email bkuc@bigpond.com or phone 4862 1350. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bowralunitingchurch/
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