Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.   A.         UNCC – 4/11-4/13 – 4/11 is for members 1.      Plant sale proceeds and membership fees enable the Gardens to continue to offer free admission to our gardens and greenhouse and discounted programming for all. 2.       native wildflowers, butterfly and hummingbird plants, azaleas, hydrangeas, fruiting shrubs, ferns, colorful annuals, unusual ornamental and native trees & shrubs, carnivorous plants, banana plants, elephant ears, succulents, herbs, heirloom vegetables, and more!  Sometimes water plants 3.       All the Gardens’ staff and many knowledgeable long-term volunteers will be on-site to answer questions and suggest plants for your particular conditions! 4.        Location:  Lot 5, Martin Village Road, UNC Charlotte, Free parking is available adjacent to the sale (look for roped off area) 5.      PRO TIP:  sometimes extend sale – check for updates on their site B.       NC State Extension Master Gardener/Union County  1.  5/4/24 – 9-noon  - Come early for best selection   2.  Agriculture Center – Greenhouse; 3230 Presson Rd., Monroe, NC                      3.   variety of vegetables, herbs, native perennials, annuals, container trees and shrubs.                           4.   Rain barrels available for same day pickup                           5.   Cash or credit     D.     Wing Haven – 4/10 – members, 4/11, 4/12, 4/13 1.      wide variety of local favorite and unusual plants, Wing Haven legacy plants, trees and shrubs 2.      assisted by our knowledgeable staff and volunteers. 3.      All proceeds benefit Wing Haven gardens, programs and educational outreach. 4.      Admission to Wing Haven’s gardens is free during the plant sale—donations accepted and appreciated! Enjoy the beautiful spring weather with a stroll through the gardens after shopping plant favorites.   E.      NC Botanical Garden – 5/4/24 1.       Purchase southeastern native plants from the North Carolina Botanical Garden and other local nurseries in our annual Spring Native Plant Sale. 2.       Chapel Hill, NC 3.       Also features a Daily Plant Sale!  4.      Plant Sales - North Carolina Botanical Garden (unc.edu)   F.        Garden for Wildlife /NCWF 1.      Shop by zip code 2.      shipped to your home at the appropriate planting time 3.      guaranteed for one year, 4.      all native 5.       take the easy Quiz which will direct you to the right plants for the right spot!   G.      SC Botanical Gardens at Clemson – 4/5 (members), 4/6 – public, 4/20 second chance sale 1.       Clemson, SC 2.       Catalog of plants available about 2 weeks before sale     H.      GA Native Plant Society 1.      Spring Plant Sales 2024 - GNPS 2.       23 sites listed across state!   I.          Lisa Tompkins, Carolina Heritage Nursery 1.        Matthews Farmers Market starting April 13 2.        every other week into June     If you have ideas for topics that you'd like us to pursue, send us a message either on our Facebook page or our website. We would really like to hear from you.     Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.   Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.   Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.   Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to info@downtownpodcasting.com.