17th ANNUAL PLANT CELEBRATION
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
@ Centre Furnace Mansion | 1001 E. College Ave. | State College, PA 16801

Click here to see:
2012 Event Photos | 2012 Thank You

Please join us Saturday, May 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the Centre County Historical Society's 17th annual Plant Celebration & Garden Sale at the Centre Furnace Mansion, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This sale features native and non-native plants from local growers and from the Mansion gardens.

Secluded by large and historic trees, the Centre Furnace Mansion is tucked into a hillside, graced with 19th century inspired perennial and herb gardens, and expanses of lawn common in the Victorian Era. Over 200 types of period plants and heirloom bulbs are grown in the Centre Furnace Mansion gardens. Many of the 20 lilacs will be blooming during the Plant Celebration along with Allium bulbs, Iris, early Roses, Euphorbia, and Peony to name a few.

Garden enthusiasts can choose from locally grown heirloom bulbs, herbs, annuals, perennials, trees, and shrubs. The 2012 Mansion featured arrangements are called: “Not Your Mother’s Succulents”. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Centre Furnace Mansion Gardeners are creating Victorian inspired terrariums and arranged pots featuring popular succulent plants that require little watering.

PLANT CELEBRATION SCHEDULE:

9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
On-Going Events

PLANT SALE. Plants and garden-related items for sale by local businesses:

• Centre Furnace Mansion Gardeners: Primarily heirloom plants (State College)
• Common Ground Organic Farm: Locally grown plants (Spring Mills)
• Deb's Flower Farm: Hypertufa succulent gardens, planters (Julian)
• Effie's Common Scents: Carried on by Effie's daughters
• Go Native Tree Farm: Over 200 species of trees, shrubs (Lancaster)
  • Email plant requests; we'll bring them to the sale just for you!
• Jim Eisenstein: Heirloom tomato plants (Boalsburg)
• Rose Franklin's Perennials: Plants for hummingbirds, butterflies (Spring Mills)
• Sarah Berndt: Shrubs, perennials from Sarah's garden (Rebersburg)
• Shuey's Market: Annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable plants (Bellefonte)
• Tait Farm Foods: Farm-grown organic seedlings, herbs, perennials (CentreHall)
• Young American Growers: Astillbe - a perennial (Spring Mills)

OPEN HOUSE. Centre Furnace Mansion will be open from 9am-2pm. Also:

• View the Native American Exhibit on display in the exhibit building.
• Take a self-guided tour of the Kitchen and Mansion Gardens.
• Walk the Trail to the historic Centre Furnace Stack.

ASK THE MASTER GARDENER. Master Gardeners will be on-site to answer gardening questions. Bring along plant samples for identification, insect damage evaluation, or disease diagnosis. Hosted by the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Centre County.

9:30-11:30 a.m.

"One for Me, One for Mom" plant workshop. Children between ages 2-12 can select two annuals and place them in pots to take home for Mother's Day. Free, while supplies last. NO pre-registration is necessary.

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Rain Barrel Workshop.

Hosted by the Penn State Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners of Centre County. Observe a brief educational slide show and demonstration. Then assemble your rain barrel! $35/person, includes supplies. Space is limited; RSVP required. Contact Megan at the Centre County Historical Society (814) 234-4779. Send checks to "CCHS" at 1001 E. College Ave., State College, PA 16801.

The Plant Celebration & Garden Sale is one of CCHS's largest fundraising events. Proceeds from this event benefit the gardens and grounds of the historic Centre Furnace Mansion and Boogersburg School properties. Do your spring garden shopping here, while supporting a local non-profit organizaiton that helps people understand, experience, appreciate and preserve Centre County's cultural and natural heritage.

The Centre Furnace Mansion is located at 1001 E. College Avenue, State College, PA 16801. Parking is available in the lower lawn along College Avenue, as well as in the Mansion parking lot off of Porter Road. Admission to the Plant Celebration is FREE. For more information, please call (814) 234-4779.

* * * AREA PLANT SALES * * *

In this season of spring, many of our local partner organizations are hosting plant sales as well. Be sure to shop around to see the wonderful varieties available for sale:

Saturday, May 19
2012 Garden Fair & Plant Sale
by the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners
of Centre County
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
@ Ag Progress Days Site, Entrance J
2710 W. Pine Grove Rd., PA Furnace, PA 16865

* * * * * * * * * PLANT CELEBRATION ~ THANK YOU * * * * * * * * *

(Please click here to view additional event photos on our Facebook page.)

To ALL who made the CCHS Plant Celebration possible -- from planning and planting, preparation and clean up, generous donations and time given to all who filled boxes with purchases of plants -- we cannot thank you enough!!

Your warmth, generosity and hospitality welcomed hundreds of visitors to the Centre Furnace Mansion and beautiful grounds to make the 17th CCHS Annual Plant Celebration our most successful so far. by allowing us to surpass our fundraising goal for the sale! Funds raised from the Plant Celebration help to support garden supplies and grounds care.

Many millions of thanks go enthusiastically out to the Centre Furnace Mansion Gardeners who have spent the last many months preparing from planning, donating and potting plants and sale items to organizing the many aspects of the plant sale while keeping the gardens looking their best – an amazing juggling act!

The Centre Furnace Mansion Gardeners who work to preserve and enhance the gardens and grounds at the Mansion, do so in a volunteer effort that is appreciated in so many ways. The beauty of the gardens makes the grounds a perfect place for an outdoor wedding or event. They provide the perfect lab and setting for garden workshops and programs and go so far to enrich the experience of Mansion visitors.

Special thanks to Katie Frieden, CFM Gardens Coordinator for her heavy time on task this spring in graciously coordinating this event that was attended by hundreds. And many thanks to Mary Osborn, CFM Docent Coordinator, for coordinating the bake sale and docent schedule so that we could have the Mansion open on this day.   Over 40 visitors enjoyed a tour.

Hats off to all who have helped in some way with the 2012 Plant Celebration:

Many, many thanks to:

In addition, we would like to also thank Jay Young of Young American Growers for his generous donation of many beautiful Astilbe plants.

And many thanks to the students and staff from ‘The Dandy Lion Greenhouse’. The Greenhouse is part of the State College Area High School’s Career and Technical Center’s Ag Science department via CTC Instructor Paul Heasley and CTC Director Barry King and provided many beautiful annuals and a children’s “Grow House” trellis for vines built by students for the Centre Furnace Mansion.

The day was made many times more interesting by activities co-hosted with the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Centre County. Visitors could have their gardening questions and insect-plant disease issues addressed at the “Ask a Master Gardener” table. Visitors that attended a Rain Barrel Workshop led by Jane Wettstone and Judy Heberling learned how to make a rain barrel and participation in the workshop included a rain barrel to take home. And a hands-on-children’s activity “One for Me & One for Mom” led by Beverly Lipski was a hit with nearly 50 children!

The following businesses graciously participated helping to create sense of community that is so important in this annual event:

· Sarah Berndt, "Orchid Lady"
· Common Ground Organic Farm
· Deb Fisher's Flower Farm
· Effie's Common Scents
· Go Native Tree Farm
· James Eisenstein
· Rose Franklin's Perennials
· Shuey's Market
· Tait Farm

With warm and great gratitude,
Mary Sorensen
Executive Director