Seeds for home gardens planted at Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale in Shelburne Falls

SHELBURNE FALLS — The ample sunlight Saturday morning helped more than just the Bridge of Flowers bloom.

Lines of people stood holding various quantities and types of plants at the corner of Main and Water streets as the annual Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale invited people to the village to get a head start on their summer gardens, with sale proceeds benefiting the Bridge of Flowers.

“It brings out the best in people with sunshine and plants,” said Emily Cooper, who is from Readsboro, Vermont and was visiting a friend. “This is my first time and I’m very impressed.”

While the Bridge of Flowers officially opened April 1, the sale helps serve as one of the unofficial kickoff events for the season. Plants were sourced from the Bridge of Flowers and local nurseries. For the second year in a row, a tag sale was held alongside the plant sale, with all proceeds going to the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club scholarship fund.

Akin to the bees pollinating the plants, volunteers buzzed around offering planting and upkeep advice to customers looking to fill out their gardens with a variety of perennial and annual plants. Plant sale organizer Lynda Leitner said these moments of interaction between the volunteers and the public is what makes the event so special.

“You know everyone here loves plants and they also want to support the bridge,” Leitner said, adding there was a great turnout. “As much work as it takes to do this, this is the icing on the cake.”

“It’s wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves,” she continued, “and they’re getting a bargain, too.”

Saturday was the first time since 2019 the Bridge of Flowers Plant Sale didn’t have some form of pandemic precautions — it was canceled in 2020, and required masks and social distancing in 2021 — which Leitner said added to the joy of the day.

“We’re very happy to have some form of normalcy,” Leitner said. “It’s good for the community and, as you can see, a lot of people look forward to it.”

Ashfield residents Peter Corens and Janet Castleman were cramming their wagon with plants as they prepared to plant their garden.

“This is it because we can’t fit anymore,” Corens said looking down at the wagon filled with a variety of perennial plants. “We come here every year.”

Castleman said they both love the sale because it’s a chance to get great plants.

“This is just a fabulous sale,” she said, “and an opportunity to get beautiful plants.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.