Plant It Forward - Native Plant Giveaway and Plug Sale
Plant It Forward: Native Plant Giveaway & Plug Sale Aims to Boost Biodiversity in the Foothills 🌼
This fall, the Gardening for Life Project (GFLP), in partnership with the Congregational Church, UCC in Tryon, invites the community to Plant It Forward—a celebration of native plants and a meaningful step toward restoring biodiversity in the Carolina Foothills.
As part of this special event, GFLP will give away 100 pollinator pocket gardens, each containing 5–6 carefully selected native plants valued for their beauty, ease of care, and exceptional benefits to wildlife. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to purchase native plant plugs from a curated selection of over 10 species—all offered at affordable prices.
Just imagine the ripple effect: 100 new pollinator gardens—and thousands of native plant plugs—taking root across our community. Each one will become a small sanctuary, offering nectar, pollen, and shelter for butterflies, bees, moths, hummingbirds, and countless other species that are essential to healthy ecosystems.
The urgency is real: pollinators—especially butterflies and native bees—are in steep decline. In North America, more than one-third of native bee species have disappeared, and Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted by nearly 90% in recent decades.
A leading cause? Habitat loss.
But there is hope—and it starts in our own backyards. Planting native species is one of the most joyful and impactful ways we can help.
Event Details
🗓 Thursday, September 26 | 4–7 p.m.
đź“Ť Three downtown Tryon locations:
1. Congregational Church UCC in Tryon
đź“Ť 210 Melrose Ave, Tryon, NC 28782
🌿 4–7 p.m.
Kick off the event at the church:
Pick up your free pollinator pocket garden (100 kits available—first come, first served)
Shop from a wide selection of native plant plugs
Enjoy a self-guided walkabout through the church’s flourishing native garden
2. Trade Street – Fourth Friday Festivities
🌿 5–7 p.m.
Join the fun downtown and stop by the GFLP table to:
Learn about gardening with native plants and habitatscaping
Enter to win a Pollinator Pocket Garden Kit
3. Bonus Stop – The Depot Garden
đź“Ť 10 Depot Street, Tryon, NC 28782
On your way between the church and Trade Street, visit the Depot Garden, lovingly maintained by the Tryon Garden Club. This once-exotic garden is now being transformed into a flourishing native habitat. Come see the change—and get inspired.
🌱 Learn more and get planting tips:
👉 https://www.gardeningforlifeproject.org/habitatscaping-in-the-carolina-foothills
This project is made possible thanks to the generous support of community partners, including:
Conserving Carolina, New View Realty, Claussen Walters Real Estate, Champions for Wildlife, Alice Dobbs, Larry and Anita, and many others.
Together, we’re planting it forward—and planting hope—one pollinator garden at a time.
🌍 Conservation begins at home.
