Home and garden calendar

Aug. 27

Just as plants from traditional gardening sources begin to dry up, a plant sale pops up in time for fall planting.

Hard-to-find plants will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lied Activity Center, 2700 Arboretum Drive, in Bellevue.

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Inc. will join Papio Valley Nursery and Douglas/Sarpy County Master Gardeners in a plant sale to help support the master gardener program.

The sale will include rare wildflowers like Fremont's primrose, dwarf leadplant and narrowleaf mountain mint. Visitors also will find a variety of native plants for rain gardens, such as nodding pink onion, golden Alexander and Culver's root. Dry shade plants will include white flowering harebell, doll's eyes and liverleaf. Among trees and shrubs to be offered will be pawpaw, Kousa dogwood, black gum, Indian cherry, bayberry and Canaan fir.

Gardening experts scheduled to speak are: Kathleen Cue (color in the late summer landscape); Justin Evertson (the importance of biodiversity); and Bob Henrickson (rain gardens).

Plants are provided by Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and Papio Valley Nursery Inc., in partnership with Douglas/Sarpy County Master Gardeners; Friends of Extension and 4-H in Douglas/Sarpy County; Omaha Rose Society; GreenBellevue; city of Bellevue; Bellevue Public Schools; and Bellevue Community Arboretum.

For more information, call 402-472-2971, or visit arboretum.unl.edu/plantsales for plant lists.

Sept. 8

"Composting - You Can Do It" is the title of an hour-long session at the Extension Office for Douglas and Sarpy Counties, 8015 West Center Road. The 7 p.m. workshop is well-timed for fall leaves and the remains of other plants in the garden. Cost is $5.

For more information, contact Bobbi Holm, [email protected] or 402-444-7804. You may sign up in advance or register at the door. Checks, payable to University of Nebraska-Lincoln, should be sent to UNL Extension in Douglas/Sarpy Counties, 8015 West Center Road, Omaha, Neb. 68124.