Jim Matthews of Sunnyside Nurseries has been providing plants for the Pinehurst Garden Club's annual plant sale since 1989.

His red geraniums have become the signature of this community event and are featured on the hand-painted posters now displayed in shop windows throughout Pinehurst and Southern Pines. They were also replicated as giant tissue paper flowers decorating a golf cart advertising the sale in Pinehurst's St. Patrick's Day parade.

The 120 members of Pinehurst Garden Club took pre-sale orders for geraniums, vinca, begonia and impatiens for six weeks leading up to April 10. Concerned about how the current economic picture would impact sales, they worked extra hard and have actually exceeded the previous record number of pre-sale orders.

Now the group's focus switches to final preparations for the sale itself -- Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. . to 3 p.m. in the Village Green parking lot next to Given Memorial Library in Pinehurst.

Sally Bold-Frick and Sue Brothers, co-chairs for this year's sale, visited with grower Jim Matthews at his nursery in early April and report that "the plants are gorgeous. Timing is right on schedule for blooms to pop into glorious color for the sale."

When gardeners arrive to shop, they will find a diverse assortment of locally grown plants. In addition to the geraniums, impatiens, vincas and begonias raised in Matthews' own greenhouses, he will bring an array of top-quality offerings selected from other local growers. The emphasis will be on drought-tolerant varieties.

"We never know until the last minute exactly what Jim will include in the day-of-sale selection, but strong sellers from past years are almost certain to repeat," says Brothers. "Look for lantana, verbena, ferns, mandevilla, herbs, wave petunias and hanging baskets. There are always good surprises."

Since 1987 when Pinehurst Garden Club initiated the plant sale tradition with a fall sale of mums, all proceeds have been donated to support gardening in the local community. Beautification projects are at the top of the list -- planting the Memorial Garden and maintaining the entire Village Green area; installing gardens at the Senior Enrichment Center and Village Hall; annual plantings in Pinehurst village center, both spring and fall; making and hanging the swags, which decorate street posts throughout historic Pinehurst for the Christmas season.

For each of the past 14 years, the club has provided two scholarships for Sandhills Community College horticultural students. They also contribute financially to the Master Gardeners, other gardening education programs, Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives, and the Arboretum.

Pinehurst Garden Club is organized into five branches with 24 members each. Responsibility for running the plant sale rotates among the branches, and this year is Azalea's turn.

Co-chair Sally Bold-Frick has high hopes for a great success.

"Last spring's sale netted over $13,000, and it's looking as if we will do at least that again this year," says Bold-Frick. "The good rains we've had mean plants should be looking wonderful and give an extra boost to day-of-sale purchases."

For further information about the sale, call Bold-Frick at 235-3909 or Brothers at 235-3909.