The Pinehurst Garden Club Annual Plant Sale has begun. On Feb. 18, when the five branches of PGC gathered for their monthly meetings, each of the club's 120 members received a sales packet.

From now through the first week in April, all members will be taking pre-orders for geraniums in 6-inch pots and verbena, impatiens and begonia in flats of 36. These pre-ordered plants are offered at discounted prices -- $4.75 for geraniums and $11.50 for flats. They will be distributed on the day of the sale -- Saturday, April 25 -- when a great variety of additional premium quality plants will also be sold.

All proceeds from the plant sale are designated to support community beautification projects, the Village Arboretum, and scholarships for horticultural students at Sandhills Community College. Founded in 1981, the Pinehurst Garden Club has a strong tradition of generously supporting the greater Pinehurst community, both financially and with volunteer time. Ongoing projects include maintaining the Memorial Garden and Village Green paths, seasonal plantings in the village, creating and installing holiday decorations, and contributing to public conversation about environmental issues.

Pinehurst Garden Club is divided into five branches, with specific volunteer projects assigned to each on a rotating basis. Azalea is the branch responsible for orchestrating the 2009 Plant Sale, and co-chairs Sally Bold-Frick and Sue Brothers have been hard at work since September. All other branch members are actively engaged through sub-committee tasks.

Penny Warters, president of Pinehurst Garden Club, encourages everyone in the community to "please support the important work we do by purchasing these beautiful, healthy plants. Everyone will win."

To place a plant order, contact any PGC member or call Sally Bold-Frick at 235-3909) or Sue Brothers at 235-0844.