Winter is over and spring is here — don’t be caught without your plants!

The Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District Spring Plant Sale, Backyard Conservation Sale & Garden Fair at Union Fairgrounds is Saturday, May 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 from 10  a.m. to 1 p.m. Satisfy spring planting desires, promote conservation at home, and support our education programs.

The sale offers a fabulous selection of bareroot varieties at terrific prices: fruit trees, berries, and asparagus for the edibles garden; native conifers; native deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines for conservation, wildlife, and landscape plantings; and, in 1-gallon pots, organically grown, native perennials and herbs from Rebel Hill Farm in Clifton.

With a few exceptions, all plants are hardy to at least Zone 4 and have been chosen for productivity, pest and disease resistance, wildlife value (including pollinators and other beneficial insects), a variety of soil and light conditions, and to provide beauty and color from spring through fall.

And that’s not all – to help build garden soil and conserve water, EarthSaver compost bins, SureClose compost pails, Wingdigger compost turners, and Systern rain barrels are available at deep discount prices! These items will be on display at the sale and may be pre-ordered through Sunday, May 3 for pick-up at the District office in Rockport from May 26-29.

The selection includes more than 100 varieties – many of which are new. Among the edibles, new varieties include Honey Crisp apple; Gloria, a new hardy freestone peach; Flemish Beauty, a meltingly tender heirloom pear; and Sparkle strawberry, the return of an old favorite.

Other new offerings include jack pine, a tough conifer for tough sites; hophornbeam, a lovely small tree in the birch family with distinctive seedpods that resemble hops; spicebush, a terrific shrub covered with yellow flowers in very early spring and larval host for the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly; and cranberrybush viburnum with red fruits for jelly and wildlife.

Add to this new perennials from Rebel Hill, like foxglove beardtongue, spotted horsemint and zig-zag goldenrod, to create a garden that will fill the freezer, provide habitat for birds and pollinators, eliminate erosion and runoff, and add color and texture throughout the year. Friendly volunteers will be on hand to help with plant selection, take-home guides on caring for your plants, and compost bin and rain barrel orders.

New this year on Saturday is the chance to purchase cash & carry Annual & Vegetable Seedlings from Great Gardens from the Ground Up in Washington. Other Saturday offerings include: bake (and more) sale by Terra Optima Farm Market in Rockland; unique picnic table or garden bench hand-crafted from Hidden Valley Nature Center’s SFC-certified lumber; and fruit tree pruning with Cheryl Denz from 10-11 a.m.

For more information, visit www.knox-lincoln.org/spring-plant-sale, www.knox-lincoln.org/backyard-sale (online ordering available), email info@knox-lincoln.org, call 207-596-2040, or drop by the office at 893 West Street (Route 90) in Rockport. Proceeds of the sale benefit the conservation district’s education and outreach programs.