Arboretum encourages Nebraskans to bulk their garden up with resilient plants

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A weekly plant sale through the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum took place on Friday with the goal of getting people to put plants that are more resilient into their gardens.

The arboretum’s horticulture program is looking to get new gardeners to invest in plants that don’t put up much of a fuss, making it easier to garden overall, without having to worry about things like watering the plants once they are established.

The arboretum’s target customers are people planting landscapes that won’t need much water, fertilization or pesticides.

Bob Henrickson, the program coordinator, said the arboretum’s efforts extend beyond the weekly sale at UNL’s East Campus.

“We here at the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, we plant Nebraska, as we like to say. … “Last week we were up in Omaha, in a couple weeks we’ll be in the Panhandles, so we really bring our plants all over the place throughout the state, and what we’re trying to do is get people to plant garden plants that are more resilient.”

Henrickson also suggests to new gardeners that it’s best to start with plants that rabbits don’t like, possibly providing a little less stress and worry about pests ruining your garden.

Purchasing plants with scented foliage is another great way to start off your garden, providing more precautionary measures against rabbits, deer and other animals.

Henrickson says the best method is to “start small, and then just keep adding every year to give yourself the confidence to go further.”

With this particular sale, the Nebraska State Arboretum has seen many repeat customers, mostly because of the success of plants they have purchased at previous sales, and also due to their affordable cost.

The arboretum will have many more sales throughout the year, and you can find information on all its upcoming sales on its social media.