MADISON — As gardeners make their spring trek to a popular local garden center, they’ll have a chance to pick one or more packs of young plants that will end up as fresh produce on the tables of Dane County families in need.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is asking those visiting America’s Best Flowers Garden Center in rural Cottage Grove April 30 through May 2 to purchase and donate pepper and tomato four-packs. The young plants will eventually supply vegetables to St. Vincent de Paul’s Madison food pantry, which serves people from across Dane County.
Each $1.99 four-pack of Lady Bell Pepper or Celebrity Tomato plants customers donate at America’s Best that weekend will be planted in Fitchburg’s Lacy Garden. The harvest will be given to neighbors in need at St. Vincent de Paul’s food pantry. With each four-pack purchased for donation, America’s Best will also contribute 50 cents to St. Vincent de Paul for this food pantry garden.
On Friday and Saturday of Pick a Pack Weekend, St. Vincent de Paul volunteers will staff a booth at the garden center, 4311 Vilas Hope Rd., to give information or answer questions.
Throughout this summer and fall, St. Vincent de Paul volunteers will tend the 1.25-acre dedicated food pantry plot known as the Lacy Garden. Individuals as well as family, church, company, civic, or youth groups interested in working at this garden may contact Thomas Parslow at 608-228-4736 or pantrygarden@svdpmadison.org