Penguin Court to host native plant sale in Laughlintown

Those wanting to fill their gardens with native plants this season will be able to chose between 45 species of perennials, shrubs and tree seedlings during Penguin Court’s plant sale.

Penguin Court, the former family home of the late Tribune-Review publisher Richard M. Scaife, was converted in 2019 into a preserve of the Brandywine Conservancy, a nonprofit located in Delaware County. Located off Route 30 in Laughlintown, Penguin Court is home to more than 1,000 acres of forest, meadows and open space, including Thomas Road Farm.

The native plant sale, which will benefit Penguin Court, is the second event of its kind to be held by the preserve.

“Last summer, we held a ‘greenhouse cleanout’ sale to lessen our inventory and to find good homes for our plants, and that went really well,” said Melissa Reckner, program manager.

This year’s event will be pre-order only, and requests must be received by June 8. Pickups will be scheduled for June 12 at the site. Pre-orders will allow officials at Penguin Court to limit congestion while adhering to social distancing requirements put in place during the covid-19 pandemic.

A full list of available plants can be found on the Brandywine Conservancy’s website, brandywine.org/conservancy/events.

Any questions regarding the event can be directed to PenguinCourt@brandywine.org, or by calling 724-238-4991.

“More and more people are understanding the need to restore and conserve wildlife habitats as well as the value of native plants to our pollinators and the ecosystem as a whole, so we’re really thrilled to serve as another venue from which the community may secure native plant species,” Reckner said.