Students can exchange plants with the Toledo community on May 2

Spring is here, and so are flowers.

Toledoans will once again take over the Toledo-Lucas County Main Library Parking Garage as a space to trade plants, flowers, gardening tools and much more.

On May 2, the 11th-annual Toledo Plant Exchange is being held from 8:30-11 a.m. Plant drop-off will be held from 8:30-10 a.m.

“The Toledo Exchange is the grandmother of the area exchanges,” said Christine Coultrip, an organizer of Toledo Plant Exchange.

According to Coultrip, there are many other events like this that take place in Bowling Green, Oregon and Port Clinton; however, Toledo got the ball rolling on this event.

It was Tahree Lane that first came up with the idea of a plant exchange. She discusses this in an article she wrote over the history of the Toledo Plant Exchange.

Lane said that in 1999, she first became inspired when she attended a plant exchange in Livonia, Michigan.

“Believing the idea was worthwhile, I researched and gathered ideas from similar events around the world, looking for a different model than the Livonia event,” Lane said.

Coultrip said this event is open to anyone who may be interested in gardening.

“Gardeners of all kinds are expected and we have a lot of people who are beginning gardeners. They find this an opportunity to get “free” plants, gardening tips and

information,” Coultrip said.

This year, the Toledo Zoo will also be coming to the Plant Exchange giving a presentation on Native Plants in the library at 11 a.m.

Lane described the first Toledo Plant Exchange as hectic, but worthwhile.

“The First Perennial Exchange was on May 21, 2005 … It was chaotic with people dropping off boxes of plants on a couple of tables along the sidewalk. People grabbed what they could, and it was a free-for-all when Chris Coultrip pulled up in her red truck brimming with plants,” Lane said.

Coultrip said this event is open to the community, and helps promote an environmentally helpful message.

“This event gives the Toledo community an opportunity to start a garden at little or no cost. One never knows what one might find. We have all kinds of plants and garden paraphernalia,” Coultrip said.

Coultrip also said this event is for a good cause.

“Plants are very prolific and every year we need to split and divide our plants. If we cannot find new homes for them they would go into the compost bin,” Coultrip said. “Here we have the chance to keep our plants alive, and share the fruits of our labor.”

Those who bring plants will receive plants in exchange, however even if you show up without any plants, you are still welcome to five free plants. Items such as ornamental grasses, raspberries, houseplants and seeds are present at the exchange.

The event is to take place rain or shine.