Plant lovers in Greater Providence and beyond mark the start of the growing season each year by the return of SCLT’s Rare & Unusual Plant Sale. The event takes place at City Farm, a lush oasis at the corner of West Clifford and Dudley Streets on Providence’s South Side. This year’s Sale, on May 20-21, will be our 25th!

If you haven’t been before, the Sale features hundreds of varieties of sustainably grown annuals and perennials – fruit, vegetable and herb starts – roughly 20,000 in all. Flats are arranged on tables along pathways that meander among knotty fruit trees, the chicken coop and vegetable beds on our working farm. Local performers entertain shoppers with live music. Experienced gardeners are also on hand during the event to answer your gardening questions.

City Farm uses only seeds from high-quality, trusted sources, which are sown inside our green house over several weeks each spring. Many of the plants are hard to find at local nurseries (if not impossible). The Sale attracts roughly 2,000 gardeners who look forward to this bucolic spring tradition.

Proceeds from the event support SCLT’s education and community outreach programs. SNAP, EBT and senior nutrition coupons are all accepted, and SNAP customers receive an additional 40% on all purchases. 

The Sale begins with a members’ preview from 9-10 on Saturday morning. If you join before the Sale, you can join them to get first pick of our inventory! You’ll also receive a 10% discount on your purchases, and be able to pick up 50 gallons of free, organic compost.

Find out about these and other SCLT benefits here.