Somerset County To Give Away Free Tree Seedlings, Hold Spring Plant Sale This Weekend

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County residents looking to refresh their yards for spring will have several options during Arbor Day weekend through events hosted by the Somerset County Park Commission.

The commission is holding two Native Woody Plant Giveaways, offering free tree or shrub seedlings, and the Leonard J. Buck Garden is also hosting its annual Spring Plant Sale.

The Native Woody Plant Giveaways are scheduled for Friday, April 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center, 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge, and Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Colonial Park Gardens Arboretum, 156 Mettlers Road, Parking Lot F, Somerset.

Visitors may select a free tree or shrub seedling at either location.

A diverse selection of native trees and shrubs will be available at each giveaway.

Handouts with information about the available native-tree species, including expected height and optimal growing conditions, will be included with the seedlings. Horticulturists will also be on site to answer questions.

Seedlings will be distributed one per household, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. The giveaway is made possible by a grant from the Somerset County Park Foundation.

For gardeners interested in adding more established plants to their outdoor spaces, the Leonard J. Buck Garden will hold its Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The garden is located at 11 Layton Road, Far Hills.

The sale will include perennials, ferns, woody plants and hypertufa planting troughs.

Guided tours of the naturalistic rock garden are also scheduled each day at 1 p.m. The annual sale is co-sponsored with the Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.

The park commission described the Buck Garden Spring Plant Sale as "a great opportunity to enhance your outdoor spaces with some spectacular new plant treasures."

It also said visitors can "Discover an exceptional variety of perennials, ferns, woody plants, and hypertufa planting troughs."

More information about activities sponsored by the Somerset County Park Commission is available at www.somersetcounty.parks.org.

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