Get Your Spring Plants at Somerset County Park Commission’s Arbor Day Giveaway and Sale

BRIDGEWATER, NJ -- In celebration of spring, the Somerset County Park Commission is hosting two events to help residents beautify their yards and gardens throughout the Arbor Day weekend. Visitors may select a free tree or shrub seedling at the Native Woody Plant Giveaways at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) on Friday, April 24 or the Colonial Park Gardens Arboretum on Saturday, April 25. For those seeking a wide variety of garden plantings, the Leonard J. Buck Garden is holding its annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26.A diverse selection of native trees and shrubs will be available at each Native Woody Plant Giveaway. Handouts with information about the available native-tree species including the expected height and optimal conditions for tree growth will be included with the seedlings. Horticulturists will also be on-site to answer any additional questions. Seedlings will be given away one per household, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis as long as supplies last. The event is made possible by a grant from the Somerset County Park Foundation.The Buck Garden Spring Plant Sale is a great opportunity to enhance your outdoor spaces with some spectacular new plant treasures. Discover an exceptional variety of perennials, ferns, woody plants, and hypertufa planting troughs. There will also be guided tours of this magnificent naturalistic rock garden each day at 1 p.m. The annual sale is co-sponsored with the Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society.Native Woody Plant Giveaway:

• Day 1: Friday, April 24, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The EEC is at 190 Lord Stirling Road, Basking Ridge.
• Day 2: Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Colonial Park Arboretum is at 156 Mettlers Road in (Parking Lot F), Somerset.

Buck Spring Plant Sale

• Day 1: Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Leonard J. Buck Garden is at 11 Layton Rd, Far Hills, NJ.
• Day 2: Sunday, April 26, 2026 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. also at Leonard J. Buck Garden.

To learn about activities sponsored by the Somerset County Park Commission, click here or visit www.somersetcounty.parks.org.Somerset County Park Commission
The Park Commission has 15,000 acres of county-owned open space, which is visited by two million park users each year. Five golf courses have three driving ranges, a pitch and putt course and a recreational putting course. Other attractions include a riding stable, an environmental education center, two tennis facilities, an outdoor pool, paddle boating, a rock and rare plant garden, an award-winning rose garden, an arboretum, and a sensory and fragrance garden. Six county parks also offer amenities such as athletic fields, picnic facilities, bike paths, fishing, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, and hiking.# # #

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