Last Saturday, many local residents turned out for the Luverne Garden Club’s annual plant sale, but this year’s event was different from past sales.

This year marked the first year of the sale without long-time member Julia Davis, who passed away.

“Julia’s passion was for making the plant sale successful,” said Mary Lynn Holliday, the club’s vice-president. “She always started planning early and getting members involved.”

Holliday also remembers Davis as a very giving person, who was always looking for ways to beautify the city.

“She would give plants out of her own yard to whoever wanted them,” she said.

Because of her many years of dedication to the club, this year’s sale was dedicated to Davis.

The plant sale continues to be an important event for the club, and it is their top fundraiser for the year.

The proceeds from it go to other projects, like keeping up the downtown plaza, the cemetery and Douglas Park, all of which the club works hand-in-hand with the City of Luverne.

The garden club has also developed a courtyard at Crenshaw Community Hospital.

“This plant sale is just one of our events,” Holliday said. “We stay busy all year.”

One of the next projects the club is working on is the sale of rain barrels.