This Mother’s Day weekend, Berkshire Botanical Garden will burst into spring with something entirely new: two beloved events happening side-by-side for the very first time. From May 8–10, the Garden invites visitors to a weekend-long celebration of plants, play and community as the 49th Annual Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale overlaps with the second annual SpringFest on Saturday, May 9. Together, they promise a vibrant, family-friendly welcome to the growing season.

For nearly half a century, the Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale has served as the Berkshires’ unofficial signal that spring has finally arrived. Established in 1977, the sale has become a cherished Mother’s Day weekend tradition for gardeners across the region. This year’s edition, curated by BBG’s horticulture staff, offers hundreds of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables — each selected with a thoughtful emphasis on diversity and nature-based landscaping. The goal is to help gardeners embrace plantings that are exuberant rather than uniform, and full of movement, color and life. Pollinator-friendly choices abound, with varieties that welcome bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even nighttime moths.

Shoppers can browse robust landscape-ready plants, container garden favorites, and a broad collection of organic vegetable and herb starts. Knowledgeable “Ask Me” staff and volunteers will be stationed throughout the sale, ready to offer guidance, solve plant puzzles, and recommend selections for every garden size and skill level. Proceeds support the Garden’s horticulture and education programs, ensuring the sale’s impact grows well beyond the weekend.

Garden members enjoy early buying hours on Friday, May 8, from 9 to 11 a.m., with the sale opening to the general public from 11 to 4 p.m. Weekend hours continue Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10 (from 9 to 4 p.m. both days). Free parking will be available to all.

While the plant sale fills the grounds with gardening excitement, SpringFest brings an added layer of festivity on Saturday, May 9 — a full day of family fun with free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Designed as a celebration of the season and of community, SpringFest features food trucks and enough children’s activities to keep the youngest visitors happily busy for hours. Little ones can enjoy a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, classic lawn games, and more. A traditional Maypole dance adds a whimsical, old-world flourish to the day’s lineup.

Guests can wander the Garden’s 24-acre campus, taking in the brilliant display of spring bulbs and flowering trees. The Visitor Center Gift Shop will be open for browsing, offering garden-inspired gifts perfect for Mother’s Day. SpringFest also serves as a moment of accomplishment and transition, as BBG hosts the graduation of the Horticulture Certificate Program. The ceremony is followed by a reception hosted by the Herb Associates, a dedicated volunteer group that has been crafting herbal goods from the Garden’s historic 1937 herb garden for more than six decades. Attendees can savor their celebrated herb-infused cookies and sip Mai Bowle, a traditional May wine punch, fragrant, refreshing and a perfect toast to spring.

By bringing both events together for the first time, Berkshire Botanical Garden is creating an immersive weekend experience: part plant-lover’s paradise, part joyful spring fair. Whether you come to stock your garden, entertain the kids, toast a graduate, or simply stroll among spring blooms, the Garden will be buzzing with beauty, community and the promise of the season ahead.