Get growing, Kamloops! – Transition Kamloops
Kamloops is blessed not only with a good selection of nurseries and vendors with seasonal garden centres, but also the beginning of May is awash in community plant sales. For some, in addition to plant purchases, your dollars go to support resilience, whether for individuals and programs here or in communities further afield. While the Kamloops Farmers Market (back outdoors on St. Paul Street on April 19!) is a reliable source for flower, herb and vegetable seedlings from smaller, local growers through spring, we’ve also got a round up of sales happening next month from community groups below. Because, food! Flowers for the pollinators! In the yard, in the borders, in raised beds, on the patio or the deck… Don’t want to start seeds? These folks have done it for you.
CanGo Grannies
Annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables, including greenhouse-grown tomotoes; sales in Sahali, Westsyde, Rivershore, Rayleigh, & Upper Sahali
Date: Saturday, May 3
Time & locations:
Sahali—10 am to 2 pm, 408 Gleneagles Drive
Westsyde—10 am to 2 pm, 634 Sicamore Drive
Date: Sunday, May 4
Time & locations:
Rivershore—9 am to 1 pm, 3584 Kananaskis Road
Rayleigh—10 am to 2 pm, 4247 Furiak Road
Date: Sunday, May 11
Time & Location: Upper Sahali—10 am to 2 pm, 1848 Sedgewick Drive
Neighbourhood plant sales are hosted at the homes, driveways and yards of the CanGo Grannies. Members grow many of the plants from seed, while the Gardengate Horticulture Program, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Horticulture Program, Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre with guidance from the Thompson-Shuswap Master Gardners, and countless members of the community donate a wide variety of plants.
All plant purchases are by donation, but please bring cash or cheques. Proceeds from these sales go to benefit the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation supporting community-led health and education initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gardengate
Herbs, vegetables and bedding plants (plus, happy 25th anniversary, Gardengate!)
Date: Saturdays, May 10 &17
Time: 9 am to 1 pm
Location: Gardengate Greenhouse, 915 Southill Street
The Gardengate Horticultural Program operates at this 2.8 acre farm in North Kamloops, producing an average 18,000 pounds of fresh produce annually while providing a safe haven for individuals living with addictions or mental health conditions. Program participants learn work and life skills with the support of onsite staff and volunteers, while the farm also helps to alleviate food insecurity in Kamloops. Gardeners may harvest food growing in the fields and the greenhouse, program participants sell produce to seniors, vegetables and fruit donations support the Food Bank and May plant sales are an abundant resource for local gardeners. Proceeds also help support the program. (Read more about Gardengate Farm in this July 2024 article in The Wren.)
Kamloops Garden Club (KGC)
Homegrown perennials, annuals, vegetables and herbs from KGC members.
Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 9 am to 2 pm
Location: Heritage House (upper floor), 100 Lorne Street
At this year’s sale, the Kamloops Garden Club is also welcoming vendors and artisans with garden-related goods to sell. (Interested vendors can reach out to KGC at thekamloopsgardenclub@gmail.com for details. There is a small vendor table fee.) Coffee, tea and desserts will be available for shoppers to purchase. Cash and carry, though KGC will accept cheques.
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Friends of the Garden (FOG)
Annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, succulents, vegetables and herbs, including groupings for xeriscape gardens.
Date: Saturday, May 3
Time: 9 am to 1 pm
Location: TRU Horticulture Greenhouse and grounds, 1030 University Drive (behind House 10)
FOG members start planting seeds of some plant varieties in the greenhouse in December for this highly anticipated sale. There will be 36 varieties of tomato, including compact versions for decks and patios. Prep for the sale by viewing the FOG plant lists at trufog.org. Parking is FREE at TRU on weekends; volunteers can assist with transferring purchases to your vehicle. Reasonable pricing, cash and credit cards accepted. This fundraiser supports the specialty TRU Horticulture Gardens and the Horticulture Program, including bursaries and other benefits to Horticulture students.
Thompson-Shuswap Master Gardeners (TSMG)
Not plant sales, but clinics—the TSMGs are on hand to answer your questions about all things gardening at select locations throughout Kamloops from April through June, winding up at the Tomato Festival at the Kamloops Farmers Market in September. TSMGs will have an information table at the Gardengate and FOG plant sales listed above; they will also be on site at some Saturday and Wednesday Farmers Markets. Check the TSMG Facebook page for details on upcoming clinic dates and times. To learn more about Master Gardeners and the TSMG, click here. If you have gardening experience, want to learn more and share your knowledge with others, consider becoming a Master Gardener. The TSMG will be delivering a basic training program starting in January 2026. Learn more here.
Transition Kamloops
Transition Kamloops is a volunteer-driven, registered not-for-profit society focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness. We emphasize a local economy, healthy ecosystems, and grassroots community building, while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. We believe in a better way: a community that sustains life in all its diversity, strives for equality and justice and invests in the future.
Transition Kamloops recognizes that we are living on Secwépemcul’ecw—land that was never ceded to settlers, and continues to be home to vibrant Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions. We acknowledge the impact of colonization, forced displacement, and ongoing struggles faced by Indigenous peoples. We commit to listening, learning, and building positive relationships with Indigenous communities as we work towards reconciliation.
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