Erie County Legislature Chairman John Mills reminds anyone interested in ordering through the 2014 Conservation Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale that the deadline is Friday, March 14. Order forms are available by CLICKING HERE. 

“Anyone interested in participating in the annual Erie County Soil and Water Conservation District seedling sale must act soon,” said Chairman Mills. “There is a large variety of trees and shrubs available, including new species this year.”

The District is offering many varieties of conservation trees and shrubs, wildflower seed mixes, and seedling packets which have combinations of trees and shrubs chosen to attract, feed and shelter birds, butterflies and other wildlife.  Landowners can practice conservation by planting seedlings and wildflowers to provide wildlife food and habitat, shelter crops and landscape, reduce heating/cooling expenses, protect water quality, reduce air pollution, and stabilize erodible land.  Seedlings are also an inexpensive alternative for replacing trees that have been damaged or lost.

Thirty-two species of trees and shrubs are available this year.  The one-to-three-year-old bare root seedlings, which range in size from 6 to 24 inches, are available in lots of 10 to 500. The District is offering an expanded selection of four-year-old evergreen transplants which are more mature trees with thicker stems, more branching and more developed roots.  New seedling introductions to the 2014 program are black chokeberry and spicebush which are excellent shrubs for pollinator insects including butterflies and bees.

The District also stocks marking flags, fertilizer tablets, and tree shelters to help promote the success of your plantings.  Bluebird nest boxes can be ordered through the program or be purchased at the District office.

Order forms may be obtained by stopping at the District office at 50 Commerce Way in East Aurora (behind Post Office), by calling (716) 652-8480 ext. 5, or by printing the order form from the District website at www.ecswcd.org.  Orders are due by March 14, 2014 and pick-up will be on Saturday April 12, 2014 at the Fairgrounds in Hamburg.