(Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

From avid succulent collectors to passionate fern enthusiasts, plant lovers from across the area gathered Saturday at the Tyler Public Library.

Taylor Auditorium was transformed into a vibrant botanical marketplace for the plant swap.

“It’s so wonderful to see people in the community come together and share what they love,” Flint resident Sarah Camacho said. “It’s great to be around people who understand what you love and what you’re talking about.”

Plant swaps are events where people can exchange plants, seeds, cuttings and other items. They can also be a chance for people to meet and share knowledge about plants that grow well in their area.

“It was something I had seen other libraries do with great success, and I thought I would try it here,” said Rosanna Bennett, reference librarian at Tyler Public Library. “We had one back in the spring, and it was a big hit.”

The first event attracted between 25 to 30 plant enthusiasts, and Saturday’s event drew in more than twice as many.

“It’s been a fun thing to bring people together … they can talk about plants, give each other plants, try something new to grow and see what other people in the community are growing,” Bennett said.

Attendees brought their own plants, cuttings and seedlings, placing them on tables alongside informative index cards detailing each plant’s name and care instructions. They mingled from table to table, exchanging ideas and gardening tips. The library also provided soil and pots of various sizes for people to keep their finds.

“Plant growing is basically playing in the dirt for adults,” Camacho said. “It’s the best thing … you’re in tune with God, with Mother Earth and it … makes your endorphins run.”

Whether they were budding enthusiasts or seasoned plant growers, the event brought together a diverse array of greenery to exchange and share.

“This is the first plant swap I’ve been to,” said Maggie Taliaferro of Tyler. “I just thought it sounded like fun, and I’ve been propagating some plants and had stuff I wanted to bring and share.”

According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, plant propagation is the process of creating new plants through methods such as seeds, cuttings, division, or grafting to create new plants. This practice helps expand collections, preserve genetic diversity and amplify desirable traits.

Taliaferro said she attended Master Gardener classes where she learned about the process of plant growing and eventually became a Master Gardener herself.

“It’s such a great program,” she said. “Part of Master Gardeners is to educate people on plants, planting and growing things. I loved it … it was such fun.”

For aspiring plant aficionados, the timeless advice remains: Never give up.

“You never know what’s going to work,” Camacho said. “If you don’t know, you can always look it up or find some people who enjoy it … and it can help you out.”

“If you have two or three different plant samples of the same thing, try doing them in different ways and see what works in your yard or your house,” Taliaferro said. “It’s fun to experiment … and see how it pans out. You can always try again if it doesn’t.”

Bennett said she intends to make this a regular gathering, likely on a quarterly basis.

“At its core, the library is a community hub,” she said. “We are here for the people of Tyler, and we love it. We love being a reason that people come together and meet and learn new things and we’re for all facets of that — whatever that may be. And today, it gets to be plants.”