The 2025 Bel Air Garden Mart – a rain or shine event – is scheduled to take place on Friday, May 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Bel Air Armory. The Armory is at 37 N. Main Street in downtown Bel Air. Admission is free.
The Garden Mart has its roots in Bel Air’s past flower shows, the first of which happened in 1927 at the Harford County Courthouse on Main Street. Flower and garden shows have continued in Bel Air since then, although they were paused from 1941 to 1947 because of World War II and its aftermath.
The present-day Garden Mart is an opportunity for local gardeners to interact with members of Harford County garden clubs, as well as Harford County Master Gardeners, and purchase plants. Annuals, perennials and native plants that support pollinators and other garden-friendly insects will be available.
All proceeds from sales will go to support scholarships and charitable donations from the garden clubs, according to Elaine Millard, vice chair of the Town of Bel Air’s Appearance and Beautification Committee (ABC). The ABC sponsors Garden Mart.
“This is a total community service event,” Millard said.
Four local garden clubs will be present, including Country Garden Club, Evergreen Garden Club, Friendship Garden Club and Joppatowne Garden Club. Visitors also can interact with representatives of Harford County Master Gardeners and Harford Land Trust, the latter being a Bel Air-based nonprofit organization that works to preserved undeveloped land in Harford County.
Other participants include students with the Bel Air High School art department and Fallston High School’s garden club, representatives of the Harford County Public Library’s Bel Air and Edgewood branches, and staff with the Town’s Department of Planning and Department of Public Works.
Staff with the Edgewood library branch will be running gardening activities for children. Plants for sale will be on display inside the Armory and outside in the adjacent Frederick Ward Park, plus a food truck will be on site.
“I think it’s a good opportunity to get good plants for your garden, to provide host plants for the pollinators and enhance the beautify of your yard,” Millard said of Garden Mart.
Contact Media and Public information Specialist David Anderson at 410-838-7181 or danderson@belairmd.org.