ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Abilene’s annual fall plant sale, hosted by Big Country Master Gardeners, will kick off Wednesday at the Taylor County Coliseum. But who’s behind all that plant planning? Two women helping out with the setup share more than just a passion for horticulture.

Jo Rake and Kathy Turner met more than two decades ago when they took their first master gardener class together, and have been sowing the seeds of their friendship in many ways since.

“Jo has a tree that I dug up and gave her. We share plants, and that’s just fun, you know,” said Turner of her plant-based friendship.

Their interest in gardening and all things green started at an early age for both of them.

“My dad had always worked out in the yard and had flowers, and gardened more than my mother did, and I spent time out there with him,” Rake recalled. “As I grew up and got married and had my own home, I wanted to have a garden and an area like he did.”

Turner credits her mother for her green thumb, “My mother gave me a package of seeds and a spoon when I was probably less than five years old, and told me to plant it and taught me how to water, and I watched for my zinnias to grow and that was it. I was hooked.”

Now, they oversee the set up for the fall plant sale, which is held annually at the Taylor County Coliseum. They told KTAB/KRBC being a master gardener is like having an extended family.

“You have the opportunity to work with other gardeners a lot. We spend a fair amount of time together, and it’s really fun. Some of these people are almost like family to me,” added Rake.

The fall plant sale will be held online Wednesday, October 11 through Friday, October 13. There will also be an in-person sale Saturday. Visit Big Country Master Gardeners – Helping Beautify the Big Country Through Education & Demonstration to learn more about the plant sale and how to become a master gardener.