This weekend, Keep Liberty Beautiful will host two Native Plant Awareness Giveaway Days to encourage the use of native plants and other great growers in our community.  
On Friday, we will be at Farmers Natural Foods from 9 a.m.-noon or while our plant supplies last. On Saturday, we will hold another giveaway at our quarterly Recycle It! Fairs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or until supplies last. The fairs will be at three convenient locations: the Liberty County Health Department, at 1113 E. Oglethorpe Highway; Midway Fire Department, 10490 E. Oglethorpe Highway; and Walthourville City Hall, 222 Busbee Road.
Plants (one per household) can be reserved for pick up at each of these locations by calling Keep Liberty Beautiful at 880-4888 or emailing klcb@coastalnow.net by Tuesday. Supplies will be on a first-come, first-reserve basis. We will tag information on planting and maintaining these plants for your benefit. Do not hesitate to reserve a plant even if you think you have a “brown thumb.” This is a great way to learn to garden and get your hands dirty.
Here are the plants that will be available: Wax Myrtles, Florida Anise, Muhly Grass, Red Switch Grass, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Honeysuckle, Clerodendrum, Carolina Jessamine, Bottlebrush and Leucothoe, as well as these plant friends of natives: Indian Hawthorn, Oleander and Lorapetalum.
For a list of the plants available, you can check out our Facebook or www.keeplibertybeautiful.org. Our list of acceptable items for the Recycle It! Fairs is there as well.
So, in the meantime, don’t forget to collect all your items to turn in at the Recycle It! Fairs. Here is a quick list of what we collect:
• electronics (including computers, printers, monitors, and any computer accessories; stereo equipment and televisions; cell phones and accessories),
• household paint (cans must be sealed well, not rusted and at least half full),
• CFLs and fluorescent lights
• used motor oil and antifreeze (Note: we can only accept the motor oil and antifreeze at the Health Department. At Midway and Walthourville, fluids must be in disposable containers)
• car batteries and any household batteries
• printer ink and toner cartridges
• telephone books and large sale catalogs
• hardback books, paperbacks and textbooks
• old prescription medications and over-the-counter medications (but no hypodermic needles)
• gently used household goods (including clothing and shoes).  We can also accept items that local schools are recycling with Terracycle.
We provide these quarterly collection days with our partners, Goodwill Industries, Coastal Auto and Recycling, the Liberty County Solid Waste Authority and local law-enforcement offices.
In September, we will also be hosting the monthly Progress through People Luncheon with the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce at noon Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Liberty County Community Complex in Midway. Our speaker will be Sarah Visser, director of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation, on “Pretty Places, Vibrant Spaces: the Importance of Community Appearance.”  
And just one more thing: We are taking nominations for this quarter’s Win-Dex Awards, recognizing attractive businesses in our community. Email your nomination to klcb@coastalnow.net or call us at 880-4888 by Sept. 30.