Project Grow will host its annual plant sale on May 21 and May 28 at the People's Food Co-Op in Ann Arbor. In case you can't wait that long or don't want to drive downtown, you can pre-order heirloom tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, and basil plants now through May 1.

Project Grow manages 17 community garden sites and provides community education in gardening methods. The plant sale is Project Grow's annual fundraiser.

New this year, Project Grow is offering advance ordering ahead of the sale date. This way you can be sure that you get the varieties of plants you want, and pick them up a week before the actual sale.

There are more than 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and basils to choose from. They are grown from seeds by Project Grow volunteers in the greenhouses at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Plants are $3 each and are ready to be planted in your garden.

If you order ahead of time, your plants will be available for pickup on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from a residential location (with free, easy parking) in southeast Ann Arbor.

You can also order heirloom tomato and pepper seeds from Project Grow at any time, which will be mailed to you.

The actual Project Grow plant sale takes place May 21 and May 28 at the co-op, 216 N. Fourth Ave.

Monica Milla, the Garden Faerie, is a master gardener volunteer, instructor, speaker, garden coach, and author of "Fun with Winter Seed Sowing."