From her vantage point behind the plastic tape, which kept shoppers at the Franke Pavilion at bay until 10 a.m. Saturday, Betty Perry scoped out the hydrangeas she wanted to purchase.

"You can never have too many hydrangeas," said Ms. Perry, one of more than 100 people who were in line when the tape was removed, and shoppers entered the area as the William Tell Overture played.

In only four years, the annual hydrangea sale has become quite popular, said Kay Mills, a member of the Pendleton King Park Commission. The sale, held at the park's pavilion, benefited the park.

Shoppers quickly loaded wagons and carts with the plants, which had blooms of blue, green, pink and other colors; one elderly woman had plants in her walker. All 625 plants sold.

Mrs. Mills said organizers purchase the plants from area wholesalers and then sell them. Most of the one-gallon plants went for $10, and three-gallon ones sold for $20 and $25.

"I've heard from the nurseries that their business goes up" on sale day, said Mrs. Mills. "This sells out, and they say their business picks up."

The event raised more than $5,000 for the park.

For those who still would like hydrangeas, the CSRA Hydrangea Society will sell them beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Aiken Farmers Market.

"People are literally taking them from us and buying them as we pull them off the truck," said Ken Goad of the hydrangea society, which sells the plants to help finance scholarships to Aiken Technical College.

Many improvements have been made to Pendleton King Park, a 64-acre bird sanctuary and nature park off Troupe Street in central Augusta. On May 22, there was a public hearing to get additional suggestions from the community.

Owned by the King family trustees, the park is leased to the city for $1 a year.

Mrs. Mills said the session yielded many positive suggestions.

The development of nature trails, a dog park and the cleanup of Lake Elizabeth were on the list.

Reach Charmain Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.