Apr. 18 Column: Plant Sales
I think it’s fair to say gardeners looove plant sales. Am I right? Over the past year, we’ve had to miss out on many of them, along with other garden events, but there are two wonderful plant sales coming up shortly in Spokane. You can read about them in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Make an appointment to check out spring sales. (or you can read the text of my column at the bottom of this post)
The Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane will hold a plant sale that is by appointment only from Apr. 22 through May 8. Customers will shop in the club’s greenhouse, located east of Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory. Their sale will feature collector’s plants, vegetable seedlings, annuals, perennials and hanging baskets.
The Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County will put on their annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale through an online shopping site. IMPORTANT: this event will *NOT* take place at the Extension building on Havana St.! Customers will be able to order their plants online between Apr. 24 and May 8, and arrange to pick up their purchases at Vickie’s Garden Greenhouse, located on the west side of the city, 2100 S. Inland Empire Way.
I also wanted to point out that anyone who joins the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County by the end of TODAY will be eligible to access the online plant-shopping site two days early (Apr. 22), receive a 10% discount on their plant purchases, and discounts from the Foundation’s nursery partners throughout the year.
Both plant sales have been set up in a way that focuses on the safety of their customers and sales volunteers. Bravo! And thank you to both the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane and the Spokane Master Gardener volunteers who do so much for our community.
For this week’s video, I finally got to plant my gutter peas! Hooray:
If you missed the first part of this video (#10), here it is as well:
And here is the text of my garden column for today:
by Susan Mulvihill
There are so many gardeners in the Inland Northwest who nurture flowers and vegetables and enjoy attending annual events that celebrate the growing season.
While some of those events include garden tours and educational programs, it’s a safe bet that gardeners particularly enjoy going to plant sales. In 2020, some of those sales still took place but with a different format to afford customers safe shopping opportunities. And guess what? Gardeners enthusiastically took advantage of them while showing their support for organizations that foster the joy of gardening within the community.
Two springtime plant sales are scheduled to begin soon. They will be held by the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane and the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County.
The Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane’s sale will be held by appointment only from Thursday (Apr. 22) through May 8. It is open to the public and appointments will allow individuals or small private groups to make their selections from the club’s greenhouse at Manito Park.
“We’ll have the usual and the unusual,” explained plant sale coordinator Jennifer Ogden. “For the collector, we have corpse flower (Titan arum), climbing onion, (Bowiea volubilis) and the lemon-scented, night-blooming species daylily (Hemerocallis citrina).
“For the rest of us, we’ve expanded our vegetable offerings with a broad range of tomatoes and peppers, along with bok choy, kohlrabi and kale. We’ll also have the wide selection of ornamental annuals, perennials, hanging baskets and Mother’s Day gifts we’re known for.”
To schedule a shopping appointment, call (509) 309-3983. All proceeds from the sale support Associated Garden Clubs grants which fund community gardening-related projects within Spokane County. To date, they have awarded over $300,000 to projects providing public, charitable and educational benefits. Visit the clubs’ website, associatedgardenclubs.org/grant-program/, for additional information and grant application materials.
The Spokane County Master Gardener program is well-known for their annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale. Due to COVID guidelines, it will not be held at the Extension building this spring. Instead, they will have an online shopping site available beginning Saturday (Apr. 24) and running through May 8. While ordering plants, shoppers will be able to schedule appointments to pick up their purchases at Vickie’s Garden Center Greenhouse, 2100 S. Inland Empire Way.
Anyone who becomes a 2021 member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane by the end of the day today (Apr. 18) will get early access to the online shopping site on Apr. 22, along with a 10 percent discount on all purchases and discounts from the Foundation’s nursery partners throughout the year. Look for additional details at mgfsc.org/purchase-membership.
There will be a large assortment of plants available for this sale. Vegetable gardeners can choose from an impressive selection of tomato and pepper seedlings. Herb offerings include basil, cilantro, dill, lavender, parsley, sage and thyme.
Those looking for ornamental plants will find a wide variety of perennials such as bee balm, columbine, coneflowers, coral bells, hostas, iris, and sedums. There will also be annual flowers, dahlia tubers, pollinator plants, houseplants, berries, native plants and ornamental grasses.
As most area residents are aware, the Spokane County Master Gardeners put on educational programs each year and host a plant clinic where gardeners can get their horticultural questions answered at no charge. While walk-in plant clinics are temporarily closed, Master Gardener volunteers are still answering the public’s phone calls and email messages. Proceeds from the Garden Fair and Plant Sale will help support this worthwhile program that benefits so many in our community.
“Canceling the event last year was a big disappointment for the Master Gardener volunteers who thrive on sharing our love of gardening and what we have learned with the community,” said Garden Fair coordinator Tim Stiess. “The event this year is a bit different, due to COVID restrictions, but we want Spokane to know that we are still here for them and their gardens.”
Susan Mulvihill is author of “The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook.” She can be reached at Susan@susansinthegarden.com. Watch this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video at youtube.com/susansinthegarden.
INFORMATION: Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane Plant Sale
When: Saturday Apr. 22 through May 8.
Details: This sale is by appointment only at the club’s greenhouse, located east of the Gaiser Conservatory near the Manito meeting room. Visit the club’s plant sale page for more details and call (509) 309-3983 to schedule your personal shopping appointment. They ask for a minimum purchase of $25 per appointment.
INFORMATION: Garden Fair and Plant Sale
When: Saturday Apr. 24 through May 8, with plant pick-ups Apr. 24 through May 9.
Details: Beginning Apr. 24, visit mgfsc.org/plant-sale to access the link to the online shopping site. Those who become 2021 members of the Master Gardener Foundation by the end of today (Apr. 18) qualify for early online shopping on Apr. 22 and a 10 percent discount at this sale.