Friends School Plant Sale
Friday’s foray to the Friends School Plant Sale in St. Paul went smashingly. I didn’t get there until around 1 p.m. and missed the worst of the crowds, though it was still plenty busy.
Shortly after I arrived, I connected with my garden master friends who were nearly ready to check out after three hours shopping. They were in the first 10 of over 900 early birds who received numbered wristbands for admittance when the sale opened at 10:00 a.m. They also won an award for their customized multi-tiered garden cart, which obviously put my wagon to shame.
Of the 30 or so items on my shopping list, only two were sold out, and one had suffered crop failure. I recall more unavailable items from 2nd day shopping in previous years. I spent only a couple minutes in line to enter the sale and just over ten minutes in line to check out, so the crowds were quite manageable, too. On balance, I am very happy with my decision to try shopping the first day of the sale this year.
Here’s how my wagon looked after I checked out (with apology for the cell phone image quality):
And here is my haul spread out on the patio table, minus the windowbox flowers and with the addition of the sold-out “Josephine” clematis that I got at a garden store:
By the end of the weekend almost all of the landscape plants were in the ground, leaving the vegetable garden to be planted this week. Of the additions to the landscape gardens, I’m most excited about the delicate gas plant, unusual sea holly, and fragrant flowering tobacco. I’ll have pictures of my own from the garden as the season progresses.
2 Responses to “Friends School Plant Sale”
Wow! I’m glad to hear that day #1 went well.
Last year was my first and only time and I went on the last day - CRAAAAAAZAAAYY crowds. My agoraphobia kicked in hardcore and I swore I’d stick with Seed Savers catalogs henceforth.
But in other news: I’m going to have to stalk your yard sometime soon. I expect it’s magnificent!
By ranty on May 14, 2008
Yikes! I’m sure the size and make-up of the crowd vary, Ranty, but there probably isn’t any good time for an agoraphobic to visit the Friends Plant Sale.
I should also warn you that I require all stalkers to take a pigeon home with them. And no binoculars– they scare the children.
By Josh on May 15, 2008