I just returned from the Friends School Plant Sale, held annually, Mother's Day weekend at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Anyone within driving distance of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN or planning to visit the area Mother's Day weekend, should put this event on their calendar and plan to be amazed. http://www.friendsschoolplantsale.com/
Even better, take a friend to the Friends Sale. I went with my homegirl, Di and we had a great time.
Receiving my plant catalog for the Friends School Plant Sale is one of the highlights of the drearier winter months. I spend days slowly cruising through the possibilities, putting stars next to the plants that interest me. By the time May rolls around, that catalog is dog eared and coffee stained and I have whittled down my stars to a real shopping list.
Every year, the Friends School of Minnesota perfects their sale. Di and I arrived around 10:30 and were in the gates by 11:30, easily. We were home by 1:00 with the most unusual array of garden goods.
While waiting to get into the sale with our "group" (entrants are given numbered wristbands to gain entrance, an excellent form of crowd control), we perused the yard art and rain barrels, chomped on free apples from a local co-op and fed their cores to some happy chickens showing off their really cute coops, and marveled at all the cool things to build if we only had an arc welder. Time flies with so many creative things to see.
Once inside the Grandstand, the sale is superbly organized. I found everything I wanted. My most treasured acquisition was 12 "Falstaff" brussels sprout plants. They are the most gorgeous shade of purple you've ever seen and so tasty.
My second most wonderful find was a variety of onion that I had hoped to start from seed, not realizing that I should have begun the process in February. I bought 6 packets of "Copra" yellow onions, proclaimed to be one of the best storage onions. I'll save my seed until February 2012. I almost squealed in delight. Everyone else carries ONIONS, yellow, white, or red and blink when I ask "what kind?".
The BEST thing about the sale is the people. Everyone is trying to negotiate their wagon/wheelbarrow/stroller/shopping cart through a crazy maze of shoppers and plants and no one develops a case of wagon rage. Everyone is laughing and scooting around each other to get to the one plant THEY MUST HAVE and no one seems to mind if you are a terrible wagon driver in reverse.
And the variety of shoppers is wonderful. It gives a gardener hope for the future to see so many fellow gardeners, young and old, from all walks of life, speaking so many languages, and ALL loving green things.
I was most impressed by the students who lend a hand with this sale. They know their stuff and all have a favorite plant of their own.
I crammed my wagon full of plants that will feed my family and my soul. I laughed with grandmas and their babies. I chatted with a nice woman who has a hearing aid similar to the one my nephew wears. I traded blueberry growing tips with some young moms, looking to feed their babies some home grown food. Di and I giggled at a man who read his plant catalog while lounging in his wheelbarrow.
It was a great morning. My plants are all on the backporch, waiting to go into the ground and I had a fabulous time on a perfect spring morning.
Every day's a holiday with you dear.
ReplyDeleteThe one plant I wanted was the passion flower vine, got it! Not on my list but a happy find was the astilbe section. I have visions of transforming my woodland area.