We’re happy to say that we’ll be able to offer more certified organic vegetables this year. Up until now, we’ve had a number of tomato varieties and a few other odds and ends from one organic grower, but now Glacial Ridge, our largest provider of vegetables, is going to offer certified organic plants for some of its varieties that come in 3.5" pots. Here’s a list of what we’ll have:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage — green and red
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers (slicing)
• Hot Peppers –Jalapeno and Sweet Banana
• Muskmelon
• Squash — buttercup, delicata, and acorn
• Tomatoes — Sweet 100, Moskvich, and Valencia
• Watermelon
• Zucchini and yellow summer squash

Plus sweet basil in the herb department.

Organic 3.5" pots will be priced at $2.00 each.

Remember — all the rest of the vegetables we sell, even though they are not certified organic, come from growers who refuse to use toxic pesticides or fungicides. They use cats and ladybugs for pest control and optimized airflow to prevent fungus growth.

On the first day the Twin Cities hit single-digit temperatures, the buying committee met to discuss tropical plants for the sale. Perhaps in an attempt to compensate, we may have gone a bit overboard in our selections…but you be the judge.

After all, we did sell all of the large tropical plant varieties we offered last year (especially the Jasmine). Here’s the list (and a few photos) of what you can expect to see in 2008.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the Jasmine again this year. But we’re hoping the sweet-smelling Gardenias we’ve ordered will strike your fancy instead. Also on order:

We’ve offered gift certificates to the Plant Sale for years, but usually we just put a little ad about it in the catalog.

After receiving a couple of calls about it recently, though, we realized it might be more timely to remind our readers (which generally includes people who are gardening-crazed enough to be reading this website in December) that you can purchase a gift certificate any time, including right now as the holidays approach! Or, if you’re like me, you can hint to your friends and significant others that you wouldn’t mind getting one yourself…

To get one, please call Friends School during school hours (generally 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays).