We all love it when the school bus arrives on Wednesday and the student volunteers run, uh, speed-walk at maximum speed into the Grandstand to start working on the plant sale.

Their main jobs are to unload the trucks, figure out where each plant goes and put it there, water the plants, help shoppers, and clean up when the sale is over. These are real jobs, not busy work! These jobs require skill, strength, speed, common sense, perseverance, focus, teamwork, tact, and sometimes a little arithmetic. Thanks, kids, you were all great!

Pink Mulla Mulla Ptilotus ‘Joey’

There are many dozens of this plant still available at half-price on Sunday: if it had been blooming during the sale, it would have sold out the first day!

A completely new genus for U.S. gardens straight from central Australia, Ptilotus is pronounced “ty-LOH-tus” (from the Greek “ptilon” for feather.) Other common names are Lamb’s Tail, Pussy Tails, and Showy Foxtail.

Many chubby 4″ fuzzy bottlebrush flower spikes glisten silver and neon pink. The silver-green leaves are paddle-shaped and succulent-looking. You could guess from its Aussie origin that ‘Joey’ is heat and drought tolerant, and that it wants excellent drainage, such as a loose potting soil.

Last summer, Henry planted ‘Joey’ in our State Fair garden next to Aeonium ‘Zwartkop,’ Helenium ‘Dakota Gold, and Alternanthera ‘Red Threads’ and reports that Fairgoers could not resist petting the feathery flowers.

We hope to see more Ptilotus varieties become available in the future: there is one now on the internet called ‘Platinum Wallaby.’

12-15″ sun (A454, page 41)

So many plants, so little time!

Thousands of people made their way through the sale, buying everything from ageratum to zebra plant.

After a long wait, the blueberries finally arrived late in the afternoon, thanks to the heroic efforts of the American Blueberry Company. Varieties: Northland, Chippewa, Polaris and Tom Cat. $15.00 each, and they can be found in the fruit section, which is outside within the fence at the east end of the building.

And, of course, there were some great homemade carts in use!

The 2009 Friends School Plant Sale opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 8. We close at 8 p.m. today, then open up again at 10 a.m. Saturday (with restocking happening on many items before opening), then close at 6 p.m.

Sunday hours are 12 noon to 4 p.m., when everything remaining is half price!

The students, parents and many other volunteers have been working hard to get it all set up and it looks beautiful.

Siam Ruby Banana Musa ‘Siam Ruby’

Baby ‘Siam Ruby’ plants at Rush Creek Growers

10,000 years of banana cultivation in Papua, New Guinea produced a sport with the darkest red leaves of any banana yet discovered. Originally selling for more than $1500, ‘Siam Ruby’ was brought to the U.S. only three years ago and now you can have one for $14.

The foliage is a remarkable dark ruby with lime flecks and streaks, although it starts out chartreuse and develops more and more red as it matures and gets more sun. Each leaf has a surprising new pattern of red and green: some leaves are even half and half! Try Googling on Musa ‘Siam Ruby’ to see many photos of the different leaf markings when the leaves are mature.

A banana tree will easily overwinter as a houseplant in a sunny window or dormant in a cool dark basement.
8’ sun (A638, page 44)

These special bananas are literally not showing their true colors at the sale, but I have faith and I bought one! If you want ‘Siam Ruby’ be sure to look at its label because there are lots of Banana ‘Rowe Red’ (looking more obviously attractive….) right next to it.

Due to a major shipping error on the part of a grower, we will not have any of the blueberries listed in the catalog.

We are so sorry to have to report this.

UPDATE: We believe we have found another source for blueberries, and so hope to have them at the sale by midday on Friday.

The wristbands will start to be handed out starting at 8 a.m. on Friday morning.

Sunday wristbands will be handed out starting at 10 a.m.

Duckalicious Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus ‘Duckalicious’)

A brand new flower form for an old favorite, each bloom like a bouquet of tiny yellow duckies’ feet.  Even the leaves are lobed rather than the usual round shape. Trailing.

6-12” sun (A395, page 40)

Ghost Thistle Onopordum acanthium (A.K.A. Onopordon)

You know this giant purple flower better than you think you do: It is the Scottish Thistle, which has been the national emblem of Scotland since the 13th century. According to legend, a Scottish army camp was alerted to the sneak attack of invading Norsemen when a barefoot Viking stepped on a Scottish Thistle and gave a hearty Viking  holler. It is also the thistle flower symbol of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Dramatic and intimidating, like some ghost out of Macbeth, this strange white-leaved plant has a cottony, prickly down all over it, plus curious wide wings on the stem.  Another one of those oddball architectural plants seen in modern British gardens.

60” sun (P694, page 20)

Use some caution planting this one. It is not on the Noxious Weed list here in Minnesota, but it is in California and a few other places. It would be better not to let it go to seed or to plant it anywhere where you cannot monitor it (for instance in a wild garden or near a farmer’s field).  Some sources list the plant as a biennial, so it may not even flower this year (therefore, no seeds.)  I am growing it just for the weird foliage.

We’ll be issuing wristbands to early-arriving plant sale shoppers on Friday and Sunday (not on Saturday). We’ve found this is the fairest and quickest way to get everyone into the Grandstand and we appreciate your patience.

How Does It Work?
When you arrive at the Grandstand area, go to the kiosk at the WEST end of the building plaza; that’s where you’ll get your wristband. Each human arm presented will be given a wristband with a group number on it. Starting at 11 a.m., groups will enter the Grandstand in numerical order. (There will be 50 - 75 people in each group, but you won’t be snaking single-file all the way back to Ye Old Mill, so it should go faster.)

How Early Do I Have to Arrive to Get a Wristband?
You can come whenever you’d like. The sale starts at 11 a.m. Friday. We’ll be handing out wristbands by 8 a.m. If you get there before we do, just form a nice, friendly line (like you have in the past) and we’ll make sure everyone in line gets a wristband first.

Do I Have to Wait in Line for the Sale to Start?
No. Once you have your wristband, you are free to move about the Fairgrounds. Browse some of the new things we’ll have outside; go for a walk; sit in the sun, or the shade (or your car, if it’s raining). Go have breakfast somewhere if you’re one of the early arrivers.

Can I Get a Wristband for Someone Coming Later in the Morning?
Unfortunately, no. It’s one wristband per person, as you arrive. Yes, we know someone may be parking the car, but with 50 - 75 people per group, chances are their wristband will have the same group number as yours. If not, they’ll probably be entering the Grandstand about five minutes after you. The beauty of a sale this big is there’ll be plenty of plants waiting for you inside. But if you want to be sure you and your friends enter together, wait until you’re all present to get your wristbands.

What do the Wristband Colors Mean?
Wristbands are in three colors. You’ll see three corresponding color-coded lanes that lead to the grandstand entrance. The wristband color just indicates what lane you’ll use when your group number is called. Our goal is to have people continuously queuing up and moving.

Confused?
Just remember, everyone in a tie-dyed shirt is a volunteer, and they’re there to help. Again, your patience, understanding and sense of humor will help us make this new system a success! Thanks in advance.