Plant Sale shopper Shana has heard our call for photos, and responded with this photo of her Gallery Pink lupines, which are now in bloom. This plant is from the 2007 sale. Shana writes:
“This plant sits on the edge of a rain garden in the front of my house. I just expanded the garden and planted it with a bunch of plants from the sale (swamp milkweed, monkeyflower, turtlehead, blue vervain, side oats gramma, and more). If you’re interested, I can take pictures of this as they grow.”
Yes, Shana, please send more photos! And everyone else with plants from the sale — we’d love to see how they’re doing. Send them to photos@friendsschoolplantsale.com
]]>“Henry saw these in my newest flower bed a few weeks ago and said I should take a picture and send it to you.

“I use whatever sticks I find on the ground (and over the years I have way more than I need) and poke them around and among freshly planted bulbs (and other flowers that rabbits and squirrels like to eat) to protect the bulbs from being dug up and eaten by said r’s and sq’s. It discourages them and the method works!”

I asked Ceil if she removes the sticks in spring, or what, and she sent in this picture in response — the sticks are still there, and the blooming tulips and daffodils outshine them.
]]> In fact, we really need them, because otherwise we are limited to using photos we take ourselves in our own gardens and photos from the websites we have permission to use. And this supply of photos is dwindling.
We need both photos of individual plants that you bought at the sale and photos showing how the plants look in your garden, window box, or container. In fact, it would be great if you made a point of taking photographs in your garden this summer of both previous purchases and new 2008 plants.
We are more interested in practical photos that show the plant or flower clearly than in “beauty shots,” but either would be welcome! It’s not required, but we would also be interested in hearing about your impressions of the plants, both positive and negative.
There are various ways you can share your photos with the Friends School Plant Sale community:
If you feel like sharing photos of what you got at the sale — either before planting it or after — please email them to us.
Here are photos of my haul. See if you can pick out the Anthole begonia. And I couldn’t resist the variegated Colorguard Yucca, which was a surprise addition at the sale (we had tried to order it, but the grower said it wouldn’t be available.. and then it just showed up!).
I also felt moved to bring home these two charming birds (vultures?) from Dick’s Designs. They’re keeping a careful watch over some gold-green hosta, Japanese Forest Grass, and a bunch of Rue Anemone. In the background are several Pink Spike Black Cohosh — man, those are going to be beautiful!
]]>On Thursday before the sale, Mary V (our publicity coordinator and outside line wrangler extraordinaire), school development director Wendy Lutter, and four of our 8th graders were on KARE 11’s 4 p.m. newscast for about 5 minutes. You can read about what they said at this link and if you click the red “video” link below the photo of Mums on that page, they’ve included the video story. They also linked to the full version of our 30-Second Plant Sale video.
Mary, Wendy and the kids did a great job!
Then on Friday morning of the sale’s opening, Plant Sale founder Henry was interviewed for the Star Tribune’s Dirt on Gardening podcast. You can listen to that here (requires the Flash 8 player).
I haven’t had time to listen to this one yet but Henry says “It was interesting to hear it.” Hope you all agree!
]]>Happy Mother’s Day!
All the rain on Saturday is good news for those who like to shop at the half-price sale on Sunday. There were quite a few plants left on Saturday night, especially annuals and shrubs.
We will be using the new wristband system on Sunday which means that, if you want to, you can come early and get your wristband, then return when the wrist-band volunteers advise you to. It is hard to predict how early you would want to get your wristband if you want to be in the first six groups of fifty, but my best guess is two hours before the sale starts.
Remember, write down the full price, and then we cut it in half at the checkout!
Here is a very partial list of the plants I noticed that were still on the shelves tonight. Many are annuals, but there were many perennials, natives, and others, including a number of plants that we have always sold out of before Sunday in the past.
Spring blooming bulbs
First, if you didn’t already see them near the Info Desk, we have potted up spring bulbs (which will quickly grow to be like those shown in the picture above in a few days to a week), originally priced at $2 for a 4″ pot, $4 for a 6″ pot, and $6 for a 7″ pot. As with everything else, you will be able to take 50% off at the register. There are tulips and hyacinths in 4 and 6″ sizes, and mixed bulb gardens in the 7″ pots. What a great Mother’s Day present!
Rare Plants
Perennials
Climbers
Native Wild Flowers
Generally a not bad assortment, but here are the ones that are most available:

Photo by Pat, taken next to the Goodwill in St. Paul’s Midway, summer 2005.
Herbs
Annuals
Shrubs and Trees
Roses
[Additional reporting “from the field” by Pat]
]]>Above: Part of the White Garden at Sissinghurst (photo by Nancy)

Above: Maiden’s Wreath (Francoa p.17) (photo from the Wikipedia)
Above: Bacopa, Great White p. 39 A614

Above: Slender Deutzia ‘Nikko’ (Deutzia p.52) (photo from the Wikipedia)

Above: Prairie Sage (Artemisia ‘Valerie Finnis’ p. 32) (photo from Mobot.org)

Above: Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila repens p.7) (photo from the Wikipedia)
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Above: A684 Brush-Cherry Topiary p.48
Above: A 681 Banana ‘Rowe Red’ p. 48
Above: Another amazing cart!
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Above: We’ve moved the shrubs and trees outside along the front of the Grandstand.

Above: A student “section leader” looks up the names of plants so other students can shelve them.

Above: Students find time for a bit of levity as they carry out their Plant Sale duties.
Photos by Wendy Lutter.
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