Although spring was early this year, it doesn’t “officially” start until the Lopez Garden Club has its Giant Plant Sale. This year’s highly anticipated event is happening on Thursday, May 14, from 10 a.m. until noon at Woodmen Hall on Fisherman Bay Road. Eager Lopez gardeners line up early to have first shot at selecting many wonderful and sometimes unique plants that other gardeners from all over the island have donated. The selection of plants includes trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, herbs, veggie and berry starts and a variety of native species. There will also be the popular section of new and used garden books for sale.
This special event will again include the awesome and successful silent auction. Bidding is expected to be lively as we will have many new and one-of-a-kind plants and other garden items. The auction will close promptly at 11 a.m. shoppers can bid on a fabulous assortment of plants, garden-related items and gift certificates donated by local businesses and nurseries, including some from the mainland and San Juan Island. This year’s contributors are Friday Harbor Hardware and Marine, Azusa Farm and Gardens, D Avenue Nursery, Fisherman Bay Botanicals, Lopez Bookshop, Lopez Village Market, Midnight’s Farm, Miles Becker of Skookum Tree Care, Mitchell Bay Farm, Nathan Donnelly of Reverence Permaculture, Paper Scissors on the Rock, Skagit Valley Food Co-op, Skagit Valley Gardens, Sunset Builder’s Nursery, Sweetbriar Farm, T & D Farms, The Market at Anacortes, and Wells Nursery, as well as many other individuals.
Funds raised by the Plant Sale are used by the Garden Club to finance its yearly scholarship awarded to a graduating Lopez High School senior and to provide stipends to guest speakers who give presentations at the Garden Club meetings. Members of the Garden Club meet monthly, September through June, on the second Thursday of the month at Woodmen Hall, from 9:30 a.m. till noon. Every other year the Garden Club also sponsors the Lopez Island Garden Tour, which is a real treat for everyone to see what is possible to grow on this rock we call home. The next tour will be coming up this year on June 11.
Donate any plants you are thinning out or would like to share. Donations can be dropped off at Woodmen Hall on Wednesday, May 13, from 3 to 5 p.m.
