Thirty Years of Floral Frenzy: The Friend’s School Plant Sale Milestone
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
May 10, 2019
On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we find ourselves on the cusp of a most extraordinary horticultural event.
The Friend's School Plant Sale in Minneapolis/St. Paul is poised to celebrate its 30th anniversary this weekend, a milestone that surely merits a fanfare of trumpeting daffodils!
Imagine, if you will, a botanical bazaar of such magnitude that it may well claim the title of the largest plant sale in all of the United States.
With a staggering array of over 2,450 plant varieties, it's a veritable Eden for those of us who find solace in soil and jubilation in germination.
This grand affair is not merely a feast for the senses, but a noble endeavor in support of education. The sale serves as a fundraising event for the Friends School of Minnesota, a modest Quaker establishment nurturing young minds from kindergarten through 8th grade in the Hamline-Midway area of Saint Paul.
How fitting that a school rooted in simplicity and peace should bring forth such a abundance of natural beauty!
Now, let us turn our attention to the debutantes of this year's botanical ball.
The new introductions for 2019 are enough to set a gardener's heart aflutter!
First, we have the Peony 'Sweet Marjory'. Oh, what a vision she is!
Picture, if you can, neat and sweet pink cactus-style flowers, their petals streaked with cream, green, and deep rose pink. At their center, a yellow fluff of stamens stands proud, like a golden crown. This early to mid-season bloomer offers a slight fragrance, just enough to tease the senses without overwhelming them.
But wait, there's more! Cast your eyes upon the French Hollyhock 'Bibor Felho'.
This Hungarian beauty (for 'Bibor Felho' translates to 'Purple Cloud' in the language of the Magyars) boasts fuchsia blooms adorned with dark purple veins. A halo surrounds a white center star, creating a flower of such striking appearance that it might have been plucked from a fairy tale. From June to September, these blooms will grace your garden, standing tall against summer's heat. While often considered a biennial or short-lived perennial, this tenacious plant can be treated as a self-seeding annual. For those of us who garden in more parched climes, take heart! This lovely is drought-tolerant, a true testament to the resilience of nature.
As we prepare to embark on this weekend of horticultural heaven, let us raise our trowels in salute to the Friend's School Plant Sale.
For thirty years, it has been a beacon of biodiversity, a celebration of cultivation, and a testament to the enduring allure of all things green and growing.
May your baskets be full, your choices be wise, and your gardens be ever blooming!
