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Reap the best varieties at Memorial Gardens Plant Sale

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Don’t be a pansy! Make plans to attend the sixth annual Memorial Gardens Plant Sale on Saturday, May 7, from 8 a.m. to noon. And if you have perennial plants and flowers at home you wish to donate, dig them up, box or bag them, label them with variety and color, and drop them off at the gardens any time the Friday before. (Courier Press file photo)

By Correne Martin

You may buy or donate your perennials Mother’s Day weekend, at the sixth annual Memorial Gardens Plant Sale and help enhance the beauty of St. Feriole Island too.

From 8 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, May 7, rain or shine, area residents can purchase perennial plants and flowers of many varieties, some bagged and some potted, that are all hearty to this region.
Organizers Cathie Nelson and Barb Toberman noted that, for certain, there will be coneflowers; assorted lilies; plants and flowers that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds; and hostas.

“We have lots of hostas. You wouldn’t believe it; they’re such a hot seller,” Barb said.

Cathie added, “We’ll also have rhubarb for sale for top price.”

There will also be wood chips available by the pickup load. Interested individuals should go to the Moore building behind the gardens, during the sale, where fellow volunteer Tom Nelson will be ready with a skid steer for loading. Additionally, Babbette’s Seeds of Hope, a family-owned business located in Eau Claire, will sell high-quality sunflower seeds, corn and wildlife blends for bird, deer and wildlife viewing enthusiasts. Seed proceeds benefit families dealing with cancer and other illnesses in honor of the Babbette, who died from multiple myeloma in 2014 (BabbettesSeedsOfHope.com).

The plant sale—hosted by the Memorial Gardens committee, and assisted by some local Master Gardeners—will feature a heap of perennials once nurtured by those hosting the sale themselves. However, the public is encouraged to help supplement the sale’s variety by bringing plants from their own yards to the gardens for the sale.

“They can drop them off Friday, or any time that week really,” Cathie said. “We ask that they pot them up if they can, or box or bag them. We also want them to be labeled with what they are and the color. We will price them.”

Cathie also noted that Plant Sale visitors will have a chance to view the tree on the Valley family mound (by the fire pit) for the last time, as it’s going to be trimmed and cut off at about 10 feet high, then sculpted by Mike Valley and a friend.

A musical activity piece for children is also being staked out now in the gardens, the two said, in honor of Bruce Dillman. Passers-by can check that out if they wish.

All proceeds from the plant sale will help further beautify the Memorial Gardens and enhance the amenities there as well.

“The sale gives us a chance to buy plants we otherwise couldn’t afford,” Barb explained.

The women pointed out that the sale has funded bird baths, bird food, hummingbird feeders, wind chimes, Christmas lights, decorations, benches, paint, weed killer, trees and other features that make the gardens such a distinctive attraction.

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