May 28 Column: Friends of Manito Plant Sale
Who loves a plant sale? All of us, right? In my humble opinion, the Friends of Manito have the most comprehensive collection of wonderful plants. And they all grow well in our Inland Northwest gardens. My column today is a preview of the Friends of Manito Plant Sale.It will take place on Saturday, June 3 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Here is a link to it: Buy plants for butterflies, hummingbirds.
Or you can read my column below (don’t miss this week’s video underneath it!).
Column:
Every year, gardeners eagerly anticipate the Friends of Manito plant sale. That’s because they know they will find exceptional plants that are hardy for this region. The spring plant sale will be held on Saturday, June 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be located just east of Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory.
Pollinator plants
One of my gardening goals is to attract more butterflies. While perusing their online plant list, I was excited to see many will do just that.
For starters, there will be three milkweeds available at the sale. While that common name might put you off, these are definitely the type of “weeds” you want in your garden.
Milkweed
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), swamp milkweed Soulmate (A. incarnata) and whorled milkweed (A. verticillata) will available. They are all host plants for the endangered monarch butterfly. They lay their eggs on milkweeds, which later feed the caterpillars. Each of the above plants are hardy to zone 3 and prefer full sun.
There will be a large selection of nectar-producing plants, many of which will also bring in other pollinators and hummingbirds:
Coneflowers
Many wonderful cultivars of coneflowers (Echinacea) — including Aloha, Big Kahuna, Leilani, Kismet Raspberry and Mama Mia — are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant as well. They range in height from 18 to 40 inches, are hardy to zone 4 and prefer full sun.
Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium purpurea Atropurpureum), also known as mist flower, is hardy to zone 4. They grow up to 6 feet tall and have striking mauve-colored flower heads. Eupatorium rugosum Chocolate has bronzy-purple leaves, purple stems, and puffy white flower clusters. Featuring a more mounded growth habit, they’ll grow 3 to 4 feet tall and are hardy to zone 3. Both favor full sun but will tolerate some shade.
Bee Balm
Bee balm (Monarda) is another delightful perennial that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds. Jacob Cline, Purple Rooster, Blue Moon and Grape Gumball range from 2 to 3 feet in height and some are mildew-resistant. Hardy to zone 4, they’ll grow in part to full sun.
Beardtongue
Beardtongue (Penstemon) Dark Towers would be a nice addition to the garden because it is very hardy and features burgundy foliage and pink flowers. Plants grow up to 3 feet tall. Dwarf hairy beardtongue (P. hirsutus var. pygmaeus) is native to eastern North America, is more petite at 1 foot tall and has pink flowers. Both attract hummingbirds and are deer-resistant.
“Garden in a Box”
Plant sales manager Janis Saiki has designed five pre-planned gardens for TFM’s popular “Garden in a Box” packages. Plant collections include xeric, dry shade, deer-resistant/cold-hardy, “a child’s garden delight” and, of course, a pollinator garden.
“For it, I chose plants for non-stop blooming throughout the season,” Saiki said. “The boxes can be ordered in advance and picked up during the sale, or purchased during the sale.”
“Personal Potters” will be available to pot up plants or help customers plant their own hypertufa fairy gardens.
In the “Clash of the Containers,” contestants will compete to plant the most beautiful containers.
TFM members receive a 10 percent discount on their plant purchases. New members can join during the sale and receive the discount as well. All proceeds from the sale will benefit Manito Park.
Susan Mulvihill is co-author of “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook” with Pat Munts. Contact her at Susan@susansinthegarden.com. Watch this week’s “Everyone Can Grow A Garden” video on her YouTube channel, youtube.com/c/susansinthegarden.
Plant Sale details
FRIENDS OF MANITO SPRING PLANT SALE
When: Sat. [June 3] from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: East of Manito Park’s Gaiser Conservatory, 4 W. 21st Ave.
What: Perennials, shrubs, ornamental grasses, vines, tropical plants, garden art, children’s activities, information booths and live music.
More info: Visit thefriendsofmanito.org for plant lists and photos. There will also be the “Clash of the Containers” competition, live music, garden art and children’s activities. The popular plant list collections, information booths from community organizations will be available. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your plant questions. Proceeds from the sale will go right back into Manito Park. What a great way to support your community while bringing home new goodies for your garden!
This week’s video:
Here is this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden!” video, which is all about planting warm-season vegetable crops. (did you think we were never going to get warm weather for planting them this year?!)