“One minute, you’re young, hip and carefree and the next minute you’re photographing vegetables in your garden.”
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy plants, which is the same thing.”
If you’re a gardener who relates to any of these memes, mark your calendars with three epic Yakima plant sales coming up in May. Your purchases will support three local nonprofits whose work enriches our community.
Each of these sales is the culmination of months of planning and preparation. For the experienced gardeners working at the sales, seeing the faces of other Yakima gardeners makes all the work worthwhile. Plant sale workers are knowledgeable folks who like nothing better than talking all day about plants.
It doesn’t matter if you’re planting your very first garden, or if you’ve been a serious plant collector for decades. They are there to help.
Mark your calendars and start making your lists. You’ll find healthy plants that are well-suited to Yakima’s climate and unique growing conditions.
Master Gardener plant sale
This year’s Master Gardener plant sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3. There will be no Friday sale this year. The sale is held at the Yakima Master Gardeners Greenhouse, 1522 S. 18th Ave.
If you shop early on Saturday, you will be part of a crowd of gardeners slowly inching through the greenhouse, shoulder-to-shoulder. There are never enough wagons and carts, and the line to check out could be long. We are doing everything we can to efficiently serve you. We hope you can be patient!
We have thousands of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets and unique garden art items to choose from.
If you plan to buy more plants than your two arms can hold, bring your own wagon or tote. Master Gardeners will have a supply of cardboard trays for you to take your plants home in, but their supply will eventually run out. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own carry-out container.
For your safety, if you are shopping with a child in a stroller, wait until at least Saturday afternoon. Young gardeners are our future, and we celebrate and welcome them, but navigating through crowds over gravel pathways with a stroller is dicey when we first open. Since parking is limited, why not carpool with a friend or neighbor?
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You can find descriptions of all of this year’s plants at yakima.mastergardenerfoundation.org and click on “plant sale” under the “What we do” tab.
Yakima Area Arboretum plant sale
The Yakima Area Arboretum, 1401 Arboretum Drive, plant sale will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 8, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9. A YAA members-only presale will take place from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, May 7.
Shop for a wide range of perennials, conifers, shrubs and native plants selected for Central Washington conditions. This sale is known for its wide selection of unusual trees, including “Blanchard Magnolia,” “Autumn Blaze Maple,” “Yoshino Cherry” and “Heart Throb Dogwood.” Plant experts and garden designers will be on hand to help you find the perfect tree for your space.
Membership has its privileges. Arboretum members can connect with fellow garden enthusiasts and be the first to shop for perfect plants at the pre-sale on May 8 from 4-7 p.m. Wine and munchies will make it a party. Memberships can be purchased that day at the sale.
North Yakima Conservation District native plant sale
The Conservation District’s sale is on-line. Go to www.northyakimaconservationdistrictplantsale.com and click the “order now” button in the upper right corner of the page. You’ll find beautiful photos of available plants for sale along with prices. Wildflowers are in 3.5-inch pots. Shrubs and trees are in 1-gallon pots.
The final day to order is May 10. Plants that were not purchased and paid for online will be available for walkin customers on pick-up days. Supplies may be limited.
Plants can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 15, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 16. Orders can be picked up at the Yakima Master Gardeners Greenhouse, 1522 S. 18th Ave.
While the plants at these three sales are selected to thrive in Yakima gardens, most will require some hardening off. Hardening off involves gradually acclimating greenhouse grown plants to outdoor conditions before transplanting. This process, typically spanning a week or two, helps them adjust to changes in temperature, sunlight and wind, which will reduce the risk of transplant shock.
Make some lists. Check them twice. But be prepared. I guarantee that if you shop any of these great sales, you’ll meet at least one plant you can’t live without but wasn’t on your list.
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