Ready to Go!

The Friends Plant Sale is approaching. It is the biggest and best gardening event in the Twin Cities. And an event not to be missed. It is time to plan your strategy to take on this plant extravaganza, happening the week end of May6-8. With the catalog online now as well as available in printed form,  it will make your heart sing as you yearn for spring.

Some advice from "old-timers." Unless there is a particular rarity you want to be sure you will carry out of the State Fair Grandstand with that huge smile on your face that is the trademark of a happy gardener, it is best not to show up when the doors are scheduled to open - as hordes of people will descend at that time. Of course, there are some compensations for coming early - you could meet new people this way, while you stand in line. And have some interesting gardening conversations, as well as complain about our slow-to-emerge spring and the tedious, long winter.

Ourselves, we go a bit later on Friday and still manage to find almost everything our little hearts desire.

Or you can wait until Saturday morning. The Friend's huge cadre of volunteers are fast learners and every year have devised new ways to ease your shopping experience. One of those is re-stocking for Saturday, rather your being faced with a slowly dwindling supply of interesting plants.

And course there is your return visit on Sunday, when things are marked down. After, two days the plants are a little weary and are puppies at the Humane society. They will be clamoring for your adoption attention.

And remember shopping at this gig-normous sale is a two for one deal - The sale is Friends School's primary fund raiser. Profit from the sale means more financial aid for prospective students, who otherwise would not have the option of going to Friends - a wonderful educational opportunity and a first class education.