cool plant sale coming Sept 16

FIND COOL PLANTS & SUPPORT A UNIQUE GARDEN! (I seldom miss this one - the prices are reasonable and there are always great plants!)

2006 FALL Plant Sale


Saturday, September 16, 2006

9 am to 3 pm

- proceeds benefit the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

The sale will be held at Weyerhaeuser Corp. Headquarters,

33663 Weyerhaeuser Way South,Federal Way, Washington 98003

There will be over 20 vendors from Western Washington & Oregon selling thousands of favorites as well as unique and rare plants including rhododendron species and hybrids, perennials, trees, other shrubs, ferns, and bamboo.

The Federal Noon Lion's Club will be offering breakast Saturday morning and lunch Saturday afternoon with all proceeds going back to the community. Please support their endeavors as well! Their Polish dogs are very tasty!


Parking is always FREE and admission to the garden is FREE during sale hours.

Herpst - will you be reading any poetry that day? :O)
Seriously - what is the general quality of the plants that you have either purchased or observed?
Federal Way is not too close, so I would want the trip to be worthwhile. I am going to be ready to do some serious planting about that time, shrubs in particular.
Just curious - are most of the plants pretty standard fare? Or do they ever have the more unusual - but not necessarily rare. Thanks for the heads-up! K

This message was edited Aug 16, 2006 11:25 PM

Hi Katye,
You'll recognize me - I'll be in wearing a black turtleneck and beret and I'll be carrying bongos.
I will be reading a few favorite seasonal poems including "Something Told the Wild Geese" by Rachel Field. And am working on a translation of Rilke's Autumn:

The dry leaves fall.
Fall from distant gardens in the sky.
Fall with an air of resignation.

And in the night this heavy earth falls down.
Down from the stars into a lonliness.

All of us fall.
This hand must fall.
And look around you.
It will all go the same way.

Yet there is one who holds all falling things gently, eternally within his hands.

But I digress -

The vendors represent various specialty nurseries. The Rhododendron Species Garden has a huge offering of really unusual rhodies and azalias with unusual and beautiful foliage. In the spring, they usually have hardy orchids as well. There are usually a couple of native plant vendors who also carry some unusual ferns. Everyone will have hardy cyclamen and anything that is blooming in September. There will be interesting bamboos & wonderful grasses.

The quality of the plants is always superior. There is a mix of some familliar plants and some interesting & unusual ones. The vendors know that we freaks who will travel out of our way to attend a sale will be looking for unusual stuff. They also know that some folks, even the most discerning, will be seduced by a beautiful flower color or form or fragrance even if it isn't extremely unusual. I see a lot of the same vendors at this sale (happens both spring and fall) year after year. There is always something new that I find there before it hits the larger market. I never miss this sale but it's only a 20 minute drive for me. I've loved the Bellvue Botanical Garden sale when I've caught it but because of the distance, I don't always hit that one.

Perhaps you could make the trip worth your while by doing the Federal Way sale and then going to Vassey Nursery in Puyallup (great nursery & usually they have a sale in Sept. all trees and shrubs 25 - 50 percent off) Their prices are great to begin with and this sale is incredible. Then on your way to Tacoma, you could visit Watson's Nursery (HUGE place with lots of interior & exterior plants & decor - plants are pretty standard but well grown) Why, you might ask, would you be going to Tacoma? Good question. Well, you'd be so close and no plant buying frenzy would be complete without a visit to Jungle Fever. They specialize in hardy tropicals & big leafed plants to acheive a jungle look. They also have drought loving plants, great agave selection, wonderful water plants, unusual outdoor art. - I could go on and on about them - they carry a lot of unusual stuff. An added bonus is that the owners live behind the nursery & you can see how they combine the plants they carry as you stroll by their garden. And if you weren't totally out of time and energy, you could catch the ferry (about a mile from Jungle Fever) to Vashon Island, Visit DIG (an AMAZING nursery. No place quite like it), have dinner on the island, and then catch the ferry on the other side of the island which would take you to Seattle.

If this is too much for one day, you could leave out Watsons. They are quite large and that in itself can be impressive but their (way overpriced) interior decor area takes up so much space that could be devoted to really unusual plants.

I'd say that the trip would be worth your while . You'll find some great stuff. If you do decide that you'd like to venture to any of the other nurseries in the area, let me know, I can give you addresses & directions.


This message was edited Aug 16, 2006 11:20 PM

This message was edited Aug 16, 2006 11:24 PM

Herpst, why did you do this to me? I was innocently going about my business not knowing in particular when that sale was, and probably just as well, and then I see your new thread. Are you trying to torment me??? I spent so much money at that sale last year that it was pathetic. And that was in POURING down rain!! If the weather is nice, who knows how much I could spend?
Yes, Kayte, they have some superior things that are hard to find elsewhere. The species rhododendrons alone are worth it.

ditto about WAtsons. Very mainstream. very overpriced interior goods, but very nicely put together. They do have a nice cafe and serve tempting deserts. And they do have a great succulent selection in their indoor plant area, and the prices on those are very good. But not worth the trip down. I must make the trip to Vashon to to Dig someday. Meanwhile, this was posted in the newspaper today:

AUG. 26 Little and Lewis Garden Gallery is open to the public to view the combinations of concrete sculptures, water features and plantings, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Little and Lewis, 1940 Wing Point Way N.E., Bainbridge; free (206-842-8327 or www.littleandlewis.com).



It's totally off your topic, for which I apologize, but I knew you'd want to know. I'm totally going. My mother-in-law, a lovely master gardener from Tennessee, will be here that weekend and she was so ticked off about Heronswood's closing, that I'm offering this as a soothing balm. We always do gardens when she is here. I'm lucky that way.

sounds like a shopping trip! and thank you kindly for the info - it is now on my calendar.

Oh Pixy, our Pixy,

I'm not a topic purist. Especially when it comes to hearing about Little and Lewis. Thanks!

Goodness!. I need to rearrange my schedule all ready to fit all these places in. I can't wait to see womething new as Olympia area doesn't have a whole lot to offer, at least that I am aware of.

Hey Froggie,

I visited Steamboat Island Nursery and Fairie Gardens (both in the Olympia area) recently & they were pretty cool.

HERPST,
You can come and we can go thru lynch creek dahlias too, ;)

You think that Pixydish would allow us to be in the same place at the same time? Maybe she'd come too?

This I just gotta see!
As much trouble the two of you are able to generate singularly, I would definately want to witness trouble squared!

Katye,

Just look for the empty nurseries we leave in our wake! Should we try and do a round up sort of thing? We could meet at the Federal Way plant sale & proceed to wreak havoc at nurseries in Pierce and King Counties.

Uh oh. I just had a flashback to grocery shopping with teenage sons. Bad scene! Chairs and whips (maybe chains?) on hand for every eventuality. High pressure hoses. Loud whistles. I think I need to go lie down.

KATYMAC,
Whips and chains?? Hmmmmm, Ok!! heheheh

Rapscallions!
I'll bring my own chair.

I don't know about you but I usually plant my rapscallions in the spring. You can tell the rapscallions from the others because they have catchy names like Ice Tea Scallion or Snoop Dog Scallion.

trouble squared! LOL!! I think it would be great fun to meet up at the sale! And then we could do the garden there, and see the incredible bonsai exhibit, of which I never tire!
Skidivur, you can come in costume, even incognito, but leave the whips and chains at home. I don't do goth, or anything dark like that. And if there is any trouble with you two, I'll hang with the ladies and pretend I don't know you.

Do you see what you are doing to Katymac? You are giving her a sick headache and possibly even a flashback!

Pixy -excellent idea - Be careful of the costume parameters you draw - you might give someone ideas...Don't forget your chair.

Excellent suggestion. And the whip. I can coil it and used it like a belt and no one will know the difference, yet it will be available at will. No black leather though. Absolutely not. I am a 48 year old mother of two. I don't do black leather. Not in public anyway.

Having the body of a zepplin, I tend to shy away from black leather, spandex, etc. I consider it a public service to cover as much of myself as possible.

I, of course, will be on my very best behavior. If anything happens, you can be sure that it will be started by Skidivur. You know how he is.

sounds like you have previous experience...

Niether with Skidiver nor black leather (o.k. shoes but that's a different story) or any combination of the two. Those were just nasty rumors.

This message was edited Aug 18, 2006 11:37 AM

I'm contacting the Discovery Channal. This has to be filmed!! Think of me as you do your tour of distruction. I want one of each of what ever you get. I would come with but I've tweeked my knee, (probably pushing a pot with my foot) and I'm in a wheelchair for a few days... awwwwh youth. But someday I will make that treck, when I'm healthy, wealthy, and more wealthy, already wise enuff... ;)

Viv

"tour of distruction" ROFLOL!! What a group we'll be! Someone (I don't know who, or what gender...) in costume, someone with the 'body of a zeppelin' (I hope you will not be floating in mid-air!), a middle-aged mother with a whip around her waist, Another woman carrying a chair in defensive posture - I feel sure that people will move quickly out of our way when they see us coming! Excellent! We will have the best choices of all the plants! Vizz, you could come in your wheelchair. We'll arm wrestle for who gets to push you!!

I get to push Vizz. Skidivur got to do it last time!

We'll see! It all depends on your behavior! Vizz gets the last word.

I am bringing the chair, but not for the purpose of defending my space.
I just want to sit and watch this all unfold.
Vizz, if you can get there, I'll sit with you, and then move us as necessary.
It looking very promising as a show, so I prefer to have a front row seat!

Will you be purchasing plants? Bring elbow pads so you can elbow Skidivur and Herpst out of the way. Rumor has it that they start working the vendors with two shopping carts each.

You all make this event sound so ... dangerous! Hope I can make it.

Me too! A little risk is a good thing.

Pixydish,

You say that like it's a bad thing. I'm sure that YOU'LL just be a paragon of self restraint. O.K. missy, let's just see whose cart is fuller at the end of the sale, shall we? Fortunately for me, they usually have a lot of hydrangeas at the fall sale. That's right, hydrangeas. I think I know someone who has been devoting a lot of space in her garden to this lovely family...hmmm. And I believe that my esteemed collegue, Skidivur, said that when one points a finger at another, there are three fingers pointing right back at her!

Acutally, I usually go to the sale thinking that I have no more space for even one more plant and that I'll just go and look. I don't even take a cart but tell myself that IFI buy anything, it'll have to fit into one of those little boxes that they provide. Yeah, that works - for about 5 minutes. It's like dragging a pot head through Amsterdam just to have a look. (notice, offhanded justification for self indulgence ahead) Oh well, I guess that there worse things to be addicted to than buying plants.

For those of you who haven't been there, there is a mob of frantic plant fanatics (that would be us) chomping at the bit for the gates to open. Some years they have let people in a little before 9. If you get there early enough, you can park in the lot directly above the one where the sale is & with your binoculars, scope out which vendors you'll want to visit first. Fortunately the more novice attendees will be seduced by some common thing that is blooming its head off in some far corner. This leaves an opening for the more experienced who will be looking for the half-dead looking sticks of whatever is new & they just have to have first. So, you see, we'll need a game plan. We can form an impenetrable barrier of gardeners & carts, & fan out over the entire area. If we discuss what each of us likes, we can stuff our carts, meet just before check out & sort out who gets what & be loading plants while everyone else is left wondering what happened to all of the merchandise.

Mostly, it's an experiential thing. You walk around several times admiring plants and listening to conversations about where Blanche will plant this and whether or not Edna's mother would like that shade of yellow in her border. Meanwhile Tad and Bitsy debate the relative merits of the exotic bamboo screen their designer suggested for their new home and the dedora cedar and sword ferns that make Brad and Bab's summer cottage have such a sense of place. Season - weary vendors will try their best to sound excited while explaining the cultural needs of marigolds to Amber, Crystal (yes after Carington) and Stone who love tending the window box outside of their salon/tatoo parlor/piercing venue. So much fun - so little time.

Our ace in the hole will be Vizz in the chair. If someone outside our circle happens to snap up a plant that one of us wants Vizz could point & make a fuss. One of us can appologize profusely & explain how she's had such a hard year and since Dad went to be with Jesus, she's lonely, falling more & how that plant was the one thing that she was hoping to find. Who could deny her that little bit of happiness? :)

Tad & Bitsy? this is rich...
In light of some of the attendees, perhaps a bit of creative mayhem combined with a well thought out plan might send some packin'. After referring back to previously posted ideas, some of those offered are seeming more plausible. I think Herpst needs to wear black leather & chat up Tad & Bitsy, while playing bongos.
Herpst: I am having issues with the cart comment. Do I need to bring my own cart?
Remember, I am bring the chair. Just how popular is this event? Do I need shoulder pads & head gear?
coffee available? Directions? How early do I need to get there? what is a typical size pot for the nursery stock? Are we talking 1 - 2 - 5 gallon? I need to know which auto to bring...
and don't forget the cart - I am having cart angst.

Katye,

Take a nice deep cleansing breath. I know it's scary. Everyone has a first time & everyone's experience is different so I won't pretend to know what you're going through. I'll try to answer your questions to lower your level of concern.

1) The idea of my squeezing this pudgy body into black leather is as frightening as it is humorous. I would look like a walking bean bag chair. It might be useful to scare people away, though.
2) You needn't bring your own cart unless you have a favorite one to which you are emotionally attached. There is usually an adequate supply of carts/wagons close to the entry point. If you do bring your own, (I've seen it happen once) you would need to park in the plant pick up/handicapped parking area as getting a cart down the steps on the other side might not be your idea of a fun time.
3) The event is fairly popular. The die hard group that shows up to wait for the gates (o.k. it's a piece of rope strung between traffic cones) to open usually numbers 30 - 70. People continue to come throughout the day. There is ample room for everyone to get in & walk around. Lots of space between vendors & many traffic pattern choices. People are really fun & happy either because they've just taken their prozac or because it's genuinely fun to be outside on a lovely Sepetember morning among like-minded people and tons of plants.
4) The pot sizes range from 4" to balled and burlaped shrubs and trees that look like you'd need a piece of heavy equipment to get them to your car. Usually only the Rhododendron Species Garden brings in really big stuff because this is so close to their site. Since the other vendors come from farther away, they pack their trucks with as much as possible. There will be a lot of gallon sized plants. There is an alpine plant specialist who comes from Graham who has a lot of 4" pots. Bamboos are usually in 2 - 5 gallon pots. The vendors usually go for a mix of "wow factor" big plants that will draw you to their space and more demure lovelies that will keep you there.
5) Unless you are looking for larger shrubs/trees, the regular Martha Stewart SUV will suffice, no need to bring the 18 wheeler.
6) Coffee (from a large urn - choices are black or with cream and/or sugar) is available as are porta -potties. I'm not really sure about the availability of espresso on site. I admire your forethought in this area as one wouldn't want too much blood in his/her caffiene system.

Feeling a little less stressed? You'll be among nurturing gardener types. You'll be o.k. None of the other kids will laugh at you. Remember, You're good enough, you're smart enough and doggone it, people like you. Mostly.

Sounds like I better either bribe my DH to come along (he HATES groups of more than 2 or 3 people) or hook up with a buddy -- they say there's safety in numbers.

Herpst:
Mostly?
Took a breath, but only because I just came in from outside. I'll explain later.
I have no cart, thus, no emotional attachment. But the original comment about carts threw me, as I had an experience at the Coleus show at Wells Medina Nursery last year - people did bring their own carts. I was very conservative about my purchases & only required 3 boxes. However, I was continually short 1 hand. I felt like a cocktail waitress, balancing those boxes, moving through a very crowded area.
Numbers: I don't have a problem with the estimates you gave. Higher numbers = oxygen thieves.
Vehicular logistics: The truck comment was in regards to efficiency. It seemed easier to abscond with everything and sort it out afterwards. Expediting leaves more time for other activities, and less crowd interaction. I will bring an appropriately-sized automobile.
Coffee availability: any kind will do - just wondered if I need to stop & purchase before I get there.
Plant varieties: sounds very good. I was hoping that this wasn't all 4" pots - I am needing larger sizes for my current project.
Stress factor: none. But I was having a difficult time with the cart issue, which you have laid to rest.
This sounds like a worthwhile event. Some are, & some are not, as I have found over the years.
I don't care if anyone laughs - I'll have my chair! Or should we wait for you to change your mind about leather apparel? I was hoping you would acquiesce, as it would be a surefire way to rid the place of any Tads & Bitsies (that sounds like cat food!).
You have not addressed the time issue - It is imperative as I will need to leave at an appropriate time. Don't want to miss the gates opening... Thank you kindly for the info! Looking forward to this event & meeting you all. K

Maneuvers Distance Maps
1: Start out going NORTHWEST on E LAKE SAMMAMISH PKWY NE toward E LAKE SAMMAMISH SHORE LN NE. 1.9 miles
2: Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto REDMOND WAY / WA-202. 0.5 miles
3: Merge onto WA-520 W via the ramp on the LEFT toward SEATTLE. 5.8 miles
4: Merge onto I-405 S toward RENTON. 12.4 miles
5: Merge onto WA-167 S via EXIT 2A toward KENT / AUBURN. 11.9 miles
6: Merge onto WA-18 W toward I-5 / TACOMA. 2.2 miles
7: Take the WEYERHAEUSER WAY S exit. 0.2 miles
8: Turn RIGHT onto WEYERHAEUSER WAY S / 32ND AVE S. 0.2 miles
9: Enter next roundabout and take 2nd exit onto WEYERHAEUSER WAY S. 0.1 miles
10: End at 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way S
Federal Way, WA
Once you get to the roundabout, you can just follow the "plant sale" signs that will be out. Usually this is in the west parking lot (closest to the RSG) Sometimes the singns are a little confusing & you may find yourself in a parking lot that looks over the lake (the corporate hedquarters building is actually classified as a dam) If the parking lots are totally empty, don't panic. Just retrace your steps and look for the signs again.

Total Est. Time: 41 minutes Total Est. Distance: 35.71 miles

I lost this thread, and for some reason I thought this sale was Aug16th and so I would not be going. But surrrrrrrprize!!! I will be out of the chair... but I might take it anyway so we can snivels those plants out of others greedy little hands, you can all take turns pushing, keep it slow on the speed bumps.

cat food... LOL

Pixy, brovo I felt like I was there!
I would NOT like to see any of us in leather. The fleating image in my imaganation was enough.

Herpst - I was checking my Thomas Guide out, but thank you for more explicit directions. However, I will take I-90.
Let's try once more: starts at 9 am, right? Please tell - what is a reasonably early time to arrive?
I am hoping I don't need to come down & spend the night in the parking lot!