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A humongous “THANK YOU!” to Ms. Becky and her greenhouse sidekicks for hosting another successful plant sale! We’re grateful for the 6 years you’ve invested in this event. There are a lot of hustles that go into managing a greenhouse, and you have set quite a standard for those who will be stepping into your shoes.
On that cool spring morning of our plant sale, when I walked through the grounds surveying the scene, my first encounter was with Gina and Mike and their lovely bees. Mike spoke to Stacey Haag about one bee behavior, where bees “execute” their own and even “fight” over which one gets to do it. (Who knew??) Some of our attendees came just to visit Mike and Gina. Bees are complex (and essential) creatures, and there’s a ton of knowledge that they were happy to share with everyone.
There was lots of foot traffic, and although we don’t have a way to track how many shoppers stopped by, we can agree the event was well attended. And even though this year wasn’t our top earning year, (2025 topped the last 5 years at $6,246 while we earned $5,046 this year), we did see a change in our customer demographic. Sharing on social media has been key for reaching a younger audience.
While working at checkout, RCMG Kendall Simmons observed that, “Everyone really understood what a value they were getting for their money, and that the general pricing was a particularly good deal. I had many conversations about that. For example, customers would say, ‘This would have cost $10-15 at the garden center (big box stores).’”
Our shoppers knew what they were looking for. Basil was popular, selling out fast, and they inquired about specific plants, including corkscrew willow, coneflowers, natives of every kind, and perennials.
For next year’s sale, we’ll need a committee of 2-3, even 3-4, RCMGs to lead the way. Per our President, Beth, “Without dedicated volunteers, we won’t be able to utilize the greenhouse effectively.” Currently, our greenhouse is a clean slate, and we need to keep that way for all of us to use. If we want to use the space, we’re responsible for fully managing any project we start. That means, if you plant something, take care of it or it will die, and clean up after yourself. Make sure to leave the space clean and open for others to use as well.
A bit of plant humor…
There was humorous moment, when a shopper asked us, “Does this Solomon’s seal spread like lily of the valley? That’s the plant you give your enemies. That lily of the valley takes over. It just shows up everywhere you didn’t plant it, and you can’t get rid of it.” I chuckled at her comment and responded that it certainly does not spread the way lily of the valley does.
Until next time… Happy Planting!
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