Hundreds gather for Edmonds Floretum Garden club annual plant sale

This story has been updated with the total amount raised.

The light Saturday morning rain did nothing to deter hundreds of intrepid local garden enthusiasts from showing up for the chance to take home some first-rate planting material at the annual Edmonds Floretum Garden Club plant sale.

The sale is a major fundraiser for Floretum, where the plants and garden-related tools, gifts and décor are all donated by club members. The plants come almost exclusively from members’ personal gardens, with many continuously setting aside cuttings, thinnings and plants that no longer fit their landscape plans and earmarking them for the sale.

“This event is all member-driven,” said Floretum President Mary Kimball. “All the plants and other artistic creations you see today are things that members have been taking under their wings for the past year in anticipation of this event. It is so cool to see our members so engaged in providing beautification opportunities for people who live in and around Edmonds.

“In addition, this sale is the main source of funding for our scholarship program,” she continued. “We provide $1,500 scholarships each year to a student studying horticulture or botany. This sale is really important for the success of that program.”

Kimball went on to explain how Floretum membership has grown in the past two years.

“We now have more than 180 members,” she said. “We experienced more than 10% growth in membership over the past year, we’re proud to be the largest garden club in the state of Washington.  While there’s no way to be sure, I suspect that this is at least in part due to folks spending more time in their gardens during the COVID lockdown and discovering the love of plants right in their own backyard.”

According to Floretum treasurer Tracy Heffelfinger, this year’s sale netted $5,100 for the club.

“This is right in the ballpark for us,” Heffelfinger added. “Historically we take in around $5,000, give or take. This year’s plant material inventory was down a bit from past years, but our “garden boutique” offerings (tools, décor, etc.) were way up. Every year is a new and wonderful surprise present to see what our members offer up with their plants, art and donations.”

Learn more about the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club here.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

  1. Great reporting and pictures, Larry. Everyone had a delightful time and by the way, those approximate 100 tomato plants were sold within 30 minutes! But there were many more plants and garden boutique items.

    We should all be grateful for all these wonderful community volunteers and events.

  2. I left home “early” at 8:30 only to discover a full parking lot and long line to the entrance when I got there. Throwing caution to the wind, I dived into the mob at the tomato plants and scored the two well developed Early Girls, one with buds already, that I went there hoping to get. I only had to jump in front of one other customer and knock over one lesser tomato plant to get them into my possession and paid for. Life is good in Edmonds.

    1. I will tell that new Club member your story Clint, or maybe she checked you out! She has a hot house and grew them specifically for the sale. She also “hardened them for two nights” so they are good to go! Enjoy!

    2. “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” came to mind reading this brave and adventurous move on your part, Clint. I bet they are in the ground right now. What a great week for them to begin their brief lives with you. Happy to hear the sale was such a success and it seems it always is every year. I love the Floretum Garden Club. I joined recently and will be a donor and a helper probably starting donations now and actual community work in August. I am thrilled about this. SO Clint haha. Next year I will get one of those Early Girls.
      Its so nice to see people having fun here today. It feels so good. Hi Diane. Thank you too. I am a very fast and efficient transplanter and all the rest I can’t wait to play with you all.

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