Friends School Plant Sale

This weekend is the big start of planting season here in Minneapolis (because we’ve finally had our last frost, fingers crossed). Jenny and I kick it off every year at the Friends School Plant Sale. I’m sure a lot of you are familiar with the school plant sales, well let me tell you this is the mother of all school plant sales. This sale is so big it has to be held in the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand and last year over 15,000 people attended.

We love the excitement (and plant selection) of opening morning. Doors don’t open until 9am, but they start giving out wrist bands to get in a 7 and we’ve heard of people showing up a 6 to line up for that (we aren’t that crazy). The crowds come rain, shine or cold.

It is great crowd watching, especially seeing how everyone has crafted their plant sale carts. Like this version made from three sleds and some PVC piping with its own license plate.

Jenny and I use a combination of a wagon, plastic bins and bungee cords that grows as we shop.

Now, you may be wondering why we would go through all this for plant sale. Well first of all, the plants are all very reasonably priced. But even more important is the selection.

The sale has an amazing amount of heirlooms vegetables, wildflowers, natives and perennials. You can find things here that you never see even at the biggest, most expensive garden center in the Twin Cities. I’m looking forward to see what we’ll find this year.

Have you started working on your garden this year?