It’s the 50th anniversary of Hansville’s Flotsam and Jetsam Garden Club and to celebrate they’re holding their best spring sale ever — more plants and more real deals. The thousands of plants on offer were expertly grown by club members, which means they are perfect for our climate, healthy and ready to thrive in your garden. And to help insure successful results, there will be master gardeners on hand to answer your questions and give you advice.
“We have 150 members and that makes us the largest club in North Kitsap and possibly the entire county. We ask each member to bring 20 plants to our annual sale, many bring more — that’s a lot of plants and starts,” said Dennis Johnson, the club’s president.
Mark your calendar: It will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 9 a.m. to noon at Buck Lake Park in Hansville. A beautiful setting for a garden sale.
Great plant picks
Melanie Branchflower expects to have 300 perennials for sale. “People love our penstemons, phlox, crocosmia, lilies, heucheras, hostas and brunnera, to name just a few of the favorites we’re sure to have at bargain prices,” Branchflower said.
Trees and shrubs are also very popular and sell out quickly. “Members grow gorgeous azaleas and rhododendrons. We’ll have plenty of native plants and strong young trees,” said Nancy Minahan, who heads this section. “And there are always a few surprises and rare beauties.”
A large area is devoted to vegetables and herbs. “I think we had 1,000 starts last year,” said Christy Mackey. “There will be over 300 tomato plants, I’m certain. The most popular are always the grape and cherry tomatoes, particularly Sungold and Red Cherry, because they ripen the best in our short warm season. Fourth of July and Early Girl also do well here. Of course, you’ll find zucchini and summer squashes, peppers, lettuces, rhubarb, strawberries and raspberries, basil, and many other herbs — we have so much.”
Ground covers are always in demand. “Most of ours are hardy and will withstand occasional low temperatures, and many are evergreen,” said Jane Ritley. There are also ornamental grasses and annuals. Karen Miller has plenty of robust lobelia starts on hand, as well as cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums, sweet peas and snapdragons, all hardened and ready to go into the ground.
The sale takes place the day before Mother’s Day, Saturday, May 12, which means the gorgeous spring flower arrangements are snapped up fast, as well as houseplants in pots and baskets, gardeners’ gift baskets, gardening books and garden art. Cassie Compton promises there will be many handmade metal garden stakes, glass wind chimes, baskets made of recycled wood and small, colorful Adirondack chairs. More gift ideas: homemade breads, scones, cupcakes and pies.
Arrive just before 9 a.m. when the rope drops. If you need a break, there’s coffee and cake. Proceeds from the sale are used to fund scholarships and grants in horticultural and environmental studies, as well as to educate members on “all things gardening.”
Online health info
Seventy-five percent of us look for health information online, but most of us can’t tell the fake health news and advice from the real thing, according to Carol Martin, the Consumer Health Coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Northwest Region and the next Tuesday Talk speaker at the Greater Hansville Community Center. There are simply too many competing sites and ads and not enough guidelines and standards for us to make savvy choices. It’s too easy to get confused and overwhelmed and misinformed.
Martin has been studying this problem and has ideas on how to get what we want and need from health sites. She’ll discuss what you should look for when evaluating the quality of the info you find online and the importance of being a “cyberskeptic” if health claims sound too good to be true. She will walk us through reputable and not so reputable resources and provide links to info you can trust. Come hear her talk on Tuesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Greater Hansville Community Center.
—Annette Wright was an editor and writer for women’s magazines in NYC for 25 years. You can contact her at wrightannette511@gmail.com
