What a week the Grantham Garden Club had with this year's plant sale involving hundreds of people and thousands of plants. The sale took an amazing amount of volunteer time and began last November when Ray Miner and Pete Lepre, with the help of webmaster Diane Cameron’s nifty on-line sign up, collected all the plant orders from club members and the civic garden leads Bill Weeks and Anke Clews. Kristina Cole and Claire Vogel had fun shopping using Jolly Farmer's on-line catalog for flowers they knew would be popular with the Public Plant Sale customers including Dragon Red Begonias, Tiktok Orange Calibrachoa, and Super Hero Mixed Marigolds.
In March, Ray and Pete started growing vegetable plants from seeds to sell at the sale. Unlike the flowers which the club purchases, Ray and Pete donated all the vegetable plants with 100% of the sales ($1,152!) going to the club’s scholarships and educational programs.
When Ray was alerted that the Jolly Farmer truck would arrive at 9 a.m. on May 16th, the word went out and 14 club members were poised to help unload. Then the truck was delayed to 1 p.m. when lots of those morning volunteers had commitments elsewhere. In true GGC fashion, a team of 16 people were soon on board for the 1:00 arrival. Then the truck was delayed again! I was away for the truck's final arrival around 3:00 but was told that it was hectic at first but that it all came together with the hardworking crowd of volunteers. I hated to miss this wonderful photo op, but Diane Cameron took over and her fantastic pictures are included below.
On Friday, the Town Hall was set up for the Public Plant Sale including the arrival of Ray and Pete’s healthy vegetable plants. Kristina Cole and Diane Cameron were in charge of arranging the table of flower plants, herbs, hanging baskets, and donated house plants. With the help of Bob Munson, Ray, and Pete; they set it all up keeping the room’s feng shui in mind.
On Saturday morning the 22 volunteers donned their GGC aprons and were ready for customers who started lining up at 8:30. Promptly at 9 a.m. the shopping frenzy began with half the plants sold in the first 30 minutes and all but a few orphans sold by 10:30. As they were packed up, some vegetable plants were sold from the back of Ray and Pete's car and the last hanging basket went to a late arriver who noticed it in Kristina's car.
Volunteers Don and Joyce Blunt were assigned to sit under the awning outside to greet people and hand out tally sheets. It was a little chilly out, and Don had on a short sleeve shirt. I looked around to find an appropriate size jacket and saw that Pete’s fit the bill. I knew Pete would give the shirt (or in this case jacket) off his back for the cause, and I was right!
I realized a little late in the game that the new Tally procedure required lots pens and our supply was sadly lacking. VP Betsy Fowler headed to Bar Harbor Bank, explained our dilemma, and was back in no time with a bag of the bank's blue pens. Bar Harbor Bank and all its Grantham office employees are so supportive of the club, including being a Civic Garden Sponsor again this year.
One of my favorite moments of the sale happened when I helped a young grandmother and her two adorable grandchildren carry their vegetable plants to their car. I told the tots to keep an eye on those plants because they are magic.
Another highlight was when Sharon Parker arrived. Sharon has been a club member for 17 years and epitomizes all that’s wonderful about the GGC. She wasn’t on Saturday’s volunteer list but showed up anyway, grabbed a broom, and started sweeping. The club prides itself on leaving the room in tiptop shape. Thank you to Melissa White and Mary Ann Crandall who are our liaisons at Town Hall and graciously lets us use the downstairs room for presentations, meetings, and sales. We couldn’t run the club as professionally at any other venue.
The movers and shakers of this year's sale have decided that for the 2025 plant sale, members will not order their plants in advance. A team of experts will pick out and order all the Jolly Farmer flowers, hanging baskets, and herbs. After the plants arrive next May, the club will hold a Member Only Sale a day or two before the Public Plant Sale. First dibs will go to the civic garden leads and the team who did the ordering. I'll be looking for volunteers in September so stay tuned. Members who purchase plants at the Member Only Sale will get a 10% discount off the bottom line.
There's one more piece of the Jolly Farmer flower story--the civic gardens--which I'll write about and post next week.
On Tuesday Bob, Martha, Kristina, Pete, and Ray prep the tables for arrival of the plants
Bob sets up the plant sale signs that have been re-used each year. Reminds me of the Burma Shave signs!
Volunteeers unloading the truck
Long time active GGC member Maria Dahlman
Susan Terwilliger is the hard working recording secretary for the club and a frequent volunteer.
Kathy, Anke, Ray, Maria, and Kristina making order out of chaos
Pete and Kathy
Plants are loaded on numbered tables with member's order forms on top
Amelia and Jim Lantz are pleased with their purchases that they picked up on Thursday.
On Friday afternoon Ray and Pete brought their gorgeous vegetable plants.
These vegetable plants were all lovingly grown from seeds by Pete and Ray.
Kristina helps Joyce pick out flowers on Friday
Set up for Saturday's Public Plant Sale
May 18 Volunteers in front Joyce and Don. In back Chris, Sue J, Kristina, Elise, Jane, Susan, Michele, Kathy R, Tina, Betsy, Ray, Sue B, Bob, Pete, Kathy H, and Diane
Greeters Joyce and Don, who's wearing Pete's jacket
Cashiers Diane Cameron, Kathy Rudolph (Treasurer and Venmo specialist) , Mike Mulcahy, and Bob Munson
Shopping frenzy
Betsy Fowler helps a customer tally her purchase
Hospitality Team Leader Kathy Houghton helps a customer.
Past President Elise Kendall helps her good friend Toni pick out some last minute finds. Love the unplanned matching tops!
These cuties will be in for a surprise when the tomatoes and peppers start to show up. Thanks to their lovely grandmother who gave her okay for me to post this. :-)