ARLINGTON — The Arlington Garden Club’s annual plant sale is returning to the Arlington City Hall Plaza, located at 238 N. Olympic Ave., from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, with a goal of raising 25 percent more in proceeds for the beautification of Arlington and the enhancement of Arlington High School’s horticulture programs.
“We’d like to restart our scholarships for local students,” Diane Jochimsen, a Garden Club member who’s found herself tending to several hundred plants that were donated to her and her husband, Mike Conner, for the plant sale. “We do hostas and various specialties, and we’ve received lots of donations of seedums.”
In addition to providing support for seven area high schools’ agricultural classes and chapters of the Future Farmers of America, the Arlington Garden Club pitches in for city projects, including their recent sprucing up of the Mayor’s Flower Garden at the City Hall Plaza, which they accomplished by installing new plants, rocks, flowers and a pink dogwood tree. The Arlington Garden Club dedicated that flower bed in 2006, and its members have maintained it ever since.
“As for our scholarship, we’re only doing one this year,” Jochimsen said. “We’ll be accepting applications until June 1, because we’ve extended the deadline.”
Jochimsen and Conner praised their fellow members of the Arlington Garden Club for contributing not only so many perennials, annuals, vegetable starts and more to this year’s plant sale, but also a host of baked goods for the bake sale that will be running concurrently with that event.
“We have at least 40 folks who have contributed to the plant sale, but the bake sale is a bit more difficult to reckon,” Jochimsen said. “Baking is a special talent.”
The couple noted that all the proceeds from this year’s bake sale will be going to the Oso Fire Department.
“They’re rapidly reaching the point of exhausting all their resources,” Jochimsen said.
Conner added that plants recycled from the Mayor’s Flower Garden will also be included in the May 10 plant sale.
“So come on down, because we’ve got everything from rhubarb to red twig dogwood,” Conner laughed. “Our selection runs from ‘R’ to ‘R,’ and includes everything in between.”
“We’re going to have better-looking plants than I think we’ve ever had in the past,” Jochimsen said. “In fact, our members have been directed that, if it doesn’t look good, it doesn’t go on our sales shelves.”
Those with any questions at the event can consult with Snohomish County Master Gardener John Marsh, and those with questions before or after the event can email events@arlingtongardenclub.org or log onto www.arlingtongardenclub.org.
