Are you kidding, or what?!?!?!? I would go broke if I went to that sale! It all boils down, I suppose, to what turns you on . . .

I'd rush first to the Bletillas, then the yellow Clivias, then to the Davidia, the Daphnes, Enkiantus, Farfugium (giganteaum, no less!!!), the Fothergillas, the Stewartias, the Trilliums . . . My God, I'm exhausted already, and I'm still far from finished!

there are so many delights on that list that I just can't list them all. Just getting through the E's: Babtisia, Euphorbias, and foxgloves (digitalis) are great with roses. Bletillas (hardy orchids) are delicious if you have a little shade for them. Same for Camellias. Acer palmatum (Japanese maples) are gorgeous small trees. Yeah, pretty much I would go broke there, too.
-Stephanie

Maybe I should ask for everyone's top ten so then I can google them and see what I don't know (which is most of them).

I have heard to get out of people's way when this sale starts - it supposedly is nuts.

Thank you.

How much $ do you have? That is one wonderful plant list. Buy one of everything.

Seriously, what do you need for your garden? Do you have sun or shade areas you're trying to plant? Do you need shrubs, trees, perennials?

WOW!!! What a list! Very good that I am not close by. For you it is not such a big deal because in Virginia, as far as I know regular lilacs bloom well, but here in zone 8 they do not, so I would go crazy over their lilacs. I know that the National Arboretum hybridized some lilacs that bloom even in the south. I miss lilacs so much... Not that I have space for them but still

And, of course, almost everything else on that list makes me salivating - from small plants to trees that I had been looking for years but by now I have no place left for them.:-( Great offerings, that's for sure.

Now that I've recovered from my faint, I can second what everyone else has just said. I don't know where to begin: you need to decide what general categories of plant you need, study your garden conditions, then set yourself to do some intensive research. Then fill your pockets with money and a list, and go. Why don't we have plant sales like this in Italy?
Melissa

For a beginner - the list is overwhelming. e.g. the wisteria looks interesting, but I need to look them up to see if these are the "stinky" kind etc.

Anyone willing to post a top ten list - so I can narrow down what to google?

My approach to gardening is not particularly organized. If it looks pretty or smells nice and will grow, and I can find it and afford it, I will find somewhere to stick it.

Thank you!

Vettin:

This is an incredible list. It's way too big for only 10. I'll give you some items that stand out to me as either easy or special favorites of mine.

Buddleia--butterfly bush--large fragrant clusters of small blooms. Can get to be large. I love mine.

Campanula--if I lived where you do, I would definitly try some of these. The kind of fizzle in the heat here but I think they could work for you. Called "bellflower", they are beautiful plants.

Clematis--I have several. look into these and take your garden vertically. They look great with climbing roses or beautiful by themselves.

Coreopsis--called "tickseed", they look a lot like daisies. They are easy to grow and bloom very well. A great group of plants.

Delphinium--I love these but can't grow them because they don't like my heat. I've heard of others in N. VA who do well with them. GET SOME OF THESE!

Dianthus--carnations are in this family. They bloom well and smell great. The ones I grow are rather low growing and great in the garden.

Digitalis (foxglove)--Nice tall plant with really pretty bell shaped flowers. They are tall and narrow and add a differnt look and texture to a garden.

Edgeworthia--This plant blooms in winter with incredibly fragrant blooms that look a lot like Daphne. The Atlanta Bontanical Gardens have several. They are unique looking and well worth the garden space for the winter blooms.

Helleborus--another winter bloomer. EASY plants that take no care and can spread so you can share with your friends.

Hosta--a VERY low care EASY plant for a shady area. The clump gets larger and had to be "thinned" every few years but that means you can spread them around. Several of these varieties are nice.

Hydrangea--look at the two arborescens. I like these. Beautiful huge clusters of white blooms.

Iris--a great EASY plant. Don't plant them deeply at all--almost on the surface or they won't bloom or worse, will rot. I recognize two Iris germanica (bearded irs) as being rebloomers--they bloom in the spring AND fall--Lo How Sliver (white) and Sugar Blues (blue and fragrant). Get at least one of each of these and look up the others to see what they are.

Lithodora--a very low growing plant with bright blue star shaped flowers. The foliage is dark green. I really like this plant.

Osmanthus fragrans--I did not realize that this plant was hardy in N. VA. If it is, GET AT LEAST ONE! It's evergreen, slow growing, can get 15 feet tall but will tolerate pruning. I keep mine at about 6 feet. Mine bloom in the spring and fall with scattered bloom in the summer. The blooms are tiny and you don't really notice them until you SMELL them. The fragrance carries across the yard and it's incredible. This is one of my favorite plants (and it's not even a rose).

Philidelphus--mock orange. Beautiful white blooms in the late spring for me. The frangrance is wonderful.

Phlox--there are several different kinds listed. All are great plants in my garden. They give a good selections of colors and they are easy plants.

Rudbeckia--black eyed susans--nice sunny cheerful plant easy and blooms for a long time.

Salvia--good plants--easy and pretty

Scabiosa--pincushion flower--I have butterfly blue and it is one of the best blooming plants I own. The little blue/lavender blooms--about 1 1/2 in. across come from early spring to frost. Easy, easy plant. It's kind of low growing with stems that stick up with the bloom on top. A very nice plant.

Hope this helps. Remember, this is just my opinion and I am not in your zone. I also looked at the list quickly and may have missed something wonderful.

Enjoy the sale. Take a lot of $ and a truck to carry everything home. Let us know what you end up getting.

A fair number of the plants are reasonably common. Unless you just fall in love with them at the sale, I'd try to stick with the things you may not see everyday. Those are also going to be the things the regulars run for.

cercis and disanthus would be on my list and the coreopsis are fun - hard to get many varieties or good seeds in the UK. Some of the acers too and lespedezas.

Thank you for all the details and ideas!

Which ones would you consider the ones you do not see everyday?

I collect plants.
Mostly fragrant plants and ones that bloom during the winter.
You are very lucky to live close enough to go to this.
If I was going, here is what would be on my "Must Have" list.

Asarum - all that they offer- neat groundcover for the shade.
Bletilla - mine finally bloomed this spring.
Calycanthus- fragrance of strawberries- I love these.
Clethra - Also called Sailor's Delight, or something like that, cause the sailors could smell this from the coast. Blooms mid summer, when most other stuff has slowed down.
Cyclamens- I may or not buy these... Depending on description once I got there.
Daphne- Buy ALL. Smells delicious in winter - think fruit loops smell. And what else blooms during Feb?
Edgeworthia - another winter bloomer. I would buy one of each they had. Cause what else are you gonna go look at in January? A bunch of thorns?
Osmanthus- I love sweet olives, and they are offering some rare ones. I would pay you to send me these and the Edgeworthias. And the Asarums..
Styrax , 'Emerald Pagoda' - one time my mom and I were at a plant sale at SFA here in Texas. We smelled a plant and started searching. Forever we searched, through acres of gardens. Came across this tree. Check out my post on the gallery and you'll see some blooms of a regular styrax. Emerald Pagoda is a bigger bloom and way more fragrant. Everyone needs one.
Symphoricarpus- I think I've wanted this for years because of pink winter berries. Would have to research it to make sure.

Vettin,

I like flowering shrubs and perennials. I will just tell you the ones I like that I know a little about or the ones I've been interested in that I'd like to look at. One way to learn about plants is to just go and look at them and learn their names and see what they look like.

And just a question, do you have a good plant reference book? I used the Southern Living Plant Book extensively when I lived in Alabama; it lists just about all the trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, grasses, etc. that grow in that region and I think it is a very useful book to learn about plants. Another helpful book to have is one on taking care of your perennial plants - The Well Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy Di Sabato Aust is a good one.

acer palmatum - japanese maples - whichever foliage you like. I've never seen one I didn't want.
Buddleia, Blue Chips - small buddleia. I like buddleias but I think they need to be pruned throughout the summer
Calycanths - I grew Venus, fragrant
Camellias-
Ceanothus - I grew C pallidus Marie Simon; not familiar with the cultivar they list, but it's worth looking at. I have two Victoria now; they are large evergreen shrubs with purple blooms.
Daphne, any of them. They are on my list to acquire here.

hydrangea arborescens - the Incrediball (I hate the name) is a new cultivar, an improvement supposedly over the Annabell - I'd like to see it as well as the other cultivar they list

hydrangea paniculata - I love this group of sun tolerant hydrangeas. I had Pinky Winky but Quick Fire is supposed to be great. These are not rarities, though. Good shrubs for sun/part shade My favorite is Limelight though, of that group.

Pieris - cavatine is a pretty dwarf flowering shrub for shade.
rhododendrons - if you can grow these, you should try. acid soil.
viburnum plicatum - these are beautiful spring flowering shrubs/small trees with horizontal branching and white blooms/berries; I think they require a pollinator to get berries

Vitex - love these shrubs/small trees - blue blooms all summer for sunny areas

perennials

angelonia - well, this isn't a perennial; it croaks when frost sets in, but it is a great plant for summer heat; will bloom I think continuously
aquiligua - columbines; they will reseed and cross pollinate. I look forward to the columbines blooming in the springtime

aster - this is a wood aster, blooms in the fall. I looked forward to mine every year also. blue/purple.
Calamintha nepeta - you need these for your roses' feet - this is a white cultivar; there are a lot of blue/purples also that are worth looking for

campanula - I've just started learning about campanula; I grew a couple of kinds in Alabama but they didn't really like the heat. Have started re acquiring them.

clematis - these are wonderful vining plants as companions to roses, but learn about them before you buy any. They are a whole world unto themselves.

delphiniums - I bought some for the first time to grow here in the PNW; I was never brave enough to try in Alabama but grew larkspur instead. If your climate is cool enough, try them. They are beautiful. Or try them just to try them, if you like the way they look.

digitalis - foxgloves. love these too. they reseed.

hellebores - buy all of them. They are wonderful in late winter/early spring.

iris, louisiana, siberian, german - sigh. go get some.

phlox - paniculata are my favorite of this group. wonderfully fragrant. sometimes they mildew so be sure you know what you're buying or what you are willing to take care of.

veronicas, verbascum, plants worth having.

Lots more there. If you put everyone's list together, it will probably comprise the whole plant list.

Good luck, have fun, take $.

it is a very mixed bag. What is your garden like, vettin. Soil types? orientation? sunny, shady? woodland, formal, cottage?

That Styrax is LOVELY!! I think vettin should get that one! (Just kidding, vettin - it's just what i myself would get IF I had a real garden, and IF I could plant it. But do check out cweathersby's post of pictures (there are two, the first one you come to as you scroll down is "pictures 2", but keep scrolling until you come to an earlier"pictures" post - that is the one with the Styrax. Carrie's roses are lovely also, on both posts.

Laura