Fun, maybe we'll see you there. It's a long wait though...but at least it's something to keep us going before the June plant swap in Plymouth. That's one of our big seasonal highlights. Looking out at all this snow and ice makes summer seem so far away. At least there's catalogs to page through!

Before I started to volunteer I would get there about a half hour early. It probably wouldn't hurt to get there an hour before. It is nice that you can get the wrist band and then go look at the vendors that are outside of the building and just keep an eye on the lines to see when it is going to be your turn. It is very organized. When you look at the catalog you will see little trucks by some of the plants. That means that they will be restocked on Saturday. The more rare plants and bulbs go fast.You should also check online before you go to see what did not come in. There are always crop failures. Plus they do have some last minute changes. Since your priority is the natives go there first. The plants are organized in the same order as the catalog so write up your list by the numbers like N103, N105 etc. N being for native. I bring my own cart since they only have so many carts. Then I can take it back to the car with me. Have a list with second choices when something you want is gone. The prices are great and you can still spend an amazing about of money so unless you have unlimited funds figure out how much you want/can spend beforehand since you will see lots of plants you can't live without that aren't on your list. Do have your gardens ready to plant so you don't have to let what you buy sit around in the pots to very long. Consider the plant exchange that I am hosting there are always extra plants having a new house without plants to share all you need to bring is food. I for one will have a lot more to give away then I will choose. My beds are bursting with plants.

We just got home from the volunteer presale, and it was so busy! Feeling a little brokenhearted over the failure of several plants we had our eye on, but still managed to find a few. Here's our final list, excuse the many typos, I'm exhausted! All for under $200. Annuals: Amaranth "Dread Locks" Angel's Trumpet Bat Face (2 varieties) Beardtongue "Sunburst Ruby" Butterfly Flower Coleus "Alabama Sunrise" Coleus "Kiwi Fern" Coleus "Dr. Wu" Copperleaf (2 varieties) Regal Geranium "Solstice Chocolate" Regal Geranium "Solstice Mix" Goldfish Plant Hibiscus "Haight Ashbury" Impatiens "Jungle Gold" Impatiens "Salmon Butterfly" Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden-Gate Lantana "Irene" Lantana "Cherry Sunrise" Lion's ears MIllion Bells "Crackling Fire" Nemesia "Sunsatia Mango" Nipple Fruit Carpet Petunia Dreams Petunia "midnight" Pimpernel, Wildcat "Mandarin" Trailing Snapdragon "Playful Copper" Flowering Tobacco Torch of Texas Begonia rex "escargot" Bulbs: Asiatic Lilies Blackout and Black Spider Climbers: Purple Bell Vine Black-Eyed Susan Vine "susie" Butterfly vine chickabiddy cup and saucer vine firecracker vine passionflower sky vine 'blue sky' Franziska Maria Honeysuckle 'harlequin' hops clematis tube climbing bleeding heart Shrubs/Trees: lilac 'tinkerbelle' magnolia tree red snowberry Perennials: balloon flower 'fairy snow' bitter root 'little plum' bleeding heart p. ochroleuca bleeding heart p. lutea weeping bush clover 'gibraltar' candy lilly clematis bush 'rosea' clematis bush c. integrifolia shasta daisy 'sonnenschen' delphinium 'magic fountains cherry blossom' fairy foxglove flower of love pink gas plant catmint 'pink cat' rock jasmine sage 'pruple rain' japanese toad lily veronica 'blue feathers' rodgers flower meadow rue dwarf bowmans root delphinium blue mirror blue flax foxglove 'strawberry' foxglove 'willowleaf' hollyhock 'peaches and dreams' 'pasqueflower 'red bells' pasqueflower 'alba' columbine songbird mix seaholly amethyst digitalis forget the variety

The web site is www.fsmn.org/news.html . You can download portions of the catalog or the whole thing. It says 2005 catalog but I am pretty sure that it is the 2006 one because I went last year and the offerings are different.