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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 6, 2015 7A
BIGGER AND BETTER
Annual Mother’s Day plant sale triggers green thumbs everywhere
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer
Jane Gragg and Darrell Ward inspect plants on Friday morning in preparation for the Master Gardeners annual plant sale, which will be
Friday and Saturday at Polk County Fairgrounds & Event Center in Rickreall. Vegetables, flowers and other plants will be available.
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer
Tables will be filled with both unusual and hard to find plants, as well
as native selections at this weekend’s Master Gardeners plant sale.
Gardener’s Paradise
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer
Darrell Ward tends to a wide variety of peppers and tomatoes at
Mountain Fir Park’s Inspiration Garden on Friday.
What: Oregon State University Extension Polk County Master Garden-
ers Plant Sale.
Where: Polk County Fairgrounds & Event Center, 520 S. Pacific High-
way (99W), Rickreall.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
Admission: Free.
Of note: Parking will also be expanded, including additional handi-
capped spaces close to the buildings, making access easier. This sale is
popular. For the best selection, including hanging baskets, go early.
For more information: Master Gardeners OSU/Polk County on Face-
book.
POLK COUNTY — Mother’s Day
weekend is upon us, and that
means the annual Polk County
Master Gardener’s two-day plant
sale on Friday and Saturday.
With the warmer-than-usual
spring, gardeners all over Polk
County may have been tempted to
plant those tomatoes early, but
those of you who have had the pa-
tience to wait will be rewarded
with top picks from the sale.
“We have a tremendous variety
of tomatoes, more than 70,” said
Darrell Ward, Master Gardener.
“We’ve gone the next step of graft-
ed tomatoes. In the past, we’ve
purchased those from nurseries.
This year, we wanted some vari-
eties we thought would be better
for our customers, so we’ve grafted
our own.”
These varieties are better be-
cause they’ll grow better right here
in Polk County, Ward said.
A large selection of peppers, cu-
cumbers, cabbages and squash —
all grown by Polk County Mas-
ters — will be available starting Fri-
day.
To accommodate all the plants
on sale and the indoor vendor se-
lection, the sale has expanded to
two buildings at the Polk County
Fairgrounds & Event Center.
The sale will be in Building C
and in the Swine Barn this year,
with everything under cover.
“We won’t have vendors or
demonstrations out in the rain-
storms, we hope,” Ward said.
Vendors will have a plethora of
gardening supplies, from clothing
to tools to decor, for all your gar-
dening needs.
The Country Store is expanded,
also, Ward said.
“We have had a tremendous
amount of donations this year,” he
said. “One of the things we re-
ceived from an estate was framed
oil paintings — originals — also
framed prints. Those will be on
display and for sale.”
Along with the plants, Master
Gardeners are scattered around the
buildings, easily accessible to an-
swer all your gardening questions.
Unusual and hard-to-find plants
are back this year, Ward said, with a
selection from India and other
countries.
“We’ve also brought back the na-
tive plants,” Ward noted. “We
haven’t had that for a couple of
years.”
Live demonstrations will include
soil blocks, raised beds, planting
tomatoes and bonsai.
Contact the Advertising Department
at the Itemizer-Observer for more
information. 503-623-2373
Visit online at www.polk.eagledirectories.com
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Polk County Telephone Directory
Eagle Directories
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www.polkio.com/polk-directory/