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Eager gardeners began lining up in the Edmonds United Methodist Church parking lot an hour before the gates opened for what has become an annual Edmonds tradition for in-the-know plant enthusiasts — a one-day chance to snag the best deals of the year on plants, garden décor, tools and more at the Edmonds Floretum Garden Club annual plant sale.
Items are traditionally donated by Floretum club members who spend months prior to the sale thinning their own gardens, potting up hundreds of plants, and putting aside surplus garden furniture, tools and décor to stock the event’s boutique section. Sale day is a big job, with club members arriving hours before the sale opens to arrange, label and price plants and boutique items. This year the club had big help from the Edmonds-Woodway High School Key Club with more than a dozen club members and their advisor pitching in to be part of the event.
The club sets prices low – garage-sale style – and all proceeds go to supporting club activities. These include grant programs that offer funds to Edmonds District teachers for school gardens and horticultural education, and scholarships to high school or college students who are planning a career in the horticulture field.
Door busting is a time-honored tradition at the plant sale and this year was no exception. Many standing in line — some with binoculars — check out the displays to locate the best deals, and make a beeline the minute the gates open. By the time the tape came down at 9 a.m. the line of more than 160 eager shoppers wrapped around the church, many prepared with wagons, lists of most-wanted items and a game plan to be first to grab their top choices.
When the whistle blew it was a mad rush as shoppers dashed in, filling their wagons, baskets, boxes and bags with everything from azaleas to zinnias, trowels to hedge trimmers, lawn furniture to garden art. By 10 a.m. the first wave had grabbed much of inventory and lines to the checkout stands snaked through the parking lot…