Plants for all Seasons, all Gardens and all Gardeners
at Annual VanDusen Sale
(Vancouver, BC) – Sunday, April 25th is a green letter day on for most gardeners. It marks the annual VanDusen Plant Sale - one of Metro Vancouver’s largest. While the gates do not open until 10 a.m. sharp, many keen gardening enthusiasts arrive at the Garden as early as 6:30 a.m. to ensure they are first in line to scoop up a highly coveted botanic treasure or two. When the Sale closes at 4 p.m., hardly anything is left of the more than 40,000 plants that were offered for sale.
To keep things interesting from year to year, the Plant Sale Committee chooses an annual theme. This year is no exception – highlighting Plants for All Seasons. Aren’t all gardens for all seasons? Well … not always. Often gardeners, both novice and experienced alike, concentrate their efforts on creating a glorious summer garden to the neglect of the other times of the year. That’s blowing your botanical wad all at one go. With a little planning, and not much effort, it is easy to create a garden that is beautiful year round by including plant materials that do double and sometimes triple duty – contributing different kinds of beauty and utility in different seasons. Even a small container or balcony box garden will benefit from the addition of some of these versatile plants. Each of the various Plant Sale Sections will highlight a few of their favourite choices of ‘plants for all seasons’ along with their regular selection of interesting, rare and popular plant materials. Master Gardeners will be available to advise you as well as providing information and demonstrations throughout the day.
As of early April, Plant Sale catalogues will be available for $2 at VanDusen’s Entrance Cashier. It offers a sneak peek at the range and variety of plants found at the Sale as well as some of the special ‘theme’ plants. It will also be available on-site on Plant Sale Day.
To make your shopping experience easier, it is suggested you bring a wheelbarrow, wagon or even a ‘Blue Box’ in which to transport your purchases. The Plant Hold area is available for you to safely check your ‘finds’ while you go in search of more, or take a stroll in the Garden. Plant Pick-Up facilitates easy loading of your vehicle. Purchase on Plant Sale Day is streamlined and simple with 20 cashier stations to assist you. Visa, Mastercard, cash or cheque are accepted.
With all this wandering, meeting old friends and buying plants, you are bound to work up an appetite. The Plant Sale is pleased to welcome Crêperie La Bohême for tasty sustenance along with The Bean Buggy serving up JJ Bean coffee and espresso beverages. Snowy Mountain Organic Orchards will once again be offering their delicious and nutritious fruit snacks and Bon Chaz Bakery will have its tasty filled buns – perfect for eating out-of-hand as you wander the Sale. For those wishing a sit-down environment, Shaughnessy Restaurant is open for brunch, lunch and afternoon tea.
VanDusen Botanical Garden is very grateful for the invaluable assistance of the 150th St. Stephens Scout Troup. Most Plant Sale attendees do not realize that this enthusiastic crew pitch their tents on the knoll behind the Lath House and ‘guard’ the Plant Sale from Friday night through its opening on Sunday morning.
The VanDusen Plant Sale takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 25th. Admission to VanDusen Botanical Garden is free that day. So bring the family, wander the Garden, buy a few plants and make a day of it. The Plant Sale is one of the major fundraisers for VanDusen Botanical Garden, a registered charitable non-profit society (# 11928 1301 RR0001) .