Banner year for plant sales reported at PPS ‘Green Thumb’ campus

Thousands of plants were snatched up in hours! If you missed the first two sale days, plan to visit their greenhouse sale on Saturday, May 10 …

Shoppers browse among the many plants for sale in the greenhouse on the Community Transition Program Green Thumb Campus.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Business was brisk on Saturday, April 26, during their second sales day at the Portland Public Schools Community Transition Program Green Thumb Campus, located in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood.

Perhaps encouraged by the delightful spring weather, within hours of opening for business, many of the plants in their greenhouse had been scooped up by gardeners.

Community Transition Program students Faith and Emily are flanking Vocation Transition Specialist Rachel Hermansen, as they get real-life work experience ringing up sales.

“Everything that we’re selling are ‘products’ from our student interns who are working here throughout the week,” observed Vocation Transition Specialist Rachel Hermansen told East Portland News. “They start all the plants from seed and propagation, have been maintaining them and building our inventory, and they’re also participating in the plant sale.”

Happy shoppers Megan Kendall and Walker Stinnette say they’ve found the plants they’ve been looking for, to plant in their garden.

Even though they started with “thousands of plants – for example, we had at least 500 tomato plants to start with – the tables are already starting to look bare, because everything is selling so quickly,” Hermansen said. “This may be our best single day at one of our sales, ever!”

The PPS Community Transition Program works with students from 18 to 21 years of age who are gaining the community-based skills, life skills, and vocational skills, explained Hermansen. “The ‘Green Thumb’ greenhouse is one of our vocational training programs to build work-readiness skills for future employment.”

From hanging planters, to vegetable starts, annuals, and perennials – gardeners are finding what they’re liking at this annual sale.

If you missed out, check out their next (and last) Saturday Sale Day on May 10, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. [HINT: Come early!]

“We will be adding more inventory for our May 10 plant sale, including lots of summer vegetables, annuals, perennials, and hanging baskets,” Hermansen informed.

The Green Thumb Campus is located at 6801 SE 60th Avenue, 97206.

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