Leach Botanical plant sale unites unique plants with eager gardeners

Here’s why hundreds of green-thumbed plant enthusiasts came to Floyd Light Middle School. An, see why we think this wasn’t your ordinary plant sale …

The gym at Floyd Light Middle School is packed with eager gardeners, as the Leach Plant Sale gets underway.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It’s the annual event to which garden and plants enthusiasts look forward as a signal of the arrival of Spring – even if the sky is gloomy with clouds: The Leach Botanical Garden Plant Sale.

“We have a wonderful selection of plants, provided by 13 vendors and by Leach Garden Friends,” announced the event’s Chair, Katie Goodwin. “And it’s sponsored by Leach Garden Friends, the volunteer organization that helps operate the garden.”

Goodwin said that ten volunteers spent the early morning hours bringing in 50 flats of plants from their nursery and gardens. “We bring many native species. Our vendors bring native hardy plants – perennials rather than annuals – with the exception of Northwest cactus and succulents, which as one would guess, are indoor plants here in our climate.”

Plant Sale customer Paul Slichter talks with Truls Jensen, a vendor from Wild Ginger Farm, and Katie Goodwin, coordinator of the Leach Botanical Garden Spring Plant Sale.

Shopper Duane Duvall finds this cactus so interesting, he takes a sharp-looking snapshot of it.

The event is important to the volunteer group, Goodwin observed at the April 24 event. “It’s the largest single fundraiser we do during the course of the year. Even though the Garden is owned by Portland Parks & Recreation, our volunteers provide support and maintenance work at the facilities. The proceeds of this sale helps with the funding for staffing.”

Zack Marash, of Three Brothers Nursery, stands ready to help shoppers.

Leach Botanical Garden is located at 6704 SE 122nd Avenue, a couple of long, twisty blocks south of SE Foster Road. For more information, see their website: CLICK HERE.

Comments are closed.