NORTHAMPTON – Not typically a stalker, Meggan Gilvoy found herself drawn to the 5-foot rubber plant on Friday night.
“I drove by it last night and loved it,” said Gilvoy, of Florence, standing possessively near her choice among hundreds of plant lovers who turned out for the fire-drill style annual plant sale at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School on Saturday morning. Plant sales will continue throughout the Pioneer Valley for a few more weeks: May 16 and 17: The West Springfield Garden Club plant sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mittineague Park on Route 20. May16: The Easthampton Garden Club’s 49th annual sale, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the lawn of the Emily Williston Memorial Library. May 16: The Worthington Gardeners sale 9 to 11 a.m. in front of the Worthington Historical Society. May 16: The Friends of the Greenfield Public Library annual plant sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn. May 30: Springfield Garden Club’s annual plant sale at the Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle. May 30: At North Hadley Congregational Church at 243 River Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 6: The Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society will host a benefit sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Hadley “Tim, Tim, get ready!” she said to a friend, moments before a loud cow bell was rung precisely at 9 a.m. Garden lust rang out over the weekend. Forget-me-nots, calla lilies, dahlia bulbs, herbs, veggie starters, perennials and other blooms were out in force on Mother’s Day weekend – traditionally the debutante’s ball of blooms. The annual charity sale – designed to benefit the city’s public schools – is a tradition here. Plant sales will continue throughout the region for a few more weeks. In Northampton, the event draws familiar faces, plus newcomers, each year. “I thought it would be fun to join the scramble,” Laura Simpson, of, Leeds, said. “I’ve never been before.” While Simpson was a first-timer, Gilvoy and her mother have been coming to the plant sprint for several years.
“With the economy, we’ll grow a lot of our own food this summer,” Gilvoy said, before adding: “Gotta run!” as the cashier opened Saturday morning. The weekend was rife with plant shows. Organizer Judy Leeds said the Northampton event has been running 14 years, and includes myriad donations from local gardeners, commercials growers and Smith Voc students and faculty. “One of the things I love about this it’s a total community event,” Leeds said, adding that the group. “Save Our Schools,” has raised $150,000 since 1995. The camaraderie was evident Saturday. And up Route 9, a similar plant sale was under way in front of the Williamsburg Historical Society, with a smaller, but similar menu of flora available there. That event was celebrating its 25th year. Consumers at the plant shows said they are partial to locally grown flora.