Charitable Plant Stall

I got up early this morning to go to Walton (a small village community on the edge of Wakefield) to help Hilary do her annual charity plant stall.
She has been busy for weeks growing masses of plants for sale outside the village hall. Bedding plants, perennials, vegetables, and grasses.
She set up seven tables entirely covered with plants, and the first two tables had the pavement covered in more plants.


The pictures were taken after a few hours because I left the Camera in the car. I took it out and tried to photograph the shady plant stall.
We were there for about five hours, selling the plants to villagers and passers by out on the sunny Sunday.
The village hall was massive inside, with a dance floor, raised stage, and piano. I used the kitchen for making a few cups of



coffee to keep the volunteers hydrated on a very warm day.
The first two people asked for plants we did not have.It is simple if you could see it you could buy it.
Trays of Busy lizzies, French marigolds, Begonias, Geraniums, Trailing and upright Lobelia, Trailing and upright Fuschias, million bells, petunias, Surfinias, Mimulus, Ageratums, My Black Violas, Tigerstriped Gazania, Asters, Sunflowers (both small ones and large varieties).


The Perennials included Foxgloves, Penstemons, Hellebores, Geum's, Salvia's red and blue, Aqualegias, the gorgeous Verbaena Bonarensis, Evening primrose in yellow or red flowers, Some beautiful Heuncheras, Eryngium (Sea Holly) which had striking foliage, some potted Hostas. An oriental poppy which opened one flower bud as we opened the stall.It went in the first round of people buying.


The Edible plants included Tomato plants, peppers, courgettes (which you can grow into marrows if you leave them long enough), celery, curly leaf parsley, runner beans, sprouts, Leeks both newly started, and bigger stablished ones, mint in pots swiss and common garden, and gooseberry bushes

which sold out fast.
There were odd specimins too like my cactus which were all sold, a mother in laws tongue, some Auriculas, some large houseleek type plant with green rosettes.
I am trying to remember what was there.Even I was suprised at the end to find some of the above listed plants.They were hidden away.
I will post a few more pictures afterwards normal size but blogger would not let me post them so you can click to enlarge them
Drum roll, we made a little over £456 which beat Hil's target of £400 from last years plant stall.It must have been having me and Fran helping :)
The committee divides the money raised from the plant stall, Vegetable show, and Pub Auction (of the Veg from the show) equally between four local groups.
Brownies, Rainbows, girl guides, scouts, elderly groups that provide xmas dinner.Basically four local groups will benefit from a fun day in the sun.
After two long days in the hospital admissions ward it was great to be outside, looking at millions of plants, and selling them to gardeners both amateur, and more serious.
The village hall was a throwback to the old days, as was the community minded growing plants to sell on a stall.
A few of mine went including Gazanias, viola midnight runner, and all my donated Cactus.I helped pack boxes, take overloaded boxes to cars, and sold plants, then rearranged table to put more plants on display.
There was some left over, but it was taken back to Hilarys house, and her friends and neighbours will benefit now from the excess bedding, vegetable and perennial plants.
It was a Grand Day Out :)