Plant Sales This Weekend – Tilth Edible Plants & Master Gardener Plant Sales

The Tilth Edible Plant Sale is this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday from 9am – 3pm at Meridian Parks , with early bird sale this afternoon from 5-7pm.

Ellen added a great story to her running gardening column earlier this week. However, she buried the lead about the Edible Plant Sale.  This sale has become a neighborhood tradition.  The Tilth plant sale captures something unique to Seattle and our neighborhood.   The sale prepares a 32 page pdf of all the edible plant starts that has an time date stamp to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.   I challenge readers to identify the fruit/vegetable described as follows from page 8:

Thai Lavender Frog Egg 80 days. Open pollinated. Hailing from central Thailand these tiny lavender and cream fruits are round and sized like a cherry tomato. The robust flavor and single serving size make these delights perfect for adding whole to a summer curry or roasting with herbs and melted cheese. High yielding plants will benefit from cloching with floating row cover to keep the heat on them all summer long.

I should add that it is one of ten varieties of this fruit/vegetable.  There is also a 17 page pdf for edible flowers.   The early bird sale has tickets for $25 dollars and demand is so high on Saturday and Sunday that wristbands are used for entry.  They even have a page of hot tips.

My family has gone for many years and enjoyed all the plants we have purchased.  However, it comes across as Comic Con or a Trek Convention in the obsessiveness of the attendees.  Every year I hope someone will crack open the door for cosplay and see people come dressed as their favorite varietal. I will be watching for someone walking around dressed as the Thai Lavendar Frog Egg this weekend.  If you have not gone, it is definitely worth attending.  Fremont has naked cyclists, Wallingford has plants you can eat.

In a similar vein, there is the Master Gardener Foundation of King County Plant Sale this weekend as well.  This event runs this afternoon from 4-8pm, and Saturday 9 am -5pm at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture.  This event is outside the neighborhood but in the belief that plants increase the beauty of our neighborhood regardless of where purchased , we will allow it in the blog.  I have only attended this event once or twice and enjoyed the event.

Here is the official blurb from the organizer:

2018 Plant Sale & Garden Market! Fri. and Sat., May 4 and 5 at UW Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St., Seattle. All plant sale details and tickets for the Garden Gala Party fundraiser on May 4 are found at http://mgfkc.org/plant-sale. Rain or shine, we hope to see youand help you start the best garden ever this year, finding plants and Master Gardener advice in one place.