04/19/2023
RCCF / Volunteers in Corrections Spring Flower Sale Update
As I write we are less than 10 days from the start of our annual sale, it is 41 degrees and it is raining. It has been another challenging spring in Minnesota to say the least, but with a whole lot of help from friends, family, volunteers, RS Eden/STS and the Ramsey County Master Gardeners we are pretty much ready to go for April 28th and dates beyond. The plants are looking great all things considered weather-wise and we will have lots of nice baskets, pots and flats ready for the 28th. This is just a little update and some reminders about the nature of our sale. Many of you have shopped with us for years so this is kind of known already, but for anybody who has not visited us previously, this is what you can expect.
We have more product than ever this season, with over 10,000 pots, baskets and flats of various sizes ready to go or growing. Despite a below average spring in terms of average temperature, sunlight and just “being normal”, the plants have done exceptionally well. We made a few adjustments culturally and it has made a difference in many cases. That being said, here are a few things to remember about our sale that may be somewhat unique to us.
We are growers here, everything that you see in a finished pot, basket, or flat was started from a seed, small plug or rooted cutting purchased locally. We do not buy any finished product in for resale. We start planting our annuals in late February and finish in early April typically, so we have about a 6 week planting window. The items we plant first are the ones that are ready first; some of the things planted later may not be ready until the 2nd or 3rd week of the sale. Much of that depends on the weather. For this reason many of our customers come more than once, and I suggest that if it is not an inconvenience, that you make several visits as things that you may be looking for may not be ready week 1 but will be ready later in the sale. We are typically open 18-20 days in order to get to the 95-97% sold out point we shoot for. The sales area is only a portion of our actual growing range, so we are constantly bringing new and fresh material up to the sales areas as stock is sold. Here are some important things to remember.
-we specialize in mixed species, mixed color items, particularly in the baskets. Many combinations are unique, with only several of each produced. Some “one of a kinds”.
-when things are gone, they are gone. Since we don’t buy in finished product, when we run out of a certain size, color, combination, etc., it is done for the season. I make adjustments annually to try to stay current with trends, but those change quickly in this industry.
-we adjusted pricing to have fewer price points, making the checkout process easier and quicker hopefully. Our new price sheets we give you costs of individual items. There will be a list on each greenhouse with a general idea of what is inside each one to help with knowing what prices are as well.
-as I wrote earlier, NOT everything is ready week 1. We bring product up as I deem it ready to be for sale. However, I do sometimes bring things up that may not have much or any color, or are a bit undersized, if the demand for those particular items is higher than expected.
-IF you are looking for something in particular, and do not see it, do not hesitate to ask a volunteer, or myself, if you see me, to check to see if we have anymore down below. It may take us a few minutes to check and see if we have it, but if we have the time, we will do that. Sometimes we just don’t have the time, or that plant you are looking for. Please understand that. We do our best to accommodate all customers.
-HAVE FUN-our sale it meant to be fun! It is a place you can take your time and find unique planters without any pressure or rush; feel free to browse around and look. We will try to answer any questions you may have. We are getting better with signage and information on certain plants, species as we do not tag everything individually. Just be patient, have fun and remember that almost everyone “working” at the sale is a volunteer, a Master Gardener, a STS client or a family member! They are always trying their hardest to make your experience a good one. We certainly appreciate your patronage over the years.
As always, 25% of the proceeds from this sale go to support the Volunteers in Corrections (VIC). You can visit www.vicboard.org to read about their mission and what they do. 25% of your purchase is tax deductible. Please visit this site and their page for additional plant sale information and any updates during the course of the sale.
Well, it looks as if when our sale begins that the weather will be a bit better; temperature in the mid to upper 50’s and lows (more importantly!) in the 40’s. We hope to see you all over the course of the next few weekends!
RCCF Nursery Manager/Coordinator
Lt. K. Sean Uslabar
