Gardener's Sale a Success

The old train station in Chester was a busy spot on Saturday morning, May 29th, when the Chester Garden Club held its popular Gardener's Sale. The sale, a fund-raiser for the Club, brought out a large number of interested gardeners who shopped at booths set up by commercial vendors as well as at the tables selling plants from members' own gardens.

Pretty in pink: a few ladies get an early start on making the rounds of the tables soon after the event was officially opened at 9:00 am.

Choosing just the right plant often required extensive deliberation.

Prices of the plants donated by members ranged from $1 to $5, according to the size and particular quality of the plant.

Purchases were made only after careful consideration and a close inspection of the merchandise.

Some of the less experienced gardeners became weary with the constant searching for just the right plant.

Showcasing a variety of herbs and other plants, Joanne Jellett sold products in support of Bonny Lea Farm, a community service organization.

As the morning wore on, sales of coffee and home-made muffins were welcomed by both customers and workers.

Some gardeners really dug the free compost that was on offer from the municipality.

A hefty encyclopedia (of gardening) was available as a reference to help solve queries about the characteristics of specific plants , and consultations were the order of the day.

As the sale began to wind up at noon, president Sheila Knowlton-MacRury announced the winners of the three decorative iron pots filled with geraniums that had been on offer in a silent auction throughout the morning. The pots had been donated by a club member and the winners were also club members.

The sale proved to be a wonderful "meet and greet" occasion as well as an opportunity to pick up some real bargains. Even those stragglers who arrived late, as the tables were being dismantled, managed to find a few good buys. The organizers are very grateful to all the members who volunteered their time and efforts into making the sale such a success. The proceeds will provide a much-needed boost to the funds required to maintain the two public garden spaces in the village.