Sisters hosts garden fair - and waits for planting

Sisters gardening enthusiasts came out on a cool, cloudy day last Saturday to take in the beauty and bounty of a colorful variety of bedding plants, shrubs, herbs and flower baskets. The occasion was Sisters Elementary School's Fifth Annual Garden Club Fair, and the day was filled with flora and festivity.

Sales were brisk as eager gardeners purchased plants under strict warning from vendors to protect them from frost until the end of May. Traditionally, it's not advisable to plant anything in Sisters until the snow is gone from Black Butte, but that didn't stop shoppers from loading up their trucks and cars with everything from tender perennials to hearty native grasses.

First-year vendors Calina Conner and Tyson Worf brought tomato starts from their greenhouse in Terrebonne, and cautioned buyers to keep the plants indoors until at least Memorial Day.

Vonda Soliz of Dragonfly Nursery said that certain herbs, such as chives, oregano and thyme, can go into the ground now, but perennials should wait at least another week.

The Sisters Elementary School Garden Club was founded six years ago by a group of volunteers who wanted to introduce grade K-5 students to the wonders of gardening. The club has blossomed over the years, and now includes about 120 students. The annual fair helps to raise money for the program, which is also supported by the Sisters Garden Club, the Sisters Community Garden and a long list of local businesses.

"The Sisters Garden Club helps with grant money raised from its yearly garden tour, and they've been very generous," said Shannon Pollard, one of the program's founders. "The yearly fair really brings the community together; vendors pay for space and donate raffle items, local growers give us plants at wholesale cost so that we can mark them up and sell them, and the kids are passionate about the program. Watching them develop a love of gardening makes it all worthwhile."

The most in-demand items at the fair every year are the lush hanging flower baskets, which are planted from seed by the students and nurtured in greenhouses throughout the year. The kids also grow sunflowers in the greenhouse, and this year the sunflowers will be planted along the fence line of the Sisters Community Garden.

In addition to plants, gloves, decorated pots and other garden-variety goodies, there was also face painting, a cakewalk and a barbecue. Elementary school entrepreneurs Trevor Elson and Ryan Pollard manned a booth selling hand-made bracelets and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

"I really like watching plants grow and seeing them turn into food," said Trevor. Ryan agreed, adding that he is particularly fond of strawberry plants and tomato plants.

Chad Staveli and wife Cathy, who own C&C Nursery, were selling Lydia Brooms, Lupine and Meadow Sage along with a variety of other plants. Like the other vendors, they were very clear about the dangers of planting too soon:

"Barberry bushes, conifers, grasses and hardier perennials can be set out now, but be careful about anything that's blooming. And keep the hanging baskets indoors until at least Memorial Day. It's been a long winter, and people are excited about getting out into their gardens, but everyone's going to have to be patient for a while longer."

Another new vendor this year was Janet Zuelke, who recently opened The Garden at Richard's Produce, an extension of Richard's stand behind Space Age gas station in Sisters.

"I've been growing in greenhouses for 20 years, but this is my first foray into selling commercially in Sisters," Zuelke said. "We're now open at Richard's seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m."

The Sisters Community Garden was also on hand to remind gardening lovers that there are a few plots still available, and to thank the community for supporting the garden in its efforts to find a permanent home in Sisters.

While warmer days are in the forecast this week, temperatures can still drop below freezing at night this time of year, so heed the rule of thumb that's worked for generations... keep those plants warm until there's no more snow on Black Butte.