It Would Have Been Enough! The Northwest Horticultural Society Spring Plant Sale.

Dayenu (Hebrew:דַּיֵּנוּ) is a song that is part of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The word "Dayenu" means approximately "it would have been enough for us", "it would have been sufficient", or "it would have sufficed" (day in Hebrew is "enough", and -enu the first person plural suffix, "to us"). This traditional up-beat Passover song is over one thousand years old. The earliest full text of the song occurs in the first medieval haggadah, which is part of the ninth-century Seder Rav Amram.

I often think of how lucky gardeners in the Pacific Northwest are to live where and when we do!  If we only had one of the best climates for gardening and didn't have amazing nurseries, it would have been enough.  If we had fabulous nurseries but had no plant explorers who discover and propagate new plants to bring us joy, it would have been enough. You get the gist, we are blessed with a very garden friendly climate, stellar nurseries, plantsmen and women who bring unusual plants into the trade and now we start the season of plant sales to which these plantspeople and nurseries bring what they've grown to one location.  O.K. so, it's not the deliverance from bondage in  Egypt but it's pretty spectacular stuff for plant addicts!

The first plant sale I attended this year was the Northwest Horticulture Society sale at the Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle.

Right away I was greeted by this podophyllum.  

"This Chinese podophyllum is quite distinct from other species, with two boldly cut leaves, side by side, like angels wings sprouting in the moss. Rare to see in the trade.  I love the celedon color and the exotic shimmer these bring to the woodland.  Require deep shade and even moisture in the summer and good drainage in the winter." 

Had I read the description, one would have come home with me but in just looking at the leaves which aren't as darkly marked as P. delavayi, I decided to pass. Fortunately, the tag has the grower's name and number so perhaps...

  So many plants, so little garden space left!

There were so many things to see that I almost missed 

This lady!  Fortunately, she had already shopped and saw me.  Neither of us knew that the other was planning  on going to the sale.  What fun to run into Alison and her haul.

This was my first time to attend this sale and the room was full of good stuff but I thought that there would have been a few more vendors.  I'd only seen about a third of the sale as there were more vendors outside and in this greenhouse.

Even if this were the only plant sale of the spring, it would have been enough.  Notice that the Heronswood sale is coming up on March 28!  Anyone else planning on going?

 Inside the foyer of the Elizabeth C. Miller Botanical Library, (I think)  The N.H.C. had put together a cutting display of plants of interest at this time of year.  Reminded me of the display at the Portland Yard, Garden, and Patio show.

The tables went on and on.

Love that large Schefflera delavayi leaf!

Heading out, I decided to explore the garden a bit.  Here's a future gardener admiring the daffodils.

It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day for the beginning of March (60 degrees!)

Interesting combinations.

Here's a list of vendors present.   They're photographs because I'm too lazy to type them all.  A few of these are places that I've yet to visit but based on their offerings at the sale, that will be remedied soon!

So, what did I not already have in my garden except for that podophyllum?   A cool new rhododendron hybrid called "Wine and Roses" and three more Cardiocrinum giganteum to add to the group.

 On the way to the car, I had to stop and admire Yucca 'Bright Star'

 A nice large specimen but it has that acne problem that drives some gardeners to distraction (Loree.)

The one gallon that stayed in my greenhouse had far fewer spots than those that lived outside but still had some.  I love this plant and hope that a dermatologist will soon come up with a solution to it's unfortunate winter and spring complexion.