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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gardening: Plan your shopping list now for plant sale

Hyssop (Agastache) Kudos Gold, a magnet for hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, will be available Saturday. (Susan Mulvihill)

The Friends of Manito sure knows how to put on a great plant sale. For the past few months, volunteers have been lovingly planting and tending a diverse group of plants that are certain to grow beautifully in Inland Northwest gardens.

On Saturday, the group’s spring plant sale will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. just east of the Gaiser Conservatory in Spokane’s Manito Park. TFM members can beat the crowds by shopping at 8 a.m.

In addition to perennials, grasses, vines and shrubs, there will be an edible section of plants including jostaberries, raspberries, variegated-foliage strawberries, dessert grapes, hardy kiwi, blackberries and mountain blueberries. Garden art and Manito Park greeting cards will be available as well.

This year, The Friends of Manito is celebrating its 25th anniversary, so cake will be served to note the occasion.

As usual, I’ve been working on my shopping list. Here are some of the standouts:

Everyone loves peonies, right? This year, the Friends of Manito will be offering a whopping 23 herbaceous varieties. Most should be in bloom, making it easier to decide on favorites. Cherry-red Barrington Belle, pristine white Honey Gold with its central mass of yellow petals, heavenly hued Coral Supreme, and Cherry Twist with its twisted peppermint-stick petals are but a few of the cultivars I’ve just got to see in person. Peonies are hardy to zone 3 and thrive in full sun. Height: 30 to 36 inches.

The 2015 Perennial Plant of the Year deserves some consideration. Geranium x cantabrigiense Biokovo blooms profusely in white flowers with a pink blush. The compact, mounding plants have a spicy fragrance to keep deer away and are drought-tolerant. Height: 12 inches.

I’m particularly fond of Oriental lilies for their gorgeous, exotically scented flowers. Roselily Natalia has double blossoms in the most heavenly pink, with magenta-colored speckles thrown in for good measure. This cultivar lacks pollen so it won’t stain your table linens. Flowers bloom in midsummer. Height: 32 inches.

Here’s a compact shrub that has it all: Chokeberry Iroquois Beauty has delicate white flower clusters in spring, shiny foliage throughout summer, dark purple berries in late summer and deep-red and orange foliage in the fall. It tolerates wet soil and is hardy to USDA zone 3. Height: 32 inches.

Those looking for a chartreuse accent shrub should take a look at Ligustrum Golden Ticket. This cross between Japanese and American privets features golden leaves that won’t fade no matter how much sun they get and white blossoms that attract bees and butterflies in spring. In the fall, the leaves turn burgundy. This plant is deer-resistant. Height: 4 to 6 feet.

Sedums are one of those bomb-proof plants that thrive in the garden no matter what you throw at them. Firecracker has a short, mounding habit with leaves that start out green, then slowly change to red and finally ruby red. The magenta flowers sound very appealing and will bring in the butterflies. Plants do best in full sun and are drought-tolerant. Height: 6 inches.

Susan Mulvihill is co-author, with Pat Munts, of “Northwest Gardener’s Handbook.” Contact her at inthegarden@live.com or find her online at susansinthegarden.blogspot.com.