Friends of Manito cancels spring plant sale

For the first time in its history, the Friends of Manito has called off its annual spring plant sale at Manito Park.

The Friends of Manito announced this week that it will cancel the spring plant sale scheduled for June 9, citing volunteers’ inability to safely prepare for the event amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sale is a hallmark of the late spring season in Spokane, drawing hundreds of green thumbs, many of whom line up to have first dibs on an assortment of perennials and house plants ranging from alliums to weigelas.

But that lengthy menu of plants requires the work of more than 100 volunteers in the months leading up to the sale. Isaac Curtis, president of The Friends of Manito, said in a statement that the decision to cancel was centered on volunteer safety.

“Even though June 6th is many weeks away, without our dedicated volunteer gardeners, we cannot carry out the work necessary to prepare for the sale,” Curtis said.

Since its inception in 1995, the nonprofit has contributed nearly $1 million toward maintenance and improvement projects at Manito Park in partnership with Spokane Parks and Recreation.

The annual spring plant sale is the organization’s largest fundraising event.

The annual fall plant sale is still scheduled for Aug. 29, and the organization is optimistic that it will go on as planned.