Every year, the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, holds a three-day plant-fest for its members. If there is anything left after the member-exclusive days of Friday and Saturday, the general public is welcome to buy it on Sunday. Last year I got to the Arboretum before the sale started on the first day and stood in line. I also made way too many impulse purchases. My strategy to avoid a repeat was to arrive shortly after the sale started on the first day this year. What I hadn't counted on was the entire parking lot by the main entrance being full. After parking in a more distant lot and legging it back to the main parking lot, I entered the tent to a scene of planter collectors' heaven.
Some plants were already completely sold out, and I got the last decent looking Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey.' It was impossible to move without bumping into someone or being bumped. There was a huge line for paying by credit card, but I planned ahead and brought my checkbook, as the cash and check line is always much shorter. Because I had parked so far, I got a ride back to my vehicle in this:
Now that's what I call service! (It was also fun.) Here's my cache of goodies:
in addition to the Hydrangea, I also bought a Wisteria macrostachys 'Blue Moon' that I had been wanting, a Tiarella 'Pink Brushes' for which I had been searching for over a year, and a Tricyrtis 'Gilty Pleasures' which was strictly an impulse buy. (I'm proud of my restraint.)
But I wasn't done yet! On the other side of the Arboretum was the tent for picking up pre-ordered and pre-paid plants.
This is where I picked up a variegated Cornus alternifolia, a couple of Astrantia 'Moulin Rouge' and a dwarf Goldenrod.
Because all the Daffodils
and all the Magnolias were in full bloom,
and the Arboretum isn't all that close to home, I had to take a bit of a walk before I headed home with lots of great plants and a smile on my face.