Rain or Shine: At Landis Arboretum Signature Plant Sale Fundraiser, May 17 – 18th

ESPERANCE, NY (05/14/2008)(readMedia)-- The 36th annual Landis Arboretum Spring Plant/Book/Bake Sale Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, from 10 AM – 4 PM. There is no admission fee. Parking is free Plant Sale weekend will take place rain or shine, and all proceeds from the event will benefit maintenance and improvements at Landis, the Capital Region’s arboretum.. Woody plants, climbers, and award-winning plants among the premier offerings at this signature, annual fundraising event.

Abundance, Beauty, Cordiality Await

Preparation for the Arboretum’s annual Spring Plant Sale fundraiser is at fever pitch! Connect the dots— the initial catch phrase of an article (below) by Trustee Jeff Schworm — has surfaced as the informal rallying cry for our staff and volunteers determined to overlap and interlink the many activities required to make this year’s signature event a success.

Once again, the festive fundraising weekend will include a select group of regional artisans on Sunday, May 18. In addition, Susan and Jeff O’Handley of the Wildlife Learning Company will welcome guests and fascinate younger participants with Natural-born Critters from 1 – 5 pm on Saturday.

Pots & Wild Mountain Join PoPs

By longstanding tradition, the Friday before the Plant Sale opens to the general public is designated as Pick of the Pots (PoPs), a members-only plant preview/sale. This year’s Pick of the Pots members-only preview party takes place on Friday, May 16, at 5 pm.

• Popular Schoharie County ensemble Wild Mountain (Jane Rogers and Gael Joyel (Summit, NY) and Barbara Nark (Warnerville, NY) will make their PoPs event debut.

• Ms. Cherie and her singing senior Hot Pots will return by popular request. The 13-member Hot Pots has worked together for more than three years, says Ms. Cherie Stevens. “We got together for the primary purpose of entertaining at hospitals and perform often at nursing and adult homes in Schoharie County and have appeared in Albany, Guilderland and Troy facilities". The Hot Pots favor the sounds of the 40s, 50s, and 60s and vow to add some senior sizzle to the PoPs!

The light evening fare of festive finger foods will be provided by Dottie Gallo’s Sweet Tooth Caterers (Esperance).

The PoPs event is “a privilege of membership,” says executive director Thom O’Connor. “The preview event is our token thank you to all who support the Landis Arboretum through membership. And, although all members are invited to participate in PoPs for the $15 admission, we are forced to limit the number of meals to the first 150 people who register.

Non-member friends, associates, and relatives who wish to attend the PoPs event can reserve and pay for membership before May 10. Admission for attendees who sign-up as members prior to the event is $60, which includes the PoPs Party and discounted one-year membership.

Bookies Enter Paradise

The natural splendors of the 548-acre Landis Arboretum is bound to be the destination of choice for book buyers, sellers, and collectors for the Used Book Sale scheduled in concert with the Arboretum’s Plant Sale. Bibliophiles are always well-rewarded with thousands of titles in good condition to browse through and buy, while surrounded by the more than 6,000 trees, plants, shrubs, and perennials at the event. Regardless of the weather, the Annual Plant and Book Sale will take place; the books are under cover in the Arboretum’s 1830s English barn.

The annual Book Sale is made possible through the generosity of the Arboretum’s many friends and supporters who collect books throughout the year with the sale in mind. Dozens of volunteers clean and categorize the offerings. Categories include, but are not limited to, science and nature, gardening, reference, poetry, child, mystery, self-help, diet and nutrition. Donations of books in good condition are always welcomed. Please contact the Arboretum with information about book donations by May 10.

Visitors can see for themselves – and greet friends and neighbors as well – at the 36th Annual Landis Arboretum Spring Plant/Book/Bake/and Artisans’ Sunday Sale!

Artisans’ Contribute Festive Flair!

Always responsive to members and visitors comments, the Arboretum will showcase the quality offerings of select area craft-specialists whose work will be for sale at Artisans’ Sunday, May 18, 10 AM – 4 PM in concert with the Plant Sale. Artisans interested in registering to participating in this event are invited to contact the Arboretum at 518-875-6935 by May 1.

Greenhouse Open

The William T. Raymond Greenhouse at the Arboretum will once again play an important role in this year’s offerings. Last year, the greenhouse at Landis offered a profusion of lilies for Plant Sale patrons.

Arboretum PLANT SALE: a Primer

In addition to thousands of plants, highlights of the Spring Plant/Book/Bake & Artisans Sunday Fundraiser include:

Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, 10 am – 4 pm

• Bake Sale: Unusual and tasty homemade cookies, cakes, pies, and breads. Beverages including soda, water, and coffee will be available. Proceeds to benefit Landis’ perennial gardens.

• Book Sale: Bibliophiles and browsers are always well-rewarded with thousands of titles in good condition to browse through and buy, while surrounded by the more than 6,000 trees, plants, shrubs, and perennials. Categories include science and nature, gardening, reference, poetry, child, mystery, self-help, diet and nutrition, and many others. Regardless of the weather, the Book Sale will take place under cover in the Arboretum’s 1830s English barn.

Sunday, May 18, 10 am – 4 pm

• Artisans’ Sunday returns and this year and to a new location within Plant Sale for added convenience. . Select area artisans will showcase, talk about, and sell their wares. Interested in participating as an artist/craftsperson? Contact Vicki Hazzard at 518) 87506935, info@landisarboretum.og

In General

• At Your Service Volunteers from Arboretum-sponsored Boy Scout Troop 501 will be available to help those needing assistance in getting purchases to their vehicles.

• The William T. Raymond Greenhouse at the Arboretum will play an important role in this year’s offerings. Watch for signs and be pleasantly surprised.

• The Acorn Gift Shop will be open. Some popular items include polo and sweatshirts with our logo, high-quality pruning tools, animal puppets, nature games, and books. This year, the Arboretum will feature spectacular photographs by Arboretum member and award-wining nature photographer Bill Combs. Jr.

• Lunch. Food and beverages will be for sale on Saturday and Sunday.

• Starting times and dates for the sale are firm. Purchases may not be made prior to the sale.

• Arboretum plant experts will be available all weekend to answer your questions and to provide suggestions and advice on plant selection, site requirements, and proper planting and care techniques. We cannot take orders or set aside plants prior to the sale.

• Cars must be parked in our upper parking area next to the Meeting House.

• Limited handicapped parking and drop-off space is available. Please inform the parking attendants of your needs.

• Dogs are not permitted at the Plant Sale. (Dogs should never be left in cars because temperatures rise quickly inside vehicles.)

• Restrooms and picnic tables are available for your convenience.

• Please have your sales slip available to be hole-punched as you leave. Have your membership card handy for quicker checkout. (10% discount for members.)

• All purchased items must be removed by 4 pm, Sunday. Landis does not make deliveries and is not responsible for items left after 4 pm.

About the Arboretum

The Landis Arboretum is a 548-acre public garden that includes eight miles of hiking and walking trails overlooking picturesque Schoharie Valley near Esperance, NY. Forty acres are developed with plantings trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials from around the world. The remainder of the property consists of natural areas, woodlands, and open fields reminiscent of the former farm of founder Fred Lape. The Arboretum may be one of the best kept secrets of the Capital Region and along scenic Route 20 corridor between Albany and Skaneateles. The Arboretum is central to the New York State Wine and Spa Trails and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs. And, it is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown, and Finger Lakes Regions.

The Landis Arboretum includes a nationally recognized collection of oaks and is registered with the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC). The Arboretum also is included in the New York State Route 20 Bluebird Trail, bringing even more birdwatchers to the site. The Arboretum’s vast dark sky and wide horizons attract area astronomers to its meeting house and parking field for sky-watching events.

Old Growth Forest Beckons

The Arboretum's most recent land acquisition, for example, almost doubled the size of the site and contains a horticulture bonanza. Last summer, a team of old-growth-forest experts surveyed the site and found species of trees ranging from 150 to 350 years old. One parcel of land near the Montgomery County line contains one of the oldest forests in the area.

This ancient forest is approximately 30 acres in size and is located in the northeast corner of the Arboretum. “This is a forest that has been untouched since the Revolutionary War,” said Bruce Kershner, an ancient forest authority and author of The Sierra Club Guide to Ancient Forests of the Northeast. The Landis Arboretum is now one of only three arboreta in eastern North America that have old growth forests. The other two are the New York Botanical Garden and Rutgers University – neither of which can compare to Landis’ natural collection and pre-revolutionary flora.

Educational Initiatives

The Arboretum offers classes, workshops, guided and self-guided nature study, and is working toward providing meeting space in its bucolic setting for special events, lectures, and demonstrations. Workshop subjects include hawks, moths, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and arthropods. Horticultural interests are the focus of classes in pruning, tree identification, daylilies, and plant propagation. Ancillary workshops have focused on photography, basket making, botanical illustration and landscape painting.

Easy Access

The Landis Arboretum is located 1.5 miles off Scenic US Route 20 in Esperance, NY. Exit #23 off I-88 and follow Route 30A (turn right on Route 20) or Route 30 (turn left on Route 20) toward Esperance.

From Esperance

Turn at the Town Hall onto Charleston Street which turns into Conover Road. There is a green sign for Landis on route 20 by this road. Follow for 1 ¼ miles. The road bears right 90 degrees at one point. Turn right onto Lape Road. There is a sign for Landis and a dead end sign. The main parking lot is ¼ mile down on your left. Across the street from this parking lot are our offices, located in the Farmhouse; nearby are the barn, our library, and greenhouse.

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Posted Wednesday May 14, 2008 at 08:44 am by Landis Arboretum