I'm in charge of the Silent Auction/Plant sale at the church's annual bazaar. This was my 2nd time doing it. We had gorgeous weather all weekend. Heavy rains to the east... flooding to the west. We stayed completely dry. The dance on Friday wasn't very well attended so we were able to close-down and get home around 2:30am. Saturday's dance was very well attended, but I made a point of leaving by 12:30am since I knew I was going to have a long day on Sunday, at the plant sale. Sunday... My day started off at 6:30am loading the trucks. Last year I had them loaded the day before, but there was a good chance for rain on Saturday and I didn't want them to get wet. Not that the plants would have mind, but it would be too much work to wipe the pots dry and place newspaper under them to soak up any run-off moisture (can't have the bidding sheets getting wet). So anyhow... One load in my brother's truck. Had plants in the second seating area and passenger seat & floor. first load ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Dropped them off and came back for load number 2 in my truck. Again, more plants behind the seat and on passenger seat & floor. second load ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Unloaded them and then back to the house for the final load. I forgot to take a photo, but the bed of the truck wasn't completely filled up like the others. So... unloaded them. Now... where are my helpers? It's 8am. My tables were in place, but they hadn't moved the tents over them yet. Aarggghhh! They said it would be done by now. Okay, two of the guys are here, and had to borrow one guy that was helping with the bbq. Tents are in place and I can get busy setting up the plants. I really wanted one of the guys to help me with setting out the bid sheets, but their "muscles" were needed elsewhere helping move tables and tents. So I felt confident that I could handle the next part alone, especially since I was better prepared. I had the plant ID tags stapled to their bid form. I put the "spikes" in the pots the day before... this is where I would slide on the ID tags. I had a little red wagon as my "office". All of paper work was right there. And one valuable tool was an apron that Dooley made for me. No more setting down my pen or tape and having to go look for them. Thanks Dooley... it worked perfectly! So I put out the plants. Add their tags. Tape down their bid forms. Completely done before noon (when the auction started). Time for a cold adult beverage and take a breather. Nope... there comes Mrs. E with her truckload of plants. I thought she decided not to bring them since it was so late. She brought about 30 plants of which half I didn't even set out.... they were tiny or I had no clue what they were. She didn't bring some of the stuff on her list, but brought stuff that wasn't on it. Aaarrgghhh! At least I could identify them, but didn't have tags made for them. So I got those all set out in about an hour. Put out signs by the road. And then I had that adult beverage! I used 8 picnic tables, 4 TV trays. Three 10x20ft tents and I utilized the carport. And that was just for the plants! I also had other misc. items in the auction, off to the side that took up 4 or 5 tables. Here's my area all set up. plant city for a day ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) That's me utilizing Dooley's Apron ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) customers ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) In that last photo you can see the suncatchers that I made earlier this year. They all sold! woohooo! Anyhow, it was pretty successful. Mrs. E took her left over plants home. My brother and sister-in-law (GsdRuth) pitched in and helped me load everything up to take back home with me. We finished with everything by around 7:30pm. Then ate dinner. I then had to go through all the bid forms and tally all the money. So I was done by around 11pm. And to have the money to the office by 8:30 in the morning. There was 115 plants. 66 of them sold and netted $732. The misc. items sold for $507. I have 3 more opportunities to get the plants sold... one event on Sept. 14. Another on October 5 and the last on Oct. 12th. I get to the church office around 9am on Monday morning. Then had to load up some cinder blocks I had brought to use as weights for the tents. And load two tents that I borrowed from a friend to return. There were 3 big light towers that had to be returned to the rental place, and since I had a truck I was asked to tow one to the town about 8 miles away. Did that, delivered the tents, unloaded the blocks. Back to the house to get the plants tucked back away and give them all drinks. But all the other stuff away. Started to water MY plants and kinda clean up in the house since I just had stuff thrown all over the place. Around 5pm, took a plant back to the church for someone to pick up today. When I got there, it started to pour down raining. Day after ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) So happy that the weekend was free of all that rain! But now, the tents couldn't be disassembled because the canvas has to be completely dry before folding. Next stop, deliver some plants to my cousin. I got home around 7pm and made a big tall class of a strong adult beverage and sat back in the recliner. My feet sure needed that! Up this morning to come into work. I sure need the rest! This evening, I'll return to help take down the plastic fencing that was set up around the grounds to control traffic/parking. And then I'm really going to sit back and take it easy... until the next event! Lesson learned this year... recruit someone to help with setting out the plants so I won't be in such a rush. My system of numbering/labeling would have worked well for anyone with or without plant knowledge. And I will need at least one other person to help collect the money when it's over. The person that volunteered this year backed out at the last minute and I was struggling to keep up with it all... luckily one of my cousins stepped in to help. Stayed tuned to part 2 in a month!
Look at the size of those plants!!! No wonder you were disappointed by the tiny one you got at the plant sale held by the Master Gardeners group. I think you need to roundup a couple of helpers to get all the clean up done too.
Toni, I made flyers and took them to the Master Gardeners meeting to personally invite them to the sale. I don't think any of them showed up! What kind of gardening group doesn't want to check out a plant sale? Next year, the flyer will show some of these photos... maybe they'll come out when they see that I don't have pathetic over-priced itty bitty plants! I bribe my brother and GsdRuth to come out with a free BBQ dinner & drinks. They are my "clean up" crew.
WOW, lots of work Cheryl, lots of great plants. O.K. another WOW and congratulations on a successful plant sale. Jerry
Thanks Jerry. Yep lots of work... but at least it's playing with plants. I forgot to mention my "prep" work. Thursday they all got a drink with miracle grow. Friday, I gathered them all up from around the yard. Brought them to the front of the garage. Clipped out any dead or dying leaves, flowers. Wiped off the pots. Gave them one last spray of Neem and tucked them away in the garage to keep them from getting wet if it rained.
Cheryl, you deserve a massive round of applause from your church! Without you there wouldn't have been a plant sale, and the church would have been out $1400 and change. Next year--two volunteers for every post needed. That way if one "backs out", you still have help. Don't you just love people who break promises? Is there any way you can keep the next sale a secret from Mrs. E.?
Thank you Jane. I would love to have one person as my assistant every year... from start to finish. My cousin would be perfect. She loves plants. But she has two young sons and don't always have the time. This year she had to help with the cake sale. Plus her husband is the chairman of the whole event. The problem is there aren't enough people... we're all spread thin. But I'll starting looking for a good dependable person now and get them signed up just for the auction. Mrs. E is the one who started the plant sale years ago. She is a retired school teacher and member of the church for ages. She works the event in the ticket booth all weekend. It wouldn't be right to exclude her. But what I would like to do is go ahead and get the plants from her beforehand. That would save her from loading them up (with only help from her young great-nephew). And it would help me to have them already tagged and ready to go along with mine. No last minute surprises!
Cheryl, not everyone who has the responsibility and hard work that you have would be so understanding. Mrs. E. is undoubtedly a very nice lady and a good person. Is there any member of the church who would load her plants and bring them to you beforehand? I hope you can get at least one reliable volunteer for next year. Sure wish we lived closer to one another .
Jane... I offered to pick up Mrs. E's plants, but she said it was no problem for her and the kid to do it. She's still pretty spunky and hardworking. She said the reason she was late was that she had to unload some stuff for her tractor out of her truck. Oh what I wouldn't give to have a 'Stewbie as a helper!
Ditto Netty's post! It all looked so clean and well organized. You did a great job Cheryl, and certainly deserved that adult beverage after all your work!
Thanks everyone. It was a fun weekend. Tiring, but fun. I have one last plant to deliver this afternoon. One of the ladies that was working in the office on Sunday didn't get a chance to go back and bid on a plant she really wanted and someone else won it. I told her that I had another at home I could sell to her for the same price the other sold for. She jumped at the idea.
You must be so very proud. I am amazed. Pat yourself in the back. It's truely a wonderful thing that you do...
