Salem Hardy Plant Society

The Salem Hardy Plant Society is a not-for-profit organization promoting the use of hardy perennial plants. It seeks to collect and disseminate source information about hardy plants and their availability. The Society supports community garden projects and cooperates with and complements the activities of other horticultural organizations of the Pacific Northwest.

Monthly meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the months of October through May in the west auditorium of the Salem Heights Hall, 3505 Liberty Road South (at the corner of Liberty Road South and Madrona). The meetings begin with set-up and social activity at 6:30 PM; talks normally begin about 7:15 PM.

July Meeting Program
July 7, 2009

Potluck an Plant Exchange

Once again, it’s time to make room in your garden by potting up a plant you’d like to share, and then filling up that space with something new from another SHPS member—the SHPS Plant Exchange is here! We hope you’ve been potting up those extra plants this spring in anticipation for this once-a-year event. Label your potted plants with as much information as you can and bring them to the potluck picnic at Russ and Yvonne Grahams’ house on Tuesday, July 7th. Plan on arriving about 6 p.m. in order to get your plants coded (see below) and set up.

Once you arrive, a member of the plant exchange committee will help determine the value of each plant and give you color-coded tags (valued at $2.50, $5.00 or $7.50) to match the total value of your plants. The exchange will begin after dinner—no fair picking out a plant and hiding it until the exchange begins! You may spend as much “money” as you have in tags; no actual cash will be accepted. If you wish to bring plants to share, but don’t wish to participate in the exchange, there will be an area designated for “freebies.” We ask that members please take home any of their plants that are not claimed so that Yvonne and Russ won’t have to find homes for any leftovers.

If you want to participate in the potluck, don’t forget to bring something to share, plus your own utensils, plate, drink, and something to sit on. What a great way to spend a summer evening, with plant “shopping,” plant friends, and good food!

Directions to the Grahams:
4030 Eagle Crest Road NW, Salem
Cross the Marion Street Bridge into West Salem, bearing right onto Wallace Road. Continue on Wallace Road for 2 miles. Turn left onto Brush College Road for 4 more miles. Eagle Crest Road will be on your left; follow it slightly uphill to the end of the paved road and the sign announcing Russell Graham, Purveyor of Plants.