“Yikes! Don’t Toss it!” says Sue Juhre, Duvall Civic Club and Friends of the Library co-president. “If you’re out in your garden dividing perennials or digging up re-seeded garden goodies (other than weeds!), please don’t toss them into the compost pile yet – we might be able to use them.”

The club counts on plant donations from local residents, organizations and businesses to make the sale successful every year. All Civic Club profits return to the community via scholarships, Duvall Library programs and library furnishings plus local charitable and non-profit organizations such as Hopelink Food Bank, Sno-Valley Seniors, Duvall Arts Commission and Sno Valley Children’s Services.

The club is looking for perennials, annuals, small shrubs, tubers, bulbs, vegetable and herb starts, anything but houseplants or plants from the Invasive Species list.

Juhre was picking up some plants left in front of the library for the upcoming May Plant Sale.

“Over the next few weeks, Civic Club members will be on the lookout for plant donations to sell at the May 10 Plant Sale. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year.”

The event is a very popular sale with the community, offering more than just donated plants, although that is how it started 36 years ago. Local nurseries fill booths with a variety of greenery and blooming pots, and Master Gardeners are on hand to advise customers and help identify the unknown. Additionally, six years ago, the annual plant sale expanded to include art by local artists and now several garden-themed art booths are interspersed with nurseries lining the street behind the library.

Another very popular aspect of the sale is the raffle. Last year’s raffle barrel was overflowing with over 50 items and gift certificates, from garden and nature- related items to a variety of gift certificates from local restaurants and shops, even massage and arborist service gift certificates. The overall value of the barrel exceeded $1,000. The 2008 raffle tickets will go on sale in late April at the library, where the raffle items will be on display. As well, raffle tickets will be sold on May 10.

Got garden extras that you’d like to donate (or donations for the raffle)? Drop the plants off by the donation sign in front of the Duvall Library or contact Sue Juhre at 788-7965 for additional information regarding the Plant and Garden Art Sale.