Annual Plant Sale in the Victoria Hall
12 July 2017
Another year and another Ballater Royal Horticultural Society Plant Sale has taken place.
Our trial last year, where we moved the sale from the traditional setting on the Green to the more user friendly all-weather environment of the Victoria Hall, proved such a success that it’s intended to hold it undercover every year. The improved layout enables us to display the plants/home produce/gardening books/raffle prizes and sundry items to full effect and judging from the numerous positive comments received, this has been much appreciated by everyone.
Our trial last year, where we moved the sale from the traditional setting on the Green to the more user friendly all-weather environment of the Victoria Hall, proved such a success that it’s intended to hold it undercover every year. The improved layout enables us to display the plants/home produce/gardening books/raffle prizes and sundry items to full effect and judging from the numerous positive comments received, this has been much appreciated by everyone.
Our intrepid gardeners have been beavering away since last autumn, splitting perennials in their gardens, sowing seeds in propagators and potting on the seedlings from small to medium to large pots ready to donate the fruits of their labours to be offered for sale to the good people of Ballater and surrounding area.
This small merry band of BRHS Committee and Members has really done us proud once again and worked hard in preparing and setting up the sale tables and acting as cashiers, raffle ticket sellers, bakers, jam makers and givers of general advice on the day of the sale.
This small merry band of BRHS Committee and Members has really done us proud once again and worked hard in preparing and setting up the sale tables and acting as cashiers, raffle ticket sellers, bakers, jam makers and givers of general advice on the day of the sale.
The quality of all the plants donated was really outstanding and the professional layout in the Victoria Hall didn’t go un-noticed by all who walked through the doors on Saturday morning. We were very proud that we could provide such a variety of plants, ranging from:
Perennials, Shrubs & Biennials
Annuals
and
Herbs and Vegetables
Herbs and Vegetables
Once again there was that inner fear, by those inside the Hall, that no-one would turn up and we’d end up potentially spending the afternoon taking back all the plants to our various gardens.
Our fears were of-course unfounded as a quick peek outside confirmed that the queue was beginning to build up even 15 minutes before opening time!
Our fears were of-course unfounded as a quick peek outside confirmed that the queue was beginning to build up even 15 minutes before opening time!
At 9.30am the doors were thrown open to what seemed to be Ballater’s mini version of the Harrod’s Sale as folk streamed into the Hall with smiling faces, swiftly turning left to eagerly collect an empty box and then making a beeline for the myriad of plants on display.
As all the plants were neatly priced and labelled it was very easy for buyers to identify what they were looking for, in addition to being able to ask our very knowledgeable gardeners who patrolled the hall offering advice when needed.
Thank you Colin, William, Malcolm, Morag and Jim.
Thank you Colin, William, Malcolm, Morag and Jim.
Once again, we sold raffle tickets for a lovely selection of prizes, including £25 and £10 garden vouchers, a beautiful handcrafted patchwork quilt lovingly made by Senga, various bottles of alcohol, boxes of chocolates and pretty toiletries, etc. It was a very intense couple of hours for our raffle ticket sellers Anne and Judy who worked non-stop selling and writing out all the ticket stubs ready for the draw. Many thanks also to both of you. |
By 11am there was very little left to sell with some customers being quite disappointed that most of the plants had already gone. They were confronted with our advisers doing a grand job of cleaning and dismantling tables
Apologies to those people who missed out but the age-old saying of "early bird and worm" might be worth keeping in mind for next year.
Apologies to those people who missed out but the age-old saying of "early bird and worm" might be worth keeping in mind for next year.
Rest assured, all the proceeds of the sale will be ploughed back into the Society and will go a long long way to funding the Annual Flower Show in August with any surplus being spent on other BRHS events.
A very big thank you to all who played their part in making the sale such a success and to the residents of Ballater and visitors to the village for coming along and spending their money on our plants and other goods.
We hope you enjoy your annuals this year and that your shrubs and perennials give a good display in your gardens for many years to come.
Without the involvement of everyone we wouldn’t have enjoyed such a resoundingly successful morning.
It won’t be long before our gardeners will be scouring the seed catalogues and looking afresh at what can be potted up to bring on for next year’s sale.
So here’s to June 2018 !
A very big thank you to all who played their part in making the sale such a success and to the residents of Ballater and visitors to the village for coming along and spending their money on our plants and other goods.
We hope you enjoy your annuals this year and that your shrubs and perennials give a good display in your gardens for many years to come.
Without the involvement of everyone we wouldn’t have enjoyed such a resoundingly successful morning.
It won’t be long before our gardeners will be scouring the seed catalogues and looking afresh at what can be potted up to bring on for next year’s sale.
So here’s to June 2018 !