Old Sturbridge Village Plant Sale May 18, 2019 @goldenoakfarm
The courtyard where we waited before the sale started
My BuyNothing Gardeners group had a post about this plant sale. This is a living museum that my son and I used to go to all the time when he was homeschooling. It teaches about life in the early 1800’s.
They grow about 400 varieties of heirloom fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers at the museum.
I had never been to this sale before but they offered a LOT of old fashioned herbs I’d not seen anywhere else.
Here’s the listing:
Anise hyssop – Agastache foeniculum
Basil (assorted varieties) – Ocimum basilicum (wanted lots, got 8)
Bellflower – Campanula
Blackberry lily – Iris domestica
Blue Clips campanula – Campanula carpatica
Butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa
Canterbury bells – Campanula medium
Cardinal flower – Lobelia cardinalis
Catnip – Nepeta Cataria (wanted 1, got 1)
Cayenne pepper – Capsicum annuum ‘Cayenne’ Long Slim
Roman chamomile – Anthemis nobilis
Cheddar pink – Dianthus gratianopolitanus (wanted 2, got 2)
Chimney bellflower – Campanula pyramidalis
Clary sage – Salvia sclarea (wanted 1, got 1)
Columbine – Aquilegia vulgaris
Cottage pink - Dianthus plumarius (had decided not, then got 2)
Cupid’s dart – Catananche caerulea
Elecampane – Inula helenium
Evening primrose – Oenothera Missouriensis
Greek oregano – Origanum vulgare
Heartsease – Viola tricolor
Hollyhock - Black, Tall Mixed, & Yellow (wanted the tall mixed, got 2)
Honesty/Money plant – Lunaria annua
Horehound – Marrubium vulgare
Hyssop – Hyssopus officinalis
Lamb’s ear – Stachys byzantina
Lemon balm – Melissa officinalis
Lemon bee balm – Monarda citriodora (wanted 5, got none)
Lovage – Levisticum officinale
Maiden pink – Dianthus deltoides
Marshmallow – Althaea officinalis
Parsley – Petroselinum crispum (wanted 5, got 6)
Pennyroyal – Mentha pulegium (wanted 3, got 2)
Purple coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
Purple foxglove – Digitalis purpurea (wanted 2, got 1)
Ragged Robin – Lychnis flos-cuculi
Rampion – Campanula rapunculus
Red valerian – Centranthus ruber
Rose campion – Lychnis coronaria
Spotted bee balm – Monarda punctata (wanted 5, got 2)
Straw foxglove – Digitalis lutea (wanted 2, got none)
Superb/Fringed pink – Dianthus superbus (wanted 3, got 2)
Sweet Annie – Artemisia annua
Sweet William – Dianthus barbatus (wanted 3, got 2)
Thyme – Thymus vulgaris (wanted 8, got 12)
White campion – Lychnis coronaria alba
White foxglove – Digitalis purpurea alba (decided not, got 1)
Wild bergamot – Monarda fistulosa
Woad – Isatis tinctoria (wanted 2, got 2)
Yellow foxglove – Digitalis grandiflora (wanted 2, got 1)
If I had gotten all I wanted it would have been over $200! As it was I spent $78 and got 47 plants of 16 varieties. Someone said they were organically raised, but it doesn’t say on the website.
Of the 75 varieties offered, I already had 22 of the varieties and had grown all but 11 of them. My best find was woad! I’d just been reminded of it by watching Victorian Farm Christmas. Ruth had used it to dye the Christmas ribbons a delicious yellow. I got 2 of them.
I had printed out 2 lists, one for me of the harder plants to select, and 1 for my husband of the easy ones. We each had a stack of trays. But he was quickly overwhelmed by the crush of people, so he just held trays and I selected plants. It was easy to move along the tables with my list, as they were in order.
We thought we’d be there about an hour between selecting and getting checked out. But we were done in 20 mins! So glad we got there early!
It was VERY well organized for such a tiny space. All plants alphabetical by the listing. Mostly really strong healthy plants too.
We had gotten there very early and from talking to people we discovered people came from as far away as Cape Cod and Rhode Island. We traveled 50 minutes to get there.
It was free to get into the sale so this was the only house I could see from where we were allowed.
I’d brought my sturdy seed starting trays for transporting the seedlings. This was my selection. Now I have to get gardens cleaned out so I can plant them….
Nothing more delightful than browsing and choosing plants for the garden. The only issues we have here is the 100 year old garden is almost FULL and everything stays in the ground all year round. Curious as to what you bought, and why.
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I want all of them!! So amazed that you had such good restraint, I would have found it difficult to hold back with all those amazing varieties. I love the "decided not but got some"! :) I bet your vehicle smelled awesome on the ride home.
No flowers on them, so not much scent....yet! But I have high hopes for all the pinks. :))
Lucky you!
I love Old Sturbridge Village - went there once with my family. I still have some of the toys we bought and can't part with them for the memories.
I really loved it too! That's why I dragged my young son there so often. :))