Bloomingdale Park District teams up with garden club to make plant sale possible
The Bloomingdale Park District recently helped organizers with the Bloomingdale Garden Club to put on a modified version of its popular plant sale.
Due to the stay-at-home orders, most garden clubs in the area canceled their spring plant sales entirely. Though the Bloomingdale club's traditional plant sale could not be held, many regular customers had placed presale orders as early as February.
The biggest obstacle was finding a venue where these presale orders could be sorted and delivered. Traditionally the plant sale takes place in the maintenance building of the park district.
As Illinois entered Phase 3 allowing the reopening of nurseries and garden shops at the end of May, the Bloomingdale Park District opened the building for the garden club to offer pickup of these presale orders.
Two days of hectic activity ensued with the clearing of this space, putting up more than 40 tables, and the early morning delivery and unloading of the truck, as well as sorting the individual orders.
A minimum number of individuals accomplished this and all customers were given a specific time for pickup. Club members worked tirelessly to ensure that the rules and restrictions were followed over the two days.
More than 60 happy customers were satisfied and thousands of plants will bring color and beauty to gardens in Bloomingdale and surrounding areas.
"It is hard to put a price on making people happy," said Joe Potts, the new executive director of the Bloomingdale Park District.
In these difficult times, it was an enormous accomplishment only possible because of the continuing relationship between the garden club and park district.
The Bloomingdale Garden Club donates all of the profits from its plant sale to local charities and this year, even with a much smaller profit, the club also was able to provide flowers for Old Towne Park in Bloomingdale.
The club hopes to start its monthly meetings again as soon as possible and invites members and guests to once again enjoy the informative programs, as well as the friendship and camaraderie among garden club members. For information, visit bloomingdalegardenclub.org or facebook.com/bloomingdalegardenclub/.