Spring will soon turn to summer, which means harvest time is just around the corner, but it’s not too late to plant a garden or some springtime flowers. On May 15, the Queen of Spades Garden Club hosted their annual plant sale and had quite a few people purchase plants.

Co-chair of the club, Stephine Pratt, said the Queen of Spades Garden Club is a service organization and the plant sale is its main fundraiser.

In June, the club will vote on a budget for next year and either donate money to an organization they support or contact the organization on how they want the donation to be spent.

“All the proceeds go back into the community to help with projects, such as purchasing trees and shrubs for parks, supplying seeds and garden material for schools, tour of gardens and garden of the month, garden related books for libraries, garden therapy at local nursing homes and many other projects” Pratt said.

In previous years, the club offered an activity for kids but due to COVID-19, the club had to revise the activity as a take-home. They offered a book bag with gardening activities, garden related books, instructions for activities and recipes using the ingredients the kids will grow.

Ellensburg resident Lisa Young said she went to the plant sale, like she does every year, because she loves plants and enjoys gardening, as well as having house plants and supporting the club.

“I like to support the Queen of Spades and it’s a good place to get plants from other people that started them in their yard and I’m going to carry them on in mine,” Young said. “I just like nature and having some greenery outside and inside is peaceful.”

Pratt said a good way to start gardening is to browse all the nurseries because the nurseries stock plants that grow in this region and they are knowledgeable about any plant questions. Pratt’s other tip is to talk with the Master Gardener’s Organization in Ellensburg.

Leftover plants from the plant sale get donated to a local organization and this year, the leftover plants were donated to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery, Pratt said.

On June 11, the club will be dedicating a Blue Star Marker at Memorial Park. The Blue Star Marker is a National Garden Club program that honors past, present and future veterans from all military branches, Pratt said.