Wharfedale Gardeners’ Group hold busy plant sale in Otley

It has become a yearly event as the previous Plant Auction became so well attended, with so many plants donated, that we decided to open up the opportunity to the local people and visitors to Otley. That and the fact that the old Methodist Chapel (now for sale) was no longer viable and our new venue, Beech Hill Church is not quite as large!

Hundreds of plants from the Wharfedale Gardeners were donated. Some were newly grown seedlings, some propagated and divided from members’ own gardens and some well-established old favourites energetically dug up, to share.

Plants were being transported for at least a month prior to the sale, collecting in the corners of committee members’ gardens, on driveways and patios

A market stall often means an early start and members armed with crates full of plants, wrestled huge trestle tables onto the cobbles and set up shop. Keenly priced to encourage everyone to find a bargain, the gardening public were eager to snap up early favourites. As the day went on bags, bundles and pots of plants were carted away to be spread not just through Otley but to gardens all along the Wharfe Valley. We needed a ‘Chelsea Flower Sow bell’ to proclaim the end of the sale with fantastic low prices and garden bundles to be hailed away!

Without the keen committee and volunteers these fundraising events could not take place and we are forever grateful to the group’s members and the public who support us by buying the plants. We are also supported by local shops and businesses, like Courtyard Planters, Like Nana Did, Otley Garden Centre, Guy, on the market with his rows and rows of colourful pots and the Bookshop on the Square who donate raffle prizes and give us generous discounts for our fundraising activities.

Without our generous members and the town’s community support we would not be able to run our events calendar entertaining and informing our growing membership, so, many thanks Otley and the Wharfe Valley!