Spring Garden Fair

The Annual Spring Garden Fair is held the weekend before Mothers Day

This years dates: May 5 & 6, 2012

Fair Features and Attractions

Plant Check

A free plant-check service is available to make shopping effortless!You drop off your purchases and volunteers tag them and hold them until you are ready to venture home. We made pick-up easy with a drive up area to get you on your way quickly.

Soil pH Testing

We will test soil samples taken from your garden for proper pH and make recommendations how to correct low or high pH. Please bring to us in a plastic baggies about 1/2 cup of your soil. Mark each bag the location from which it was collected. You may collect and bring to us several samples from various places of the garden. Please get your soil samples to the "testers" one hour before the days quitting time. We need an hour to do the process. Our hours are Saturday 9 - 4 and Sunday 9 - 3. Please click for the handout from 10 Minute University™ about Testing Soil pH.

Master Gardener Clinics

ask a Master Gardener

We will have two locations for you questions, outside in a tent in the vendor area and another inside the 4-H Building. Bring your home and garden plant or pest question to us and we will give you researched based answers and advice.

10-Minute University™

Back again ! The ever popular free educational 10 Minute University™ sessions given by Clackamas County Master Gardeners. Where else can you buy your plants and learn how to grow them all in one place? Topics from ‘Starting a Veggie Garden” to “Pruning Shrubs and Trees” will be sure to inspire gardeners of all levels. See schedule below. Click here for link to handouts.

The Potting Station

At our Potting Station we are selling stylish new pots for your garden, in colors and shapes that will be hard to resist. With your pot purchase we can also provide the soil and the labor to put it all together for you to take home, all ready for your deck/patio ... you just add the water and the sunshine! Our buyer starts shopping early to get you the latest colors and styles ! Several nurseries will also have displays of what they sell and possible planting combinations for inspiration.

New Plant Introductions and Silent Auction

Come into the New Plant Introduction and Silent Auction tent to view some plants that have not yet been or just recently released for sale. The silent auction is a fun way to bid on a new plant.

Plant Raffle

We have an Hourly Raffle and a Grand Prize Raffle both Saturday and Sunday. It's a wonderful way to add to your plant collection on the cheap ! Donations come from several of our 200 + vendors and area merchants. (Many thanks to all who donate !) And the proceeds add to our ability to support our local OSU Extension and other community projects.

4/ $1.00 tickets: Drawings are held hourly from 10 to 4 on Saturday and 10 to 3 on Sunday. (Prizes will be determined after the Fair begins, and must be picked up the days they are chosen).

Grand Prize Tickets $1.00 each. Winners are drawn at 3:30 on Sunday, and you don't have to be present to win. Donated prizes are: Grimm's Fuel/ 1 unit of bark mulch, Oregon Turf and Tree Farms/ 500 sq. ft. of turf, Portland Nursery/ 3 each $25 gift cards, Clarks Lawn and Garden/ Snapper Mini Cultivator, from vendors here at the Fair: B And D Sales/ metal garden arbor and Deezines (metal sculptor, prize to be announced later) see our Facebook page for links to our generous donors.

4-H Building

In the 4-H Building you will find indoor seating for the Good Thyme Food court, free Soil pH testing, Master Gardener clinics, educational displays and the following societies and organizations: Home Orchard Society, Portland Bee Keepers, Champoeg 1860's kitchen garden, Vector Control, Clackamas County soil and water conservation district and office of sustainability, Multnomah County Master Gardeners with children's planting activities, , OSU Extension service, Clackamas Community College and Canby Historical society.

Plant Taxi Service

Your personal wagon driver will be your patient hauler of plants as you shop the Fair. We have 3 groups returning to offer Plant Taxi service for your customers! Canby High horticulture Club, Ackerman Junior High art class, and Canby High Leadership class will be fund raising for their respective programs. They provide their own carts, and work for tips and donations. Look for them at the main (Red) gate.

Good Thyme Food Court

We have a great selection in our Food Court to tempt you this year. View our complete menu by clicking here. We will have tables set up outdoors, as well as tables for use in with our 10 Minute University™ sessions in Clackamas Hall, right next door. Consider a "Lunch and Learn" option ... grab a bite to eat while you sit in on one of our sessions. Tables are also available in the 4-H Building along with our Educational displays and children activities.

ATM

If you come to the Spring Garden Fair short on money to purchase your treasured finds you will find the ATM machine on the asphalt between the 4-H Building and the vendor field in a small building near the outside picnic tables.

The Fine Print

Parking is Free and admission to the Event Center is $3 with children 15 and under free

History of the SGF

In 1985 the Clackamas County Master Gardeners put on the first Spring Garden Fair with a fuchsia sale. Today the vendors number over 200 and is the regions largest kickoff sale for spring planting. This event is planned, organized and hosted by Clackamas County Master Gardeners. Volunteer leaders plan September through May, and an additional 300 Master Gardener volunteers work at the two-day event.

The proceeds from this sale support two scholarships at Clackamas Community College for Horticulture students and the Clackamas County Master Gardener Horticulture Endowment at Clackamas Community College. We also support OSU Extension, local tri-county Master Gardener Program and other community projects.

How to Get Involved

Master Gardeners are Oregon State University Extension trained volunteers providing research based home horticulture information. Please click here for the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Page, and info on becoming a Master Gardener.

last updated on January 10, 2012

The Annual Spring Garden Fair is held the weekend before Mothers Day

4/ $1.00 tickets: Drawings are held hourly from 10 to 4 on Saturday and 10 to 3 on Sunday. (Prizes will be determined after the Fair begins, and must be picked up the days they are chosen).

4-H Building