Yelm High School FFA prepares for annual plant sale

Local plant enthusiasts and horticulturists should mark their calendars for Thursday, April 24, as Yelm High School FFA's annual plant sale is set to return for community members to prepare for the spring bloom.

Matt Mounts, longtime YHS FFA adviser, said this year the plant sale will include a wider variety of plants than typically included in the past. He said new varieties such as potato vine and straw flowers will be featured, and that he's pretty excited about those items.

"We'll also have some new baskets that I'm excited about. We've got a basket that's got an upright fuchsia in it, a lavilia, a coleus, and they're looking really good. I've probably over-bought flowers this year, so trying to find space for them all has been interesting. But when you start looking through the catalog and seeing new items, it's kind of hard not to say yes to new things."

While Mounts said FFA students are planning to be involved in the sale from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, Mounts added the plan is for the sale to operate until they're sold out. If there are leftover plants on Friday, April 25, the sale will continue – however, Mounts anticipates the products being sold out by noon on day two of the sale.

"I think last year spoke volumes. I was very worried when it was basically pouring down rain the morning of the plant sale, and let's face it, who wants to stand out in the rain to get their plants? The line extended clear to the softball field, and people stood out there for more than an hour just to get in and buy plants. It was unreal," Mounts said. "I think it showed everybody involved, including the students, that this community appreciates this sale and is willing to do what's necessary to be a part of it."

So far, in 2025, Mounts described the plant-growing process as interesting.

Even though there are heaters in each of the YHS greenhouses, Mounts said there's been a lot of overcast weather, which has changed the plants' growing patterns.

The FFA adviser said the plants will still look great, but he noted he hasn't had to pinch them back as much in preparation for the plant sale due to the lack of sunshine.

"Just by monitoring the temperature in the greenhouse and fertilizing it during key points, we've been able to adjust to the overcast. The students I have this year have been very vigilant toward plant quality and care, and they've done a really good job of identifying pests when they need to, and asking questions to make sure each plant is taken care of the way it should be," Mounts said. "This year's crew was definitely less experienced than some I've had in the past, but they've put their best foot forward. I've had several of them coming in during spring break to make sure their section is taken care of the way they wanted it to be. The ownership there has been outstanding."

Mounts said the first shipment of plants arrived the week students and teachers returned to campus after Christmas break in January. Since then, shipments have arrived every week through the middle of March, when the students began to plant everything by seed. He believes this annual project gives students a great deal of responsibility, knowing how the community supports the plant sale each year.

"I've had some parents come up to me and tell me their kid wasn't feeling well one day, but told their parents they're going to miss the first three periods of the day, but they had to be there for greenhouse class to take care of their plants," Mounts said. "I think that speaks volumes for the ownership they take on their sections of plants."