SPRING GARDEN DAY: BEHIND THE SCENES
by Sunny Greene, FROGS Board Member
Spring Garden Day (SGD) has been held at Green Spring Gardens (GSG) for over 30 years. It is the largest annual event at Green Spring and is eagerly awaited each May by plant lovers and garden visitors alike.
Everyone loves Spring Garden Day, but few realize the many months of time and effort involved. In every sense, Spring Garden Day is a team effort between the FROGS board and the GSG staff. Much of the planning each year relies on the “institutional memory” of past years’ experiences.
Here’s a look into some of what happens before you come to Spring Garden Day:
As in most organizations, the FROGS board has long-established standing committees. Spring Garden Day is no exception. No later than the beginning of each year a chairperson volunteers to be in charge of overseeing the entire event. This involves coordinating and conducting numerous winter/spring meetings with the various subcommittee leaders as well as with the GS staff to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event. No small feat!
Plant vendors are of course key to Spring Garden Day’s success. In 2023 the FROGS board’s vendors committee resourcefully sought and contacted numerous new vendors-- many former vendors had changed the way they do business or retired after the COVID pandemic. The FROGS team amassed a large list and developed an organized and efficient method for handling yearly vendor commitments. Once the vendor list is finalized, the GS staff then assigns the specific Garden Day vendor locations. We want to offer a great experience to the vendors as well as you, the customers. In addition to the signup and planning, the vendors need assistance starting the day before the sale: off-site parking, shuttles, loading and reloading on the field, hoses for plants, and much more. As you shop, please thank your vendors for coming!
NOTE: the renowned Green Spring Plant Shop will of course be in full operation on SGD.
Another eagerly awaited part of SGD is the wonderful bake sale. The bake sale committee works tirelessly to give patrons a fabulous culinary experience. The many volunteer bakers and workers for each SGD sale need to be located, contacted and coordinated via email, phone, Sign Up Genius, and social media. Creating the delightful decorations and informative signs takes time, too. Even after Garden Day is over, work continues. Thank you notes are sent to all the many bake sale volunteers, and there is always an analysis of what went well, what can be improved, etc. What seems to be an “easy, breezy” bake sale is quite a challenge and takes a huge amount of energy and effort.
Publicity for Spring Garden Day is key. In addition to the banners and signs on the Green Spring grounds, the tireless FROGS membership management committee reaches out continually and creatively via the FROGS website and social media to publicize the event and encourage attendance and volunteer participation. Their efforts are absolutely vital to the day’s success.
It must be emphasized that, while Spring Garden Day is sponsored by FROGS, the event could not happen without the incredible cooperation and help of the amazing and tireless GS staff members. Not only do they give advice to the FROGS board for the day’s activities, the staff always give their time and effort to SGD itself. The knowledgeable staff sees to it that GS has food vendors, parking, police presence, setup/take down of tents, and much, much more. The gardeners work tirelessly, and the devoted Historic House team ensures that the house is open and welcoming. FROGS is incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive and involved partnership with the entire GSG staff!
All this effort is certainly worth it. Last year’s SGD chair shared the following:
“After months of planning, culminating in one long day of furious, fun, and fatiguing hosting, helping, feeding, and caring for hundreds of families and friends, each member of the entire… team goes home knowing they were part of something special—to themselves, to GSG, but, most importantly, to our community friends and families who enjoy GSG day after day. So, on the Monday after SGD, they all start planning for the next SGD….”
Now that you know some of what goes into producing Spring Garden Day, be sure to come on Saturday, May 18 from 9 am to 3 pm. We promise you a great time!
