HISTORICAL SOCIETY Niles group's plant sale faces space limitations

Renovations at the greenhouse are limiting storage space for the plants.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Those who've become used to ordering plants from the Niles Historical Society's annual sale at the last minute may want to change their strategy this year.
"We're a little limited this year on the number of flowers we can get because we don't have the space to keep them," explained society member Audrey John.
For the past seven years, the historical society was able to buy the plants from local greenhouses, have them delivered to the Ward-Thomas Museum on Brown Street and store them in the museum's greenhouse. But this year, because of ongoing renovations at the greenhouse, the plants need to be stored in the Westenfield Room.
"Things can get pretty cramped in there pretty quick," John said.
The plant sale is an annual fund-raiser for the Niles Historical Society, John said. Money generated by the sale is budgeted toward operations at the Ward-Thomas Museum, which is run by society members.
"It's not always a lot of money we get from the plant sale, but every little bit always helps," John said.
What's for sale
This year, the historical society is selling geraniums and sunshine impatiens in single pots or as hanging baskets.
Prices are $3 for a 4 1/2-inch pot, $4.50 for a 6 1/2-inch pot or $12.50 for a 10-inch pot of geraniums in red, pink or salmon; $4 for a 4 1/2-inch pot of sunshine impatiens in red, white, purple or orange; or $13 for a 10-inch hanging basket of pink or lavender geraniums or red or pink sunshine impatiens.
Also available for sale are flats -- 36 plants -- of several flowers priced at $12 per flat. Types and colors available are blue ageratums; red salvias; pink, red or white begonias; red, white or blue petunias; gold or yellow marigolds; or white, pink, red, lavender, salmon or mixed impatiens.
Deadlines for orders are May 14, with flowers delivered to the museum sometime between May 18 and 27.
Some flowers will also be available for purchase on pickup day, John said.
Orders, with checks payable to the Niles Historical Society, can be sent to P.O. Box 368, Niles, 44446. For more information, call the historical society at (330) 544-2143.
slshaulis@vindy.com