Someone asked for advice...

And that is flattering.... So I figured I'd try and walk them through the whole process and give some good advice...

1st advice I guess is this: Know it's going to be a LOT of work. It's NOT all going to go smoothly.And it's kinda stressful trying to get a living product to do what you want on YOUR time schedule. It gives a whole new level of respect to farmers.
Make sure your spouse/kids are on board. It's good to have the moral support and the extra hands.

How to get plants:
Wintersowing. Super simple way to start a lot of stuff.... Soil seeds old milk jugs and a paint pen to mark the kind of seeds in it


a short video that gives the gist of setting up the container...

The PERENNIALS: you sow now will be best for sale in 2012, If you can find perennials that bloom the 1st yr from seed those are good for this year..

Herbs of all sorts are GREAT to start this way.
Tomatos do really well...
I do my sale in May because I have to ..but if you can do Early June or your zone is warmer then me you have more options of what can wintersow well.And be ready in time for your sale . Pansys Petunias really anything can be winter-sown or spring sowed.

Due to my Early sale and zone 5 I start the peppers and tender annuals like impatiences indoors under-lights. My hubby made me a light-set up out of office shelves and fluorescent lights for about 200 bucks,

Low tunnels/hoop-houses are a good way to get the plants out of the lights and outside a lil sooner.
I have an EXTENSIVE list of places I ask for donations ..I mail all over the country. Do not limit yourself to just your area...And I get a good response rate. I have 3 categorize of letters one for nurseries,one for garden clubs and one for hardware-stores.
make sure your letter can be vetted. Provide your intended charities recipients information and let them know that they may get calls.
I do not take the 1st NO for a donation request. If they can not donate I ask for volunteers or to let me buy stuff at cost.

Keep GOOD RECORDS.
Your supporters deserve accountability in how their donations are used. and you need good records to send thank you notes and to build next years plans