Many will trek to the Lake Wilderness Arboretum in Maple Valley for the annual Mother’s Day plant sale.

Vendors, Master Gardeners, arboretum staff and volunteers will be there in support.

Arboretum president Colby Collier said there will be many vendors attending this year. Some will bring specialty iron-works, other will bring hard to find specialty plants, including carnivorous ones.

Collier and the volunteers who keep the place running encourage anyone interested in getting some great flora and learning something to support the fundraiser.

“It’s Mother’s Day weekend, what better place to buy local, buy green,” Karen Fabiano said.

Since 1965 the arboretum has been situated on 40 acres of quiet wooded grounds adjacent to Lake Wilderness. It boasts one of the world’s largest western azalea collections and soon will have one of the largest hardy fuschia collections as well.

For resident Joyce Long the arboretum is a mecca.

“It feeds our passions,” Long said. “It’s a place that provides education, beautiful grounds and plants.”

Specialty collections have always been a feature at the arboretum.

The alpine garden, the rhododendron garden – the arboretum’s oldest — and the Legacy garden are all situated along casual walking paths from which to view.

The arboretum also hosts many educational classes ranging from hypertufa (lightweight castings), leaf-casting and propagation. Outreach programs include hosting the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as students from grade to high school.

Volunteers also visit area nursing homes to hand out plants to the elderly.

There is a Tribal Life Trail which explains “how native people of the area used plants for clothing, ceremony, medicine, food and utilitarian needs” according to master gardener Katie Swickard.

Many people seek out the arboretum with questions about plant identification and disease.

“I’ve never seen more knowledgeable plant people,” said Judy Nash, arboretum nursery manager. “There is an opportunity for learning here, and it’s a great place for kids.”

Volunteers are the life blood there. Many of the structures and installations were done completely by volunteers.

Patti Davis, former president, is still actively involved. She encourages people to stop by the arboretum and that visitors always say “this place is gorgeous.”

“We love to have people volunteer, to come out when you can, to do what you can,” Davis said.

Anjie Roland is a volunteer who remembers walking with her mom in the garden as a child.

This was her third weekend here, getting some “alone time, relaxing.”

Roland lives in an apartment and doesn’t have the room for the garden she would like, so she comes to the arboretum.

“I enjoy giving back to the community,” she said, “I enjoy the outdoors, learning and relaxing.”

Tahoma High student Carly Morris will be an intern at the arboretum.

“I love plants and it makes me feel good knowing that I’m helping out. You can ask a lot of questions,” Morris said.

The arboretum’s fundraiser runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday May 8.

For more information go to the website.