Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Butterfly Host Plant Seed Exchange? Anyone interested?!, 1 by tabasco

tabasco wrote:
Good points, all--

Just to clarify--LOL I am not organized but that might be OK.

To start with we can encourage everyone to study the lists of larval host plants (google for those specific to your area if the link above doesn't suit you) and to harvest seeds from your local BF host plants. Also it helps to learn to identify the plants and common butterflies around you (in your parks, neighbors yards, etc.) if you haven't already.

Also check your seed box for seed packets that you won't be able to use that someone else may want.

We could also include "cuttings" of those vines and plants that are difficult to start from seed. (but I don't know much about how to take or grow from cuttings.)

(If there are questions about the best way to collect seeds/cuttings, I am sure there are answers on the propagation forum or other web sites http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/harvesting.html ) (I'm just learning about seed collecting too.)

Yes, konkreteb., it looks like all we have to do is get the word out to DGers on other forums who may be interested in swapping seeds or getting a BF garden going, and invite them to a dedicated Swap Thread to post "haves & wants" and everyone can take care of sending out their own labeled seed packets for trade or postage or just for fun. That way we will have lots of participation and very little 'work' to be done. If that suits everyone I can handle that alright.

Experienced or in-experienced, new or not new to BFs, this way we can all improve our butterfly knowledge and habitats and have fun doing it together!

So, start looking around for ripening host plant seed pods and/or read the "seed collecting" info and get started harvesting, and I will post the Swap Thread probably next week after everyone's had a chance to think through and inqiure on other forums what they might want and what seeds they have to send out over the next couple of months or add any other comments.

Have fun. t.