Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #43

New thread for a new week........... last one was getting a tad long... don't wanna lose Star *wink*

we came from here -- > http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1048599/

One more week til the 3rd annual Piggy Swap begins....

keep on pickin' cleanin' and baggin seeds.

Neal, I have a whole bunch of different tricyrtis, but I don't know yet which ones I'll get seeds from. Last year's attempt was a bust, but I have seeds of puberula, a yellow and brown early flowerer, which look a lot different from what I remember of some tricyrtis seeds I bought but didn't grow. They probably weren't any good. I got them from Hirt's, along with some other hard to find seeds that didn't grow either, except the lewisia. Beware buying any seeds from them!!! - Do you have any blue (not purple) aconitums? Actually, do you have any color except purple? They're on my want list!!! I'll have just a few packs of napellus, and I hope they're good.

Still waiting to hear if anybody knows how to "moist-pack" seeds.

Perenniallyme this info might help with moist-packing

http://www.nargs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=158:seed-donation-instructions&catid=75:seedex&Itemid=94

I'm glad to see that someone mentioned marigolds on the last thread. I'm a prime example of the person wanting 'comon seeds' that a lot of people may not even list. I'd like to grow a big variety of marigolds next year. I use quite a few myself and my dad (I'm his supplier) uses tons of them, so I'd like to try some new ones if I can find them. I'm partial to the french, but dad hinted (more than once) that he likes the ones with "big heads" so I assume he wants the english this year. LOL.

I think I've got 15 different types of fresh seed cleaned, bagged, tagged, and ready to go. I haven't looked in last year's stash though, so if I have time to go through it over the weekend I should be able to add to the list. I remember there being a high demand last year for my echie seeds and I think I still have some of those left. Which rememinds me....Neal - did yours ever bloom?

Perenniallyme, my Monk's hood is almost royal blue, with some violet shading. Most who see it perceive it a blue shade. That yellow and brown Toad Lily you had sounds cool!

Lala, that bud is still there on that Echie, and I can see the petals starting to poke out. The frost didn't phase it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I just hope it can open enough for me to see the color!

Ya!!!!!!!!! new thread and finlly able to get back on internet. Looks like folks getting things ready to get started . Lots of rain comign this week here, so hopign it don't wreck seed pods stil out there.

Moist packing is just that. Some seed like s to be dried completely. Some seed needs to be colelcted and not so much dried as retainign it's current mooisture level inside your seed. That when using then little food preserve packages ya find in meat and shoe boxes and such place s like that are good to use. Then ya have some things ya don't want them to dry all out if they really really sensitive seeds. There sevral differnt type sof bulbs that benefit from moistrue packing.

You cna take things like vermiculite, sawdust real fine, and just like sprintz it a little bit. You don't want it wet wet, cuz then it possible that the seeds may just start germinating before they get to where they need to arrive. Just touch a touch of misting, very tiny if ya using a seed packet and ya just mix the seed in with it. Soemthign that small usually one mist squirt wil do it.

If I have a bunch fo somethign I sendign thta needs moist packed I usually get a small tub, put the medi mix in it get it slightly damp to touch and mix it real good thn pack evrythign at once. What good abotu moistenign yoru mix in the tub forst is if you get the mix to damp, and also the excess water goes to bottom and that wil be wetter, you cna let it sit out for awhile, mix it up until it drie s otu enough again to continue packing.

Lala -- for the English Marigolds... i have those seeds. and I find they are more "daisy" like, than "marigold" like. IF you want some... i have some... I honestly did not collect this year. they product a TON of seeds.. I"ve been deadheading like crazy and just pitching them. I noticed the blooms yesterday [when the sun was shining... it's raining again] but they are so pretty... really bright yellows and oranges.

last summer, 2008, i had A LOT of marigolds. African [which are taller with larger heads] and many double French. that flower bed was so pretty... this year, i did not get the seeds sown in time, and really missed them this year. For some flower beds in Wisc [I'm on the beautification committee] I had purchased some of the French double ORange and red blooms. I grabbed alot of seed heads so i'd have some for next year. All my seeds are NoIDs though... if you want any -- I'll set some aside for you.

-- Would anyone want any Fever Few ... I have not collect seeds yet, and if there is no demand, i wont.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/319/ Tanacetum parthenium
Mine are quite compact... 8" tall maybe [could be my zone] but would make a nice border plant.

perenniallyme, YES on the pink anemone! I have a white 'whirlwind' that I love, but haven't been able to get seed from. I've been wanting a pink so bad I've almost given in and bought some! How tall do your's get? I had some from a swap last year that I never could get to germinate... any advice on them?

Star and ansonfan, thanks for the info on moist-packing, but I really do wonder how to keep the seeds from molding if I do that - and it's probably too late for the ones I've already allowed to dry. I'll have to ask you all for germination reports on some of them this year.

kl, I haven't started japanese anemone from seed myself, so I can't give you any advice. Sorry. But since I do get a few that seed themselves, you might want to try wintersowing them as soon as they arrive. I don't know whether or not they're among the ones that lose viability quickly. The good thing (or bad, depending on how you view it) is that once established, they multiply rapidly by runners.

Neal, I really hope you can get a few of those monkshood seeds. I'm ready to oink.

Patricia, forgot to say that I saw Su, the herb person at the community garden and she told me the name of the plant you were asking about and got seeds from - astragalus (sp?) or milk vetch and the root is used (after about 5 years) in teas and such for detoxifying the body.

Therese, I would love to oink for some feverfew. Please collect some and I'll watch for it on your list. Thanks!

Tonya

Tonya ... will do... when it stops raining....

TCS, may I have some of your english and french marigolds. Really don't care if they aren't identified.

Thanks, Maxine

Perenniallyme. I really don't see any problem with the way you have done them. You figure seed has to last for logn time out in wild before it even thinks abotu germinating and unless it marked in few onths time, most things ther e usualyl no problem with.

Ok, They finalyl mad e seed heads , but i have no ide a of what they are. Don't knwo if they was presents from the birds or if they was from somethig that maybe didn't germinate right away and it went into compost pile and from there grew. I know I had seeds of it at one time, but was logn tiem agao and really can't remmebr what I did with the pots.

They a wildflower , anyways that what I call them and they have small blue dasiys on them. They cna grow up to be a coupel feet tall and they get loaded with tons of blue daisys the buterflie s like. They are kind of what I call and airy plant. One stem at bottom then branching off at top to make all the blooms. No batteries. grrrrrrrr and double grrrr and byt he time I get to stroe again to get some they maybe all doen flowering. Anybody got any kidn of ide a of what they may be? Gathere d em up anyways this morning.

Thanks for the reassurance Ella.

You betcha Maxine....

herbspirit, how can you have your seeds done I am in awe! lol I sure wish mine were done :)

I had labels made up from two years ago and can’t find them so they must have been in my word document that I lost the first of the year I really hate losing all that work!

Terese, were you saving any of the red flax when you lost those seeds they kind of don’t look spiky enough for the blue flax but they still may be, I had a bunch of seedling come up from the blue ones that I pitched in the spring and they were spiky to begin with, the leaves on those look to be more rounded what do they look like now? I would probably be too cold for the red to come up now though maybe :)

I’m waiting on some aconitum seeds mine just started blooming too, I heard on saving those seeds you can put seeds in ice cubes to store them until you get ready to plant them then just lay the cube on the soil, I never have any luck planting the seeds so I’m going with that this year. If I get seeds I’ll have some in the swap mine are the tall purple ones the person I got them from didn’t know the name to them.

Star, wish I knew what that little blue flower was it really sounds nice :)

Lea -- I can't even remember which Flax they were. But i do not have any flax seeds saves... if i do... i have no idea what color they are.

My bet.... the ones in the patio pavers are Blue... as i too dont think the Reds would have germinated in this weather.

Sharon-
Yes, I thought it was either astragalus or licorice rt. That's great to know!

tcs & Tonya-
I do have Feverfew ready to go if you don't get to it in time.

Patricia

Clean-up on isle 42!
Are we trading or not?

I just looked at the lily seed when the pods dried.
I don't think they are any good. I have some bagged up but I
don't want to give out seeds if they are bad. So to keep from having
bad feelings, I am withdrawing my lily seeds. If you want to give it a try,
it is up to you. but I have a light and they just look light to me, That is why I don't
think they will sprout.

LOL George.... not yet... next sunday afternoon, according to Star.

some of us have just gotten a lil head start asking if there is a desire for certain seeds.

Terese

Just checkin :?)

FEW OF us have been getting a bit carried away.... only 6 more days....

Five mroe days now : )

Before I forget, I do need to ask for a favor for the piggy Swap. My son is coming hoem on leave and should be arriving sometime on the 1st and will be leavign out probably on the 5th or 6th. he coming home on a quickie leave before heads bakc out to Iraq. he brining his vechile ad important stuff bakc home so it not sittign for almost 2 years locke dup in a bas e room somewhere.

he be speding time with his dad and me and friends, but ya kwo how young folks are, imagien mroe time wil be spent with catchign up with friends than anythign else, so I imagine I wil probably onyl get to see him few horus here and there.

What I need is a regula r swap piggie s, durign that tiem frame that will be pretty much around to make sur e when threads hit 200 that a new one gets started and to make sure that no new piggies jump in if I busy visiting with my son, til I see if we have any spaces left. Other than regula rpiggies beign allowe d in, onyl have two vacant newbie spots left right now from two that dropped that just can't do it this year. If some of the other s that singe d up, don't jump in then ther e wil be mor e space s opened. If ya think you cna do it, pelase dmail me and let me know and I wil give ya the list of participants for now that are signed up.

And if I not aroudn when he here, cuz wil have no idea when he gonan be popping in and out , if all regula r piggies, will help to keep thje newbie s on track it would be appreciated. I knwo they gonan get stuck in the mud and maybe don't kno how to roll around and wallow just yet.

I have dial up and wil have puter glued to swap til the end, so he wont be able to call and le tme know he on his way and when comes, I will be spending a s many horus a s I cna with him. it ain't been just a fe w months sinc e he just got hoem from being gone for alost 3 years and now he gonan be gone for almost 2 again, so gott a grab them few hour s here and there for the feww days here when I can.

My son : )

Piggy swap wil be starting somewhere between probably 3-5 est time on Sunday. That the game plan anyways. : )

Did any of you who grew 'Cherry Brandy' Rudbeckia get seeds from them? That's one I'm really wanting to try!

I have seeds of them. Not sur e how many goign into the swap cuz haven't got to them yet, but wil have some on the list at some point along with the new Denver Daisy one. : )

Woohoo, I'll be watching for those cherry brandies, too. Missed out on them last year.

Handsome young man, Ella. I hope he remembers mama and spends plenty of time with you!

I'm sure all of us mama and papa piggies (would that be sows and boars?) will help out any little piglets so they make their way to the trough and get their fill!

Pansy. Pansy. Pansy. Pansy. Pansy. Pans. Pans. Pans. Pan. Pan. Pan. Pa. Pa. Pa. P. P. P. Viola. Wittrockiana. hehehehhe Can ya tell I gettign tired of writing Pansy. LOL I need to switch to a differnt seed for awhile. ; )

All I knwo is whoer gets little foil pakets f rom me, open very carefully. Foldign these things up is like tryign to do gift wrap. I do terrible at both. I feel like I making little silver teeth squares.

Let's get that Dame's Rocket talk over here lol How many people are going to have the white one I hope enough people I would love to have some if I get to stay here for next year I lost my purple ones this winter so that one will be on my wish list this year also. I never noticed they were fragrant are they only fragrant in the evenings? I have such good smells out front but just can't tell where they are all coming from lol

I had to move my purple one and figured if it was a weed it would make it planting it about three feet away from the dryer vent not sure if it was that or the ice storm that did it in, I just don't see how it can be so invasive I never got a seedling out of it and had mine planted for at least two if not three years. I don't think it's considered invasive here either.

Star that's so long to wait to see your son each time how in the world do you deal with it I would go nuts if I didn't see my son all of the time, I'll be happy to help out with the newbies :) Already a couple are suppose to dmail me if they have any questions. Haven't seen them lately on here they must be knee deep in seeds like the rest of us lol

Good morning oinkers and Oooooiieeeers, squealers and squirmers, grunters and grovelers, snout-rooting snorters, mud-wallowing moooers (those trans-species-ites among us).

Just want to give you a little more good news to get y'all practicing up on whatever form of communication comes out of those big and little piggie bods of yours. I couldn't resist ordering some seeds from Value Seeds (Thompson & Morgan overstocks, I think) a few weeks back. When they didn't arrive 11 days later, I emailed, asking if they'd been sent. Yes they were sent just after I ordered, but allow 7-10 business days, they said. I called the PO and finally they arrived a few days later. A few days after that, another package arrived from Value Seeds with a duplicate order I hadn't asked for. I felt bad and emailed, saying I finally received my order, so did they want the duplicates back. Just got an email saying keep them. Sooo, I will have more extra seeds on my list. Very nice of them, I thought, and wanted to pass that on.

Ella, glad you'll have some time with your son. Do take advantage, and forget about us piggies for a bit (after you put up the seed post thread, of course).

Well, it is STILL raining here!!! Been raining since the first week in September off and on - more on than off!! I have not been able to collect any seeds but 4:00s and some Granpa Ott MG - everything else has been beaten and strewn everywhere.... and floated down river possibly.......

I am just going to have to get that order placed for some seeds to be able to share!

Genna

finally stopped raining here, for the time being... I actually see some blue skies. I honeslty think i'm done harvesting... though i have said that before... There still may be one or two out there i did not get yet.

I did cut back all my NE Asters... hope they are not wanted as i did not collect any. But i can easily get to the stalks if need be. I think they are "Purple Dome" as that is what the plant tag read... They were sown in 07.

OH -- I still need to go get Bronze Fennel and Fever Few. Most everything else is getting cut back.

Wow... You did luckout with value seeds. I like them. Now why couldn't it be my order with them LOL. They do have good custoemr servic e though. Was it you that hogged all the Avalnce red Petunia seed s though. heheheheheheh They had some, had to transfer money cuz attime didn't know if they would do paypal orot and by the time i got thing s moved they was all done sold out. Oh well.

Oh, the first day he il be sleepign all day at his dad's. He makign the driv e straight through from El Paso and knwo he gonan sleep and spend that first day with him, so I good to go on first day and probably part of secodn day on Piggy swap. I figrue knowign him he will show up on afternoon of seond or evenign for few hours and then head to friends houses after I get him feed that is.

Last tiem he made it hoem we went had dinner and a movie. Was nice but time was short , but anythign bettr than nothing.

Genna.. If ya got lot s of what ya got, trde soem of them on seed tradign forum for something else and you cna us e soem of that in swap.

Wasn't me that got the red petunias, Ella. I only got perennials and a pack of tomato "super marmande." Oops, I did get a pack of "gentian blue" larkspur as well. I missed out on a few things I wanted too, by arguing with myself about whether to order at all, since I'll have more than enough to plant already between what I have and the piggy swap.

Maybe you'd better tell him he has to spend time with you before you feed him dinner.

Genna, I sure know what you mean about the rain and seeds I've had a tough time trying to get seeds this year between trying to get them before the rain and waiting on them to dry because of the rain I have seeds sitting everywhere in here :)

Folks I have been trying to save some Rustic Colors for the swap and I gotta tell you I have just about given up on them lol I have five flowers that were just beautiful and they toppled over weeks ago like they were going to seed and still haven't!!! With all of this rain I'm not even sure if I will get any seeds out of them after they do go to seed I'm so upset over these seeds they were just beautiful and the first seed that I even thought about saving it's so frustrating lol

Sometimes it pays to check PF... I'd been wondering why I wasn't finding any seeds in the dried stems on my African Blue Basil plant... yep, you guessed it, that one is a sterile variety.

Does anybody know if Pineapple Sage is sterile also? PF has conflicting notes about it.

PF comments for Pineapple Sage also have some great suggestions for using the herb, including a poundcake.. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1913/

After seeing those pics... gotta wonder why they are called Pineapple Sage... do they smell like Pineapples? I've got that "bubblegum mint" that smells like bubblegum....

OH -- and the sun has left again... all cloudy, looking like rain again.

Pineapple sage seeds are viable and they will reseed here for me but not until the middle of the summer so I always try and start some so I have them at the beginning of the summer but didn't get to last year.

My nose isn't that good on their smell haven't noticed what the foliage sure doesn't smell like pineapples. They germinate pretty easy too. I even had one to reseed in the shade this year and it grew just as well as the ones in the sun! Maybe because it was a reseeder.

Forgot to add those suckers are hard for me to get the seeds from lol

This message was edited Oct 27, 2009 12:00 PM