Here is the list thus far.:
myself
Josphine - has hers but is interested in propagation
Dennis
Linda
Tina_A
TX-gardener
Stphanie
TXaggiegirl
dmtom
goofballTex
Sheila
Glenna
Lisa
Some of us live farther away. Many of us live close enough to attend the Sring RU
We can certainly mail seeds even if we don't live close to one another.
Any ideas about how this might work?
Can we come up with a list of plants we want to grow and swap?
Cheryl
Those interested in a wildscape certification
Here is the link Josephine put up on the other thread that describes the requirements and helps you get started.
C
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdforms/media/pwd_906_w7000_backyard_habitat_app.pdf
Cheryl, I would be willing to start a trade thread for native plant seeds. This is what I am thinking about.
#1 I start a trade thread for Texas native plant seeds only.
#2 We list the seeds we have and how many packets of each.
#3 People who want the seeds trade or ask for them and send a self stamped self addressed envelope to the person who has the seeds they want, and that person sends the seed to them in their own envelope. You can dmail the person who has the seeds to get their address.
#4 We do this for a length of time, to be determined by us.
I have a question, should we include all Texas members? or just the ones who sign up at the beginning ?
I am thinking that for a period of time (to be determined) only the members who sign up should be allowed to trade, and after that period of time, the trade or give away could be open to anyone who wants the seeds.
We would have to allow a period of time for people to sign up and after that the trading can begin, but not before.
What do you think of this plan? I would like to hear from you.
Josephine.
I think rules do need to be in place or it will not be a good experience for us.
my take...
The list....I think what you have in mind Josephine, is something like you do for a plant RU? I think we do need it monitored by someone with native plant experience to insure they are native to Texas. I know I have made mistakes several times.
The time limit....I think a period to sign up, a period to trade, and also we need to have the cutoff time end so planting can be down.
I am looking foward to getting started on my certification and this will help!
Thank you for your input Sheila, now I would like to hear from all of you please?
I think that's reasonable. I am not trying to keep anyone from participating but having a known group will make organizing and interacting easier. I think those that indicate an interest within a week or so should be included and we can go from there.
I honestly think we need to come up with a list to start with and if anyone has some other seeds or plants we can add them.
Not just seedlings but rooted cuttings also, if anyone has or wants to go that route. I do want to say that I prefer not to deal with plants that have not yet been rooted.
I also agree about someone with experience. I am not certain if some plants are really native. Though there is good information out there.
C
I assume we want to meet to trade plants still? The beauty of this system for me is the idea that each participant can start different species and we can swap to have greater variety. I am open to the idea of simply trading seeds too but really like the idea of the grow and swap.
C
Make a new thread please...
Of course we are having the spring R.U. what would we do without it?
I am thinking for this one just seeds so we can have some plants for the spring swap, although they may not be ready for that, but we could trade them in the fall.
I prefer not to do cuttings or plants at this one, as to starting the new thread, people can sign up on this one.
I will start the new thread as soon as I get my seeds together, I spent the whole morning going through my seeds ans I still have a lot to check, I was afraid to open Pandora's box but the genie is out now, just give me a little time.
In the meantime, please everybody who wants to trade Texas native seeds please sign up by responding to this thread and saying you want to participate.
Josephine.
I guess put me down; I'll throw in what I can.
NPIN could be an easy, standard, source for identifying natives, and it's accessible to anyone who wants to look. There still would be a certain amount of honor system that it's going into an appropriate native site, not just somewhere in the whole state. (For example, there are even species native to the edwards side of austin that don't really belong over here where I am on the prairie.)
Yall who do this more know what sort of rules might be needed to deal with what sort of issue, but I'd be inclined to keep it as simple and open as possible. I'd be fine with folks in appropriate regions of neighboring states participating.
Honestly this is bigger than I had intended. I sort of wanted to swap native seeds and seedlings with local people interested in applying for the wildscape cert.
C
Sorry Cheryl, I didn't understand that was your intent. I personally don't want to swap live plants at this time of year. I would however, love to have a native only plant exchange locally in the spring, at someone's house or at the RU.
I still think the online Native seed exchange by SASE between interested parties in Texas would be great to do. We could each make a list of those we have to send out and pick and choose those we can use from other's list. I have seeds that I would love to share...I may not need what someone offers, but it costs me nothing if I don't.
Basically what we are all striving for is improvement to our gardens for the wildlife by promoting native plants. So I say go ahead and do both....seems like a win win to me.
No I meant to swap in the spring and grow now lol.
Ok...so we swap seeds now....then if we can, grow the native plants ..we can share them in the spring?
Still sounds like we may need two threads since some may not be able to exchange the plants but would have seeds to share. Then there are people like me that try winter sowing and fail but would love to share live native plants from my garden. LOL!
I have had my certification for many years...someone just keeps taking the darn sign!...and it cost $$! LOL
Well that isn't right...but at least you know you have done the right thing!
You should post it with an electrical shock wire to it...lol!
This message was edited Nov 18, 2010 6:47 PM
Well that is a shame, we have ours on a pole inside the fence so it can be seen from the outside, and no one has bothered it. We got it in 1998 #1227 but it faded a lot so we sent for another one.
I can't remember what they charged for it.
I have basically no experience with saving seeds, but I do have a pretty good collection of native plants. Any tips for beginners?
What do you have Dennis? Each plant is a little different.
C
Well, one of the first requirements is that the pods be brown and dry.
I don't have many seeds left on plants right now.
I think we can thank the winds we have had lately for that C.
...and birds...
True by this time of year both have taken their toll. I think I have some skeleton leaf golden eye left only because its still blooming.
C
I don't have that one Cheryl, I hope you will have seeds from it to share.
It's fantastic. I have it a bed that has killed many plants as it is sandy and dries out but that plant has thrived and it takes heat and drought and blooms almost the whole season.
C
This pic shows the golden eye in the forefront (left side) the plant on the right and to the back in the pic is a 5 ft. tall cowpen daisy. I think these plants are great, both the leaf and the flower but I also think they need really good drainage and might not want to be in rich soil that is frequently watered.
C
Those look great Cheryl.
This pic has been posted before but I wanted to show the skelton leaf, it is my new favorite. The form and flower is nice and it has been a tough, reliable plant for me. I am gathering its seeds and will try soft stem cuttings this spring.
C
I saw that pic on another thread...love them and they are native!
I thought that it might be interesting to see lists of what natives everyone grows, so I typed up my list. It would be good to know what everyone is looking for, so that I can collect seeds, dig up volunteers, or try to do cuttings at the appropriate time of the year.
Trees:
American elm
Carolina buckthorn
cedar elm
cherry laurel
desert willow
Eastern redbud
Eve's necklace
Mexican plum
parsley hawthorn
rusty blackhaw viburnum
witch hazel (hamamelis virginiana)
Shrubs:
agarita
beautyberry
beebrush
black dalea
buffalo current
buttonbush
canyon mock orange
coralberry
dwarf wax myrtle
eastern wahoo
elderberry
esperanza
everygreen sumac
farkleberry
firebush
kidneywood
mapleleaf virburnum
pink fairy duster
prickly pear (spineless)
rock penstemon
salvia greggi (red)
spicebush
strawberry bush euonymus
sweetspire - "Little Henry"
Turk's cap
vernal witch hazel
white honeysuckle
yaupon holly
Perennials:
artemesia "Powis Castle"
Barbara's buttons
big red sage
blackeyed susan
blackfoot daisy
blue-eyed grass
butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa)
calylophus
cedar sage
chile petin
chocolate daisy
creeping phlox
crinum lily - crinum americana
damianita
ebony spleenwort
fall obedient plant
flame acanthus
four nerve daisy
frogfruit
frostweed
gaillardia
gaura (I think it is "snow fountain")
gayfeather
golden groundsel
heartleaf skullcap
gulf coast penstemon
horseherb
Illinois bundleflower
indian pink
lyre leaf sage
mealy blue sage
Mexican hat
mystic spires sage
oxalis (pink flower)
oxalis (purple foliage)
phlox (John Fannick)
pigeonberry
pink skullcap
purple coneflower
red columbine
rock rose
ruellia (Katie's dwarf)
salvia coccinea
Sampson's snakeroot
spiderwort
Texas betony
Texas gold columbine
Texas lantana
west Texas mistflower
western ironweed
white avens
white mistflower
winecup
winecup (white)
wood fern
wood violet
woolly stemodia
zexmenia
Vines:
balsam gourd
Carolina jessamine
clematis pitcheri
coral honeysuckle
crossvine
passionvine
snapdragon vine
Grasses:
inland sea oats
little bluestem
Wow!! Dennis, I think you win the prize, if you have those things arranged the right way I think you are ready to send for you application. Have you done and inventory of your exotics to see how it stacks up. You must surely have more natives, I am very impressed!
Josephine.
Goodness I feel native impaired now!
So if it is a variety like sweetspire "little Henry" or John Fanick Phlox, it counts?
Hmm...let me see
zexmenia
skeleten leaf golden eye
giant coneflower
purple coneflower
cedar sage
greggs mist flower
wine cup
turks cap
anascanthas
pink scullcap
prickly pear
cholla
salvia regla
yellow bells
mex. hat
salvia penstemonoides
black foot daisy
chocolate flower (Berlandiera)
TX star hibiscus
White hibiscus (native recall later)
salvia greggii
mex. butterfly weed
brazos penstemon
phlox pilosa
red yucca
censio sp?
mealy sage
lyre leaf sage
rudbeckia hirta
moss verbena * are these really native*
agave leuchgilla sp?
4 nerve daisy
I am serious lacking in trees and shrubs but don't have much room for them.
Forgive the spelling as it is late and I am very tired.
C
I think at this point my exotics outnumber my natives but that can change...
Happy Birthday Anna!!
I don't think John Fannick Phlox is a Texas Native, it is a variety of Phlox paniculata which is not native to Texas, but it is native to many other states, scroll down on the link page;
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PHPA9
Little Henry is a dwarf form of Virginia Sweetspire, which is native to Texas;
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ITVI
Cheryl, your list is quite impressive too, you just need more time.
I have a lot of roughleaf dogwood growing in the woods. I never see it mentioned.
Is there a reason it is never mentioned or is it just hard to find?
The spring white blooms are very pretty and so is the small white fruit in the fall.
Does great as and understory tree in the shade.
I will dig a few small ones and have them available next spring if anyone wants one.
I have many small native trees growing wild.
Texas Redbud
Possumhaw Holly
Eve's Necklace
Mexican Plum
Plus others whose name I don't know.
I might even find a small Red Oak. Most of them get too large before I find them.