Wow! What a day!
Terri, major kudos to you and Mike for hosting today's swap! Your house and property are amazing -- what a dream you've built for yourselves, up on the mountain. It was just wonderful to kick back and visit with everybody while enjoying the view out across the pond. Mike worked magic on the hamburgers, and everybody brought wonderful sides & desserts. We went home replete with good conversation, stuffed with good food, and with our cars stuffed with plants!
I figured we needed a thread for photos, recipes, and "just what was the name of that plant again?" questions, so here it is.
Donnerville, don't forget you promised to share your recipe for that delicious sauce we had with the dumplings. I want that banana bread recipe, too! :-)
Thanks to all who came... I had such a great time! We missed those who couldn't make it, and we're already talking about our fall swap (which I'm planning to host)... but you know, I think we need a few events between now & then, because I don't want to wait until fall to see everyone again!
Photos & recipes from the VA (southern) swap
Can't wait to see the pics!
Glad you guys had a good day.
I would like to get togeather again, and a fall swap sounds good. What about a group visit to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden? I think that's about 5 hours from us.
Thank you Teri & Mike, you home's amazing, and I'm sure a great time was had by all, not just JR and Dillon. LOL Ric
Here's hoping I can make one of them. I still have to do my craft shows, ya know. But I had a great time, today, too. Yesterday, I hit a yard sale & came home with hardy Salvia, Centaurea, Johnny Jumpups. This morning, I hit the master gardener's sale and came home with Helianthus maximilliani, Spiranthes (hardy orchid), 6 more tomato plants, Eupatorium Chocolate leaves, then stopped at another plant sale & came home with a pink & a purple Foxglove. I'll be happily planting them in tomorrow. The weather is just gorgeous & I am so thankful I am a gardener. Hugs to all of you.
Holly, if Bob & I are in Dillwyn, Va prospecting for gold when that time comes for the Lewis Ginter, we can join you cause we will be close to farmville, which is close to Richmond. Judy.
I brought half a dozen starts of "Felicia's Phlox" along to the swap (Terri, Holly left one on your steps -- it's yours; Holly will get another the next time I see her)... it's a tall violet-blue variety that I got from Jim's mother (named Felicia), and she got it from her mother (also named Felicia).
I found a bloom photo of it from last summer:
Jill---
Back in Latvia--when I was a small child, I still have a memory of Phlox in our garden
and their scent....This would have been when I was way under 6 yrs. old....
How long have I been a gardener????? Look and see!
I am just over 2 years old here--watering my Mom's and Grand mom's flower bed....
This was taken in June of 1939.....HUH???????????
Gita
Same time frame--same garden shot--same date!
Me and my older sister, Liga, by the flower bed. I am on the left......
OK! Fast-forward to 2011......
I will now post all the photos I took at Terri's Plant Swap.
I apologize for the bad quality of some of them--especially if there was back-lighting.
I suppose I could have set the exposure to "back Light"---but who has time----
My camera also does not pick up colors too well in the daytime...
I was just shooting pictures so I could share them all with you.
NOT thinking od settings......
READY?????
I always drive to Swaps with SallyG. She lives 1/2 hr. from me....
Here--car all loaded (OH, MY GOD!!!) and ready to go!!!
The Swapping Canopies near the edge of the trees on the back side of the house....
Terri had tables and chairs all set up! Thanks!
Holly and Ric came later and brought their own canopy and table.
Here is Holly under her own Canopy----with all her goods.....
And--her well-organized swapping table.....LOTS of goodies!
"Donnerville" (Sally) and Greenthumb (David) having a semi-serious conversation
about----???----genera? Species???? Whatever! maybe about her delicious
dumplings and sauce......(To die for!!!)....
Jill--in her beautiful, new hairdo!!!
She looked radiant!
Love the pictures. Wish we could have been there.
Ruby's husband, John, putzing around with all their plants.....
Thanks, Buttoneer-----
Could I please just post all my pics--and then you all can OOOH and AAAHH after that?
Thanks!
HERE is Terri and Mike's house-----They built it themselves!
You should see all aspects of it!!!! "House Beautiful" should make a trip to Lucketts
and photograph it all.
Here is the front of their house----just amazing!
Sally's husband mark remarked--as we tirned off on this gravel road going to nowhere--
that the GPS was, actually, in touch with this at all...
After about a half a mile of twisting, gravelly road--crossing a small stream---
we were there! Looking for the house among the forest of trees----there it was--
In all it's beautiful glory.
The house Terri and Mike built--almost all by themselves!!!!!! It just blew us all away!!!
With it's immaculate, freshly mulched beds and landscaping---it was just beautiful!!!!
In it's surrounding gardens--there were huge rocks---everywhere!
I LOVE, LOVE rocks!!!!
These are just "medium" boulders--going down the slope towards the pond (Lake???)...
This is one of the HUMONGOUS boulders that adorn the back side of their
property. Seems they came from the very lower subsoil as they were digging
down to build their conservatory-to-be.
Now they will have a nice storage area BELOW the conservatory-to-be--as these
boulders had to be dug up....
I LOVE these rocks!!!!
From the back side of the house--there is this lazy walkway down to the Pond/Lake....
The concreted steps are long and wide----
When you get to the Pond's edge--there is another, amazing deck--with ALL the amenities
For partying....eating and relaxing....Two great tables with canopies over them
with comfy chairs to sit and relax.
Two built in grills into the stone wall surrounding this deck.
Built in refrigerators to keep beverages cold.
Who knows what else was behind all those little doors?????
Anyway--I am getting ahead of myself here---we are NOT YET down there......
Just looking at it from above!
After the first rush phase of trying to swap all that was promised--and then trying to
keep it all straight--it, FINALLY, was time for lunch.
There was SOOOO much food!!!! Surprised????? Nope! DG'ers DO eat!!!!
Here some of us are, finally, sitting down on the waterside deck and enjoying our lunch.
From left---Terri's neighbor (sorry--I cannot remember her name--but she was a REAL,
budding Daves gardener! Honest!
From the left----
Terri's neighbor--Pat (greenthumb's wife)--"Aspenhill" (Robin)---SallyG--and her DH--Mark.
What a wonderful place to have lunch!!!!! The breeze! The scenery!!!! AHHHH...
"Greenthumb" (David) and wife, Pat......Both great gardeners....
Our amazing, great Guy---cook!!! Terri's husband--Mike.....
Here you can see some of the built-in grills and accessories.....
I have NEVER seen bigger and tasted better hamburgers......!
The Chef--extraordinaire!!!!! Cute too!!.....:o)
it's been over an hour since your last post, Gita, so I suppose I can ooh and aah now... LOL, really, I think anybody can comment on photos at any time; it's not like it'll confuse things in a step by step tutorial or something...
the photos do bring back fun memories of the day!
hah! cross-posted LOL
Gita, I am so glad you got pics. Sorry to say that I didn't but I very much agree Aspenhill is a lovely place. So relaxing.
The other table on the Pond-side Deck was occupied by
several of the younger generation.....
Behind them--IF you can make it out--is the descent to the water's edge
and the entry point into the Pond.....which, Mike said, is about 14 feet deep!!!!
SO! All the kids wore life-preservers....
They also had some huge Koi (??) or just large carp swimming around in this Pond...
Looking for a hand-out.....
Yeah, Holly! I try to think ahead.......Someone has to......:o)
A few more--and I will be done.....
Some of the kids doing what kids like to do.....
Watewr===Fun!
This is the back side of Terri's house....towards where we all parked our cars---
in a wonderfully, stoned in wall encircling the parking area--with Large vases of
fresh-cur flowers on the corner posts of this area....
Again--my camera failed me!
This was such an amazing flower garden area of fragrant, pink PEONIES
and beautiful, tall, blue Phlox.
None of it comes through in this photo......Bummer!!!!
Here is what I am talking about---BLAHHH!
It was vibrant, colorful, fragrant and beautiful......
My stupid camera!!!!!!
Some people chilling by the food tables......Tummy's full....
That BIG dude--in the striped shirt, is Steve-----the Mushroom Soil guy!
Steve!!!! I LOVE YOU! and I JUST met you!!!!
Better hold on to your GF! She is a gem too!
I would like to end my Photo Show with a picture of Terri.
Terri--You have outdone yourself!!!!I don't know how much time you spent
spiffing everything up--but it was obvious!
Your Garden--your beds--the amazing tour of your house you gave-----
I am breathless.....
You and Mike are amazing people! Down-to-Earth, generous, not Foo-Foo
at all......
I am honored to know you!
Thanks--and love to both of you!!!!
Gita
OK! I am done!!!! This is all the photos I took!!!!
Now you can all Yak away.....Thanks for waiting.....
Gita
Gorgeous place!
Gita, I have NO way whatsoever of knowing when pix or comments or coming in on these forums while I am posting and I post when I post.
This message was edited May 22, 2011 9:48 PM
Opened my van this morning to the unique aroma, a mixture of Gita's perfume, Robins cookies and brownies, Jill's hot oregano , and six bags of mushroom soil!!!
Thanks Terri and Mike for hosting us, and everybody for sharing great conversation, food , and plants !!!
LOL - the smell of "eau de fungai" in my car was unreal!
Looks like the swap was at a great escape retreat. Ooooh, ahhhh. Nice to see the pics and hear an account, Gita. You said there was tall blue phlox blooming now?? I have a bunch of it but mine doesn't bloom until mid-to-late June. Wish I could have gone.