I am hoping that i will keep my plants for the Swap at a minimum...
Rushing to deliver everyone their promised plants takes so much time...
Then we eat--and then...then...people start packing up....
For once--I want to just socialize--sit around and chat, and get to know people better.
I have to LEARN to do that.....usually I am always on the move....
Need a rope to tie me down...
Sally---that was VERY funny--you asking "When do we start haves and wants?"
Hope people hold off until a month before...
G.
Spring Plant Swap 2014 Lucketts VA - Post Party
Woohoo!!! Great news to start my trip!!
Don't worry Gita, no Swap threads for quite a while just wanted to put a date out there so people have time to schedule it.
Well, *someone* should bring a cake! :D It was Typ's daughter's birthday at last year's fall swap, although she was asleep during the cake cutting.
You should tell us now what kind of cake you like!
Say there was a big circular drive at the Swap and everyone had an assigned space along the drive by name alphabetically and we just drove up and unloaded from our vehicles to each 'promised' person's spot ...all of the plants would be divied out and easy to load up at event's end by just pulling up to your own spot and loading. Extras could be put centrally...Kinda like the Divyup at SSG's and no tables needed. Well, just a thought as I am sure all of us enjoy the personal touch and oohs and ahhs of plant passalongs and do our socializing and eating!
hahahaha The divvy-up wasn't quite as effortless as you make it sound! It was still a bit of a scramble to get everything into piles, and that's with it all sorted/labeled ahead of time. (Thank you, Terri!)
It does take a lot less time at the swap if you label things ahead of time and sort out "promised" plants according to who they'll go to. And it would help for everybody to have a sign on their table or pile, making it easier to figure out whose plants are where, even when they are off roaming. That would be an opportunity for somebody to help out with at the next swap.
YAAAYYY, colour me THERE!!!!!!!! Gita, yes please, I would LOVE to take you up on your offer to go with you and possibly stay over at your place if need be, on one condition: You do NOT take the day off Sunday just for little ol' me!!!! If you need to go into work early, that is NO sweat, I am an EARLY riser, so we can swing that together no problem whatsoever!!!
Oh BOY, Ric Bless your warm fuzzy heart for having this date picked already so early!!!!!!!! You're a GEM!!!!! When I get into work on Thursday I will put in my time-off request. YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! **Happy Dance** =)
Catmint, I would be so honored to make your Birthday cake for you!!! What kind do you want?? < =D (of course, we can have more than one cake!) =)
aww Speedie, you're such a sweetie--I would be honored to have you make my birthday cake! :-) I like fall flavors like apple cinnamon spice and pumpkin spice. Do those flavors appeal to others as well?
Speedie---
There is plenty of time.....I sure hope you caan spend the night over here--and the morning..
I can ask off Sunday--Heavens! I NEVER take off....I never take a vacation!---
My vacation hours just accrue..and accrue....and then I have to find a way to
use it up as my hire date approaches. (April 16th).
Speedie--IF you can guarantee that you will get off--like 100%--I will ask off that Sunday.
Then we can veg--and sit --and have some wine,,,and you can go
OHHH! and AHHH about my Garden. We can go out and have lunch too.
AND--I guarantee you will NOT go home empty handed! No one ever does.
NOW---I have to also consider that Tammy may come with me again.
That is 3 in my little car--(Subaru Outback) plus whatever plants we all will have...
TIGHT is an understatement....Have to REALLY buckle down and not bring much of anything.
MY Mantra--NO plants--NO plants....
None of THIS!!!! From 2012's Hollies Spring swap.....
I was reaching a similar idea bout plant sharing- maybe we each have a prominently labeled box and spot such as "Sally Plants to Take Home" Then people can drop off and don't spend as much time trying to catch each other for a proper pass off. No need for ''proper'' at this point. And I have no problem at this point keeping my mouth shut about haves and wants. There's no need to offer one' whole yard at every swap. Especially when we have pre swapping and other things going on, plenty of chances for many side swaps.
I think a "drop off" spot is a really good idea!! Everyone bring a box (or 2? or whatever), label it and set it in the designated spot. As time/arrival allow, we put our stuff into the recipients' boxes and go along our merry little way. Judy and Sally, you are brilliant!!
OK, so this hadn't occurred to me until just now... I work every-other Saturday, so I just now sat and looked through all the Saturdays from now through Sept. 13th on the calendar... that is my "OFF" Saturday anyhow, so IT IS 100% FOR SURE that I am off that day and I WILL BE THERE!!!!!!! DH told me last night "Oh, you SHOULD go and have fun!! Stay at a motel if you have to - whatever. That way you can stay as long as you want and have as much fun as you want, then get a good night's rest so you can drive home safely!" < =D GOSH I LOVE THAT MAN!!!!!!!!!! I don't drink wine, however, if you have some iced tea available please, I'M IN!! =)
wow yay what a great DH, speedie!
For anybody driving up from south of here, we've got bed space for 4 guests plus "crash space." It's less than 2 hours from here to the swap, making it a good stopover point!
We have a wedding to go to on the 14th so I should be good to come on the 13th!
Yay Jeff, it won't get much closer to you than this.
should we bring a deck of cards for the non plant spouses? Does Darcy like poker LOL?
Oh goodie, I get to finally meet Sequoia and Mrs. Sequoia! < =D heeheeheee Sally, good idea, I've got poker chips we can use. I don't know how to play, mind you, but what the heck! =)
Haha...she's not much of a gamer. More of a tv fan :)
It could get closer....it could be at my house :)
I was wondering where you were Speedie!
This message was edited Jun 11, 2014 4:40 PM
Here I are!! < =D
Hey, I know.. we could bring a tv outside and put it on the Home/Garden network channel! =) Haahahahaaa!!!! KIDDING!!!!!
Last Swap at Holly and Ric's---I left and was home in 1hr. 15 minutes.
Given--that it was early evening and there was NO traffic---and I "sailed' home..
SO--it is definitely under an hour and a half from here...Straight up I-83 and then
a turn off or two and you are there...
Last time I met up with Sally and gang at a food place on Padonia Rd.
Right off of I-83. Then I hugged her bumper till we got there...
May have to go on my own this year---with Speedie and Tammy and my
FEWER plants! Back seat will be UP!
Note to self: Repeat 10 times every day--
"I will NOT have a car-full of plants this year!!"
"I will NOT have a car-full of plants this year!!"
"I will NOT have a car-full of plants this year!!"
"I will NOT have a car-full of plants this year!!"
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................G.
Speedie, so glad you'll be at the fall swap! Will be great to meet you! :-)
I think this is Joyanna's Alpine Catchfly from the swap--it just bloomed!:
Yep, that's the one! It's a sweetie. Pops up here and there in the garden if you let it go to seed, but definitely not a thug, more of a "plays well with others" sort of plant.
Alpine catchfly is one of those flowers where knowing the botanical name can be important. This one, from Joyanna's fairy garden, is Lychnis alpina. Silene schafta has quite different form & foliage, although the blooms are similarly small and bright pink, and they both need about the same growing conditions (sun to part shade, good drainage).
I really look forward to getting to meet you too, Catmint, YIPPPEEE!!!! Does this mean I finally get to meet Joyanna too!?!?! < =D YAAYY!!!!! I shall have something special for her, already have it in mind! =)
yes, that's what I have it in my database as--Lychnis alpina! It is very pretty. I have it in the smallish bed where the sick rosebush was--a nice contained place for it to spread if it's so inclined. So far it seems to be doing well there, but I've been keeping an eye on it and the other plants in that bed to make sure they do okay now that the rosebush is no longer there blocking some of the sun.
Joyanna's pink fairy plant will love the extra sun! It's easy to gather seeds from it, also, in case you're inclined to sprinkle it around. It mixes with everything, as long as you're not opposed to pink. LOL
And yes, Joyanna wouldn't miss a plant party!
There's nothing I can add to all the wonderful comments about the swap. It was everything I anticipated and well worth a two hour drive. I've told a lot of people about it, and they haven't even heard of Dave's Garden! Please start a new thread for the fall swap. It took my old computer twenty minutes to reach the bottom of this one.
Clivia - I have one from the gift table. Wasn't it supposed to be there? Also, The giver of the small iris I received is unknown to me. Where should I plant it? Please D-mail me.
My plants are almost all in the ground, and there is a box of trees from Oregon just arrived. This hot weather will force us to get up earlier to weed. : )
Blossomgiver, There will be a complete new set of threads for the Fall Swap. We wanted everyone to know the date so that people could put it on their calendar and plan around it if they wanted to. We won't put up Fall Swap threads till much later in the summer, around the end of July,beginning of August. You'll only have a 1/2 hr or so drive this time.
Walk of shame: I think I received this at a swap, but it didn't get planted and I've lost the tag. Does anyone recognize it? It has been in the shade and clearly would like a brighter spot.
Could that be a baby Spicebush? Lindera benzoin... I picked up a couple at the master gardener sale, think I passed one on to you.
Oh, yay, that must be it! It is going into the ground today (head bowed in shame)! Thank you!
I don't think it minded getting its roots better established in that pot over summer. :-)
I agree -- I just lost the tag and that was my undoing. I try to really catalog everything after a swap, but then there are those plants that I think I could never forget no matter what, and of course those are the ones I do forget!
Don't worry Critter I have quite a few Spring Swap plants that are just now getting planted. LOL
Someone gave me an Abutilon Maple at the swap. I can't remember who.
This message was edited Sep 20, 2014 4:53 PM
I think donner has shown pix of Abutilon
My Abutilon was given to me by Muddy at the spring swap this year. It is such a trouble free plant!
It is different from Holly's though. Holly's is a variegated one. I took cuttings last week :o). Would like to know its variety.
This message was edited Sep 21, 2014 5:48 AM
Holly's plant was stunning -- huge and covered in blooms. Crossing fingers for your cuttings!
Don't forget to throw a few bulbs in each hole when you plant things this fall!
Donner, that group of plants looks great together, and the owls are a great touch!
Muddy, the Abutilon is still blooming beautifully, looking lush as if the summer would last forever :o). The red flowers attract hummingbirds.
Muddy, Did my Abutilon come from you too? It is still looking really good and full of blooms. I was wondering about letting it go dormant for the winter.
Donner what are you planning to do with yours this winter?
No, I only had the non-variegated one I gave to Donner.
I'm glad it's doing well, Donner!
If this helps, this is what I did with the Abutilon while I had it:
For several years, it was planted in the ground and I left it there during the winter. I don't think I mulched it very well, but it didn't seem to mind. It was in a partly-sunny spot and got about 4' tall.
I dug it up 2 years ago because was too close to a holly, potted it and kept it in my garage during the winter. It got some light through the windows, and I watered it now and then.
Sometimes I cut it back, and sometimes I didn't.