In my opinion,the Florida swap was a great success.I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.Even the non-gardening spouses seemed to enjoy meeting everyone.
I went with the intention of bring home only a few new plants.Ann says I brought home more than I took with us.
There were literally hundreds of plants to choose from,many that I had never heard of.Tables full of "please take these"
types.Folks really brought the good stuff.
The visit to Valley Growers was more fun.Earl was his usual debonaire self and the place was spotless and well organized as usual :>)We all left with even more plants.
I also learned that Dee is a very good cook and makes terrific potato salad.
Let's plan another for this fall!
Pictures will be posted and wait until you see Calla's packed out Explorer.
Yet another Fl thread
It was just too much fun! Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I hope I wasn't fooled. It was wonderful to me. I didn't feel I had really special stuff, but everyone graciously traded anyway. And like gone2seed said we all were begging everyone to take the leftovers, cause we sure didn't want to go back home and plant what we had dug, etc. I came home with soooo many wonderful plants I didn't have. Since I was close, I got home in time to pot the cuttings and tubers and other small rooted plants. I can hardly wait for these things to grow! And the brugs!! Oh, I love you guys for sharing these! Hope I can get them to grow as well as the one I got last year did. I will be in heaven (so will my DH). Thank you, thank you, thank you. Til we meet again.
Glad you all had a good time. Of course ...We in the North have been jelous as hell - But we're glad to hear it was a success. I'm sure everyone got some great plants. Did anyone take pictures while you all were together?
Great to hear from you two and anxiously await to hear from the others. Sounds like you had a blast. Wish I could have been there, but here I am in cold Iowa. Might not have known how to act in a warm climate anyway. Glad you two got some great things. More glad that you got home safely. Especially after hearing about the bad pileup yesterday.
S.
What a great day! From Orchids to swaping to Earls provided something for everyone. Dee and Pam were wonderful to organize the day and make it hassle free. I came home with so many plants (all Roz's fault)I am embarressed and it was fun. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and learned so much. What a knowledgeable and fun group! I owe everyone plants so I am placing my IOU here. Anything I have, will have, or can get, I will happily send to you! My mother enjoyed the day and is still trying to figure out how we all got together since the internet is a mystery to her but she does love plants. I hope everyone made it home safe and sound.
Connie and Virginia
Dee, I have more Crinum Lilies for you and Pam, more Bromeliads.
Was it lots of fun?I wish I coulda gone to meet everyone.i'm glad you guys did it though.I went and bought plants to console myself....
Glad you all had a great time and got back home safely.Can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures. I can just imagine Cala's packed Explorer.
It was a great day...we are a great bunch of people if I must say so myself. LOL Plants were flying everywhere....Roz made the cutest little gift for all...Thanks Roz. I still think Dee should make Potato Salad and wholesale it to Walmart...she is a very good cook. I was finally able to meet tiG,Ginger, Weeds, Jt and Irish after all this time on DG....it was great to see Cala, Azalea, Roz and Marie again. We really did have a great time I just wished the rest of y'all could have joined us.
I agree with JT Earl is one of a kind :) After leaving Earls I went to three stores looking for a certain kind of Salad Dressing to take to my poor brother in Australia...no luck.
I would like to thank each and everyone for making this a super day and hope we can do it again.
Glory, Us northerners were sitting here today with I'm sure the same thought going through all our heads. We sure wish we could have been there too with you all.Just happy that everyone had a great time.Now tell us what wonderful new Brugs everyone bought at Earls. LOL
I didn't buy any Brugs but I did get a couple of the Chinese Yellow Bananas....Musella laslocarpa from Earls. I think Dee bought a couple of little Brugs..not sure who else did. I do know it was warm today..Earl said it was in the low 80's around 12 or 1 pm.
80's today????? It was about 28 degrees here today and spitting snow and hail all day.
what a great day it really was! and for those of you that saw the packed Explorer (it had Azaleas, Calas, Laurens and my plants in it) can you believe we stopped at a nursery on the way out???? Azaleas bought a flat !! of plants, Cala bought an azalea and I bought 3 things!!!!!!!
It was just the best, I never dreamed it would be as great as it was. There was no "getting to know" each other, we were all old friends already and it was fabulous!
Thanks to Dee and Pam it was so smooth, and the day just flowed. You really need to meet Irish and Katie if you ever get the chance, they're the cutest newlyweds I've ever met. JT and Ann were funny and so nice. Roz is a trip! a very funny lady and Marie her silent partner is so sweet. Weeds is very quiet, and such a lovely lady with a fab mom. Gloria is a hoot and her mom is a beautiful lady, they both have a lot of class. Dee has got to be the youngest grandma on record, I can't believe she's not 30. Pam is full of energy and funny as all get out. Of course Cala and Azalea and I had a wonderful time together, and Lauren is a delight.
For all of you feeling guilty about bringing home so many plants, I'm the one that owes IOU's and if I've got it, it's yours. Oh, and Cala, I know at least one of your plants is in my box, no telling what else.
Will post pictures tomorrow.
wow, what fun:)
tiG, Glad you are all back and had a safe trip. From what's been posted here so far it sounds like everyone had a super great time.Can't wait to see the pictures.
I knew it would be a blast, trades always are fun. will be emailing you panhandle guys when i go to crestview.
OHOHOH!!! Did I tell you the g2s brought me one of my hearts desires??????? A little white nightie. OH! now I remember, that's a white Knight I :) LOL!!!!
I really do wish today was last Friday, so we could do it all over again. What a great day and great people and a great time!
tiG, what nursery did ya'll stop at. Is is fairly close to me? I need to know where all good nurseries are in the area.
Cala, will you send me your address, please. I went back to the Harrison's to tell them how much we appreciated and enjoyed our visit with them. He had found the seed for the sensitive plant and wants me to send some to Lauren. His wife, Lisa, want her to grow some and take it to school to show the kids how it reacts. I got their address and email address, I'll send it to you all.
It was on 231, Cala has the name, she might sell them plants! Great great nursery, if we'd had more room, I know we would have come out with more from there. When we told the lady that the flat would have to go up front, the man came out and said he'd never met a vehicle he couldn't fit one more plant into. Then he saw what we had, laughed and walked off!! LOL!
I'd love if everyone could send me their snail mail addy, you never know when I might send out a little something for all the great plants I got.
Pam, the Harrisons were just wonderful people, I can't believe they opened up everything to this rowdy group at 8:30 in the morning and were so nice.
Sorry I haven't posted before now. Just been really tired from the trip and the awful cold I have. Ditto to all the good stuff above, we all seem to agree that it was a wonderful day and that we should do it again. Well Calla & Lauren & Tig and I arrived at Tig's house about 10:30 last pm. then on to my house 11:30pm, we stayed up til about 1:30 am. After breackfast we strolled around my yard finding a few more things Calla didn't have. Then, we went to a nearby nursery where we each found a couple more things we didn't have. That wasn't enough for us - we went to even another Nursery, a new one just opened this month. By now It was almost 5:00pm and Calla seemed content to just stay here in Jonesboro. I think she just dreaded the four hour trip on home. We just didn't want to see our week-end end
hmmmm plant swap in the fall???? maybe....just maybe...I truly wish I would have been there. I was in Alabama on Sunday...day late, dollar short
I'm felling lucky maybe it could be up in mississippi and I can hit the casino's
Pete
Irish
Mississippi sounds great to me. Not so far from Texas. Casino - - I don't know if I am as lucky as you but it would be fun!
Yep,let's make it Mississippi next time.
Keep coming you guys, you're getting closer to Iowa all the time. We have all kinds of casino and track gambling here. Boats, reservations, you name it.
Mississippi would be great! Day trip for me! I'd be game...any gingerholics out there?
Y'all come! Mississippi sounds great to me. The casinos are lots of fun, but I don't have much luck. I figure I am lucky if I don't have a wreck on the way home, or if we still have a car to come home in. Course you can't win too much on nickel machines. My DH loves to play Black Jack, and he usually does pretty well; not well enough to quit his day job. Tell Mrs. Irish I'll save her a spot on the nickel machines. Everybody come on! How about it Ginger Lily, Cala, tiG, Weeds,(and Mama Weeds), g2s and Mrs. g2s, Dee and Tracy? Are y'all ready to go again? Glory, Jen, and I will be glad to see everybody. Come on Louisiana and Texas.
whew, don't know if my back can make that trip :) I'll know more when I get back from Ohio, looks like I'm going in a couple of weeks.
Hey that would be great.
Wouldn't you know - I go almost every month and have been trying to get a group together, and we have pretty much decided to skip April!! Did get to meet Gloria and her Mom this month tho. Let me know when you'all plan to go -hopefully in May!!
PJ, aren't they talking about the fall swap????
HEY!!!We have casinos up north too!!!!!
Yes, I mis read it - it is the Fall swap. I'll be up for it by then.
Hopefully my back will be recovered by then and not much going on in the green house. I have a friend that I visit in Hattiesburg several times a year, so I will just work it in with the swap.
Cala,
That would work out great....there is a couple of DG around Hattiesburg that I haven't met yet....Barb is one and there is a lady that lives in Petal MS.
I promise no trips for me after May...gotta go see my sweetie Jessie in San Diego in May.
Y'all know , we have another DGer, Honeybee, who is just up in Saucier. She is working 12 hours a day right now, so not much time for the puter, but I'll bet she'd like to join us in the Fall.
Hey don't forget to count me in, gives me a good excuse to go home. I could bring my mother this time. Gloria, I promise to make potatoe salad.