Mindy ---
Look for the Part I thread when aknapp (Alice) started this RR. [You can click her name and see what threads she has started.]
Sounds like you could start one of your OWN!
This "with a twist" RR seems to have been a big hit, but for a RR to work I gather it has to be limited. Otherwise the seed get too old and it takes forever to finish up. This RR also seems popular for its rather lax rules.
If you start one I'll join! More the merrier...
Steve
CLOSED: CLOSED: Round Robin with a Twist Part II
From the popularity of this one, I'm sure you'd get plenty of takers if you wanted to start up another one, Mindy! (You've already got Steve & me interested!) Alice cut hers off at 40 or 50, which is bigger than most robin lists, but then again her box sounds correspondingly huge! I've heard you should figure about a week for each person on the robin, so this one could take a while, but seeds should still be fine for next year too. If it does turn into a perpetual round robin (I love that idea), then somebody will have to sort through it next year & remove any seeds that don't seem likely to be viable. This is definitely an easy way to send along some extra seeds, just put them in the robin box rather than listing them for SASBE (although I promise I will post a SASBE list soon!).
WooHoo!
I just got Alice's permission to post.
I want to start a "Backwards Twisted Robin" and start from the bottom of the list and go up. That way we may be able to hit more of the peak growing time.
By no means, do I have 500 seed packets to start. But, I can start with a few extra seeds I have. If anyone wants to contribute a few to help start it out (not taking from the original "twisted robin" contribution), let me know.
I will be sending this packet out on Monday, March 14.
My addy is in the exchange.
Please mark your envelope w/Backward Twisted Robin so I know what it is for. Thank you :-)
I'm up for it sounds like fun.
RH
This is what I have in the pile so far:
-morning glory (G. Otts and mix)
-blue ensign dwarf morning glory
-cosmos (picotee and a sensation mix)
-aster (crego mix)
-bachelor button (dbl mix)
-Sweet William (dbl dwarf mix)
-zinnia (liliput mix, giant dbl mix
-Sweet Pea (royal blue, perennial)
-gloriosa daisy (rudbeckia hirta)
-malva sylvestris (zebrina)
-Amaranthus 'Summer Poinsettia' mix
Beans (purple queen bush, dragon's tongue bush, royal burgundy bush)
Jalapeno pepper
moon & stars watermelon
Tomato (large red cherry, Super Sweet 100, Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, UglyRipe)
Marconi red sweet pepper
swiss chard (bright lights, white stem, rhubarb)
snake gourd
parsley
chives
lovage
Please, let's keep this to the original 50 setup for the Backward Twisted Robin. I will send to Alice first and then she will send it to gourd . . . then it will go up the list. It will be exciting if it ever lands together. :-)....probably confusing, too! LOL
Oh, well. Have fun.
p.s. should I start separate thread for this or keep it here?
Two at once - this sounds like way too much fun . . .
whos got the box ?? brandnewgirl still?? just curious trying to keep up here. and another robin in the works cool.
I think a separate thread will help keep us straight and "flying" right! Do you think you could hold off sending yours out for a few days so we can get things together to send to you for your envy?
Sounds a bit confusing, but lots of fun!!!
Thanks, you guys for putting these together!
Sounds like a great idea to work this long Robin from both directions!!
If anyone doesn't want to play, they should contact Alice ASAP so she can cross them off the reverse address list at the beginning of the Backwards Twisted Robin.
brandnewgirl was to mail it out Monday (yesterday). I am next. I will let you know when I receive it.
OK - I'm in but it will take me a bit to get it going. In the meantime, May I ask quesitons here that I couldn't get answered elsewhere?
How old is old seeds - 2004? 2003?
How many seeds generaly make a good start?
What do you do if seeds gets parked somewhere too long?
When's the best time to start a RR?
How best to get the message out?
Lord know it's my turn to give back but I want to make this one a good one since it will be my first one :). I hope you don't mind me using you as my example ALice!
Thank you!
Mindy
That sounds great to me.. I can add some from here, at least 40 or 50 packs of whatever I have. Also, I would like to know if we can use 2003, and 2004 seeds for this?
Count me in..
Sure - just mark them so we know they are not from this year!
I better get my seeds ready then cause I'm more to the end of the list and wasn't expecting anything my way for a month or so or more! Cool.. won't be such a long wait to have some fun.
Kathy
I've heard to start old suspect seeds on wet paper towels to quickly determine if they are still any good. True? I have lots of 2002 seeds. Also 2003.
Suggestions? There must be some web site that ranks seeds as to longevity!
Steve
I am a bit confused about the reversible roubin. Where does it start from, Gourd sends out the first box from the bottom, you send gourd the box from your house? Still am confused what is going on.
oh boy need to put the thinking cap on here. LOL Are we going to get confused here?
Sounds like a gardeners world. He He
okay from what i understand of this is Alices goes like this:
brandnewgirl133
nut4spuds
Djm906
BettyDee
srkrause
Critterologist
tazzy
Raven_Locks
kareoke
windy
Sequee
queenb
gingerlily
eskieleia
hope43
Greenthumber
kauai17
JoSnoop
yardbird
phidania
tinawind
rh3708
TMORTON
kooger
ZZTOPSOIL
janets
flowernutt
avallidis
louddigger
Naturewalker
Melvatoo
cinnabor
MDREAMS01
Kviolette
Kathys999
75154
sheran
plant_fiend
Golgi
farmerpickle
imzadi
Momcat
Plantnutz
gourd
now the second robin goes backwards up Alices : Gourd
plantnutz
momcat
imzadi
and so on from the bottom up so the last person to get the second robin will be :
brandnewgirl who got Alices (first robin ) first.
great day thats alot of info.
now if we can get it all moving and so forth we will be okay. yea right i am fooling myself. LOL LOL
Ok,I just sent it:)Here's the confirmation number:
0303 1910 0001 7650 8408
Oh,and it was....9.00 to ship:)
I sent Aknapp an email yesterday, I am out of the backwards list
I know I'm repeating myself here, but Kathy is something like 35th on the list, and she just said "she wasn't expecting anything her way for a month or so or more." Chelsea got it turned around quickly (thanks, Chelsea!), and it was still a week between when Alice sent it to her and when it went on its way again. Kathy, I'm not picking on you (you did say, "or more!"), and I hope you won't take it that way. I'm just not sure people are doing the math, and I don't want anyone to be disappointed when they figure out they won't see the seeds from the original twisted robin for months.
That said, I think the Reverse Robin is a great idea! I'm hoping it lasts long enough to reach me (maybe by the end of summer? I should have more seeds to add by then, too!). I have some packs ready for this one also..... :-)
The way I figure it, I already pretty much had my garden planned, so if it gets here late, I'm in the same shape as I was before, only now I have more seeds to plant later in the season, for winter sowing next year, or for the following spring. It will still be fun and the seeds will will still be enjoyed. With proper care, seeds will last for a long time. I recently planted some seeds someone sent me from 1996 and they germinated just fine. By the same token, I've had brand new seeds that didn't germinate! Some's ya win, some's ya lose...as long as you enjoy the adventure that's all that matters!
Sequee, You're so right! "Some's ya win, some's ya lose" but ohhh look at the avdenture people...the anticipation...and from both sides. Bring it on...it's spring (except for the snow right!).
Jo
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the length of the mailing list for this robin -- I think that's part of what will make this so much fun, along with the truly extraordinary number of seeds Alice started us off with! I just hate to think that people are dreaming about seeing the box reach them within weeks rather than within months. Sequee's right -- just enjoy it whenever it gets to you!
I just love this it is so much fun, i know it will take a while for either of them to get to me but i like the excitement of it all.
hearing what all everyone finds in the treasure box of seeds will be fun also.
:}
RH
The middle of the list just became a VERY exciting place to be!
I've got a box of 500 seeds headed at me from one direction, and another bunch headed at me from the other. It's *almost* too much! I'm worried that one day mid-summer my husband is going to come home to find me in the middle of a pile of seeds either hysterical or catatonic!
Amy
Just remember - you have to GROW them before you can EAT them! LOL!
Sequee, I cannot be held accountable for my actions should the two reach me at the same time!
Amy
Oh Amy! You'd be liable to do BLIND! LOL!!
I hear ya! I'm thinkin' one at a time's gonna be scary enough!
Sequee,started some of your pepper seeds today! Just couldn't wait!
Oh, boy! i hope they do you good! I'm in the same boat..eavery day or so I plant another seed or too, or at the very least I've been starting cold treatments. I have this big fear that all of a sudden Spring is going to be here and I'm going to be waaaaaaaaaaay behind - FREAK!
Me too i plant a few seeds every day and am worried that i wont get them all planted before spring is here.
:}
Rh
My nephew had a large packet of marigold seeds in my sister's outdoor aluminum shed. She is not a gardener. So when I found them they had been in that hot by summer cold by winter shed for three years. I didn't expect them to be good at all, but planted them. They all germinated and I had those large crackerjack marigolds that probably had given up hope of ever germinating in soil. LOL
Bean seeds last a very long time also. There have been seeds found in tombs in Egypt pyramids that germinated. So who knows!
Once upon a time I had a few seeds that were 10 yrs old or older
from my Great Granny's MG's and i got them to sprout.
They did well and now i have my own stash of MG's seeds.
:}
RH
Here's some more encouragement on old seeds. There's an historical home that's been restored here called the "Barton House". It dates something like 1830 or so...anyhow, the local gardening guild does the front gardens every year. When I went to tour it this past summer, the little pamphlet said that the morning glories growing on the fences were from original seeds found stored in a thimble(!) Who knows how long they were there, but forever, I'd imagine! Maybe since the 1920's, maybe I'm guessing? Anyhow, they sprouted from them and now they have these "heirloom morning glories". Pretty cool! I swiped a couple seed pods (ssshh, don't tell!) so I am anxious to start them on my fence this year! I think they were hot pink with white centers, but I don't have a great memory so I'm not sure. So when I grow them I'm excited to get seeds to pass on to y'all, too! Very special seeds. Yes, old seeds germinate. :)
Jenn
RH---
Amazing! I should look at those old 02 and 03 seeds I gave up on!
S
Gee, Steve, apparently those are just young pups!
I keep seed for a long time I dont care how old they are i just know i can get them to sprout.
As long as they are not like dust then i just get rot i get a little too happy with the watering.
Live and learn and find a friend that will get the tiny ones to grow,
Thanks Kimmie
hehe
:}
RH
When my mother died, and I was going through her cache of seeds..I discovered where I had gotten the 'seed hoarding behavior,' Her !She had multiple packs of most everything, and she had onion seeds that were 10 years old! I couldn't bear to dispose of all of them, but I didn't have room, to save them all..I have several packages of WalaWalla sweet onion seed...