Another Texas forum is having a swap Saturday the 22nd, starting at 11AM.
very easy-going group, please come if you can.
Directions:
From Interstate 30, go north on University.
The park is *right there*, so immediately turn right.
Follow the little path/drive/whatever it it until you see people with plants!
We won't have the pavilion, that requires reservations, & this swap is sort of spur of the moment, started by Barb because she's been missing out on swaps: she can't travel very far.
I my own self am planning to be there, with my "Darwin Garden" (survival of the fittest!) offerings:
chocolate mint
mint that I think is spearmint
lamb's ears
Kwanzo daylilies
Achillea Paprika (red yarrow)
may be able to get some more stuff
can bring tree seedlings if anyone can use them:
oak (think it's red oak), Golden Rain, maybe pecan, maybe redbud
I say "maybe", 'cause they have roots to China & I'll dig them up if someone definitely wants them, but my body's still a little mad at me from the last swap!
Plant Swap April 22 at Trinity Park in Ft Worth
Bobbie Mason is going to send some plants, don't know exactly what.
She'd like ajuga, phlox, & daylilies of any kind/color.
A neighbor gave me quite a bit of blue mist flower, which I'll bring, & I can get more if anyone needs a really big hunk:
He's removing an entire bed about 2' wide & 20' long, & it's *all* blue mist flower!
just potted up a Salvia Black & Blue & a Salvia East Freesland, + 2 pots of a brilliant red/purple Louisiana Iris.
Someone is bringing own-root *roses* & looking for hostas.
I potted some datura (moonflower) up this morning, hope they do well enough to take them.
If anyone is interested, I'll pot up some Cinnamon Girl iris & some swertii iris.
Swertii's a *real* oldie:
first reference found was in the 1600s!
Someone is bringing own-root *roses* & looking for hostas.
I potted some datura (moonflower) up this morning, hope they do well enough to take them.
If anyone is interested, I'll pot up some Cinnamon Girl iris & some swertii iris.
Swertii's a *real* oldie:
first reference found was in the 1600s!
I'm have never been to a plant swap. Do you think it would be worth the trip from Abilene to come to this one? Do you expect many people to come for this trade? Exactly how does a plant swap work? I'm also brand new to Dave's Garden and don't even know how to navigate this site!! thank you for your advice.
I also read about the swap in College Station, but do not have a clue as to how everyone knows about each others upcoming trade options.
Welcome, lucq!
Our plant swaps are *very* laid-back & friendly.
We often arrange pre-trades, but there are always nice surprises at the swap itself, too.
We bring our "garden surplus" (planted too much of it, planted the right amount several years ago & it's spread, need to remove it to make room for something new, tried a zillion cuttings not realizing that all of them would root, etc), & trade for someone else's "garden surplus".
Each gardener has his/her own methods & preferences & sets the "value" of each item...& a lot of it depends on the specialness of each item.
I, for instance, will gladly hand you all the chocolate mint you can handle absolutely free!
but I would want a pretty decent trade for, say, a cast iron plant (if I had one!)
Most plants are in pots (recycled nursery pots, styrofoam cups, the bottom halves of soda bottles, whatever), but some, such as irises, cannas, & the like, arrive wrapped in newspaper, & some arrive as cuttings.
Cuttings are fine as long as your trade partner realizes that you're talking about a cutting rather than a rooted plant.
Each plant should be labeled with its name.
I mark the name on a plastic picnic knife with a Sharpie & stick it in the soil.
I like to put my pre-trades into boxes & add a *big* label, like a letter-sized sheet of paper, with the trade partner's name in huge letters to reduce the possibility of someone thinking that those items are available for trade.
To get the most enjoyment out of the swap, you need to be comfortable: wear loose, cool, summer clothes & comfortable footwear, bring a hat & some sunglasses, make sure you have water or tea or whatever.
A folding or camp chair comes in handy, & if you have a folding table, it's nice to set your "available" things on top & your "I'm taking this home" beneath.
We bring ice/drinks/munchies to share, not a real meal, just a snackie kind of thing.
We usually set up the swap just a little past the gazebo (you can use it only if you have a reservation) & park near the big trees.
I like to set my plants out near the car the night before & water them well to reduce the stress on them.
Then I put whatever non-plant stuff I can into the car:
Sharpie pens, name tags, camera, sunhat, folding chair, etc).
The morning of the swap, I put the pots into newspaper-lined cardboard boxes (or set the big ones in plastic trash liners) & load them into the car & then put in the cooler or snacks.
Hope to see you there!
sylvia
ps: There are 2 of us: City_Sylvia & sylviatexas.
(We are both lovely people.)
pps: You by no means have to do all the stuff I detailed above.
I do it.
but I'm a garden wacko...
forgot to answer:
I don't know about the College Station swap;
you could ask the people who are doing that one.
Some swaps have more structure or rules & some that have things like games, etc.
This swap is just about as casual & open as you can get!
It's difficult to predict how many people will attend:
This time of year, there are a number of swaps, & people come to this one & then not that one, etc.
It's definitely worth coming:
You'll have a great time!
*And*:
the Botanic/Japanese/Rose Gardens,
the Conservatory,
the Museums,
the Will Rogers Complex,
FW Zoo, &
Omni Theater are all *right there*.
and there's an antique mall at the corner of I-30 & Montgomery!
Here are some of the things people are bringing/things they want:
Bringing
Weldon: own-root roses
Barefoot: hostas
Thuy: night blooming angel trumpet
Cosmos
Butterfly ginger
allium
datura: triple purple, yellow
yellow trumpet vine
blue pincushion
Barb: salvias including
Henry Duelburg,
maybe Lady in Red
mondo grass
Taterbug: winter-sown seedlings
Bobbie ??? Her plants are always nice.
Venessa: rooted roses
autumn aster
Artemesia Oriental Limelight
blue mist flower
Sylvia
Kwanzo daylilies, chocolate mint, spearmint, golden rain tree, lamb's ears, irises Crimson King, Gold Imperial, & Iris Albicans (white cemetary iris), white datura, zebrina hollyhock, Salvias Black & Blue & East Freesland if it doesn't croak, Louisiana irises brilliant red/purple, maybe Achillea Paprika: what I potted already got over-watered.
Wants:
Weldon: hostas
Barb: Passion Flower, beautiful garden plants
Venessa: rose cuttings
Bobbie: phlox, ajuga, daylilies in all colors
If there are people who want spearmint, I have plenty that I could bring. It is really all I have to offer at this point, as I am new to gardening. (First garden I've had in about 20 years)
Mary/Grand Prairie
Hey, Mary, bring it on!
Someone always wants mint!
to put in their tea, to intrigue a little one, to take to someone who enjoys the scent.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Anyone else planning on coming? Don't worry if you don't have anything to trade there is always plenty to go around. I have a few rooted roses that I will be bringing, looking for rose cuttings so I can add to my collection since hubby said I couldn't order any more this year :(
I do also have some Bradford pear babies I could dig up. We always get SO many pears and many rot at the foot of the tree. Hence all the babies.