Please don't worry about duplicating seed packs. I don't know how many are going to participate in this swap, but I would hope quite a few from this forum. Sometimes you just can't have enough host or nectar plants!!!
For anyone unsure about doing basically "free" seeds instead of spending $$ on plants for your gardens, you might want to skim through a thread I started last winter about making a long seed bed. It turned out amazing and I only spent money on the cheap wood frame, "free" cardboard, top soil, and compost and postage for several seed trades! :-) In my opinion, it is the ONLY way to get plants now! I'm hooked on seed beds!!!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/732433/
So jump on in here folks! This is going to be an awesome Seed Swap and your butterflies, moths, and hummers will love you for it! :-) :-)
Nectar and Host Plant GROUP SEED SWAP Info
I want to play too!!! I will have to go thru and find out what seeds I have. I love the idea of a butterfly garden and those seed beds look awesome! Ive been trying to figure out what to do in the back yard and you all are very inspiring.
Oh boy! Another butterfly lover on board. Yepee! Welcome Kel!
I don't know what I have to offer yet, or how this works yet, but I want to play!!!
I have Debnes close by if I get confused. LOL!
This message was edited Nov 1, 2007 5:59 AM
I'd really like to get in on this too, but I really don't have much to offer. I've got one entire packet of Lantana, and after I pick up all the Shrimp Plant seeds from my computer room floor, I'll have a good amount of those, but that's about it on my end. :( My Lady Margaret fruit has not ripened yet, so those seeds won't be available for a while. I need to check out my Agastache and see what's going on with those. I just wish I had more to send.
Back up in the thread they said you could buy seeds if we were short and repack.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4141165
Felica - Any local public gardens you could visit? ;-)
That is a great idea for me. What kind of seeds should I buy. What would be a popular want?
chris
Maybe we all need to make a list of the seeds we have. Most of what's been listed are things I already have, and I would like only what I don't have.
This way more can be distributed to peeps who need them.
Becky, (Just a thought)...Should we make another thread JUST FOR LIST ONLY? And refer a link to this discussion thread? Name it "Round Robin Seed List Only"
debnes
That's a great idea, Deb! Actually I was thinking of letting everyone post their sent list here and I was going to copy and paste it into another thread and let everyone put a wish list together and d-mail me or post on that thread AFTER the list of seeds. First come, first serve. But with the attempt to meet everyone's needs. :-)
Sounds like a great idea Becky! This way people won't post comments and make confusion.
Your ideer is better , lol.
debnes
I use a flour shifter for getting the bigger chunks of chaff seperated from small seeds. For even smaller seeds I use this thingy from the Dollar Store. I think it's a tea strainer. Looks like a plastic measuring cup but as screen in the bottom with even smaller openings than the shifter.
P
I use a sifter too, but for Zinnia seeds it's a little harder. I don't want to break them open. The sifter worked really well for the Hollyhock (bc it was a tad bit bigger than the holes in the screen), and the fine seed like Nicotiana, and Agalinis..which went straight through.
I still have more to harvest.
Nicotiana is flowering tobacco and the leaves are host and nectar for Tobacco Hornworm aka Sphinx Moth.
Agalinis is False Foxglove.. It has a pretty little pink glove bloom and skimpy slender foliage, though it is a host for Buckeyes.
These 2 still have green pods which will be turning brown in the next week.
Here is a pic of the Nicotiana 6-7" long blooms>
Here is the Agalinis tenufolia bloom..
Here is the Agalinis plant... I was so happy to see the blooms for the first time. Mid September. I hope to have a few more plants next year.
Fine seed like Agalinis and Nicotiana have to be sown on the surface of the soil bc they need light to germinate. It is difficult to keep them moist (especially in Texas), .. You have to check them a couple times a day until they germinate. A spray bottle of water on top and deep water around the planting, so the seeds don't wash away or shift too far.
debnes
Here's what I've got so far (on plates all over the dining room table):
Agastache, 'Honey Bee White'
Agastache, 'Honey Bee Blue'
Asclepias incarnana (swamp milkweed), white/cream, probably from 'Ice Ballet' seed
Foeniculum vulgare, Bronze Fennel
Helianthus, unk. perennial species, aka "Not Chocolate Daisy"
Ipomoea coccinea, Scarlet MG http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51759/
Monarch on Agastache stem, "Not-Chocolate-Daisy" in background
I have the Agastache rugosa (Korean Mint), myself, which is kinda lavender colored.. Wouldn't mind having some other colors. Butterflies liked it ok, bees liked it better.
I would like some of the A. incarnata in white critter.. I hope some makes it's way to me..
I will try to get more headway on packing up my seeds today. I need to go to WM to get some more tiny baggies. Might be able to make a list of everything and post it here this afternoon..... stay tuned.
debnes
Good! I'm glad I have something you'd like for this swap. :-)
Although I haven't been able to nail down a species ID for the Helianthus, it's one of my favorites. It bloomed the first year from wintersown seed, and it came back strong this year -- bloomed all summer long! I don't know that it's a host plant for anything, but the butterflies do like to nectar on it.
LOL well, this seed swap may cause divorce in our family. Spent all last night running between the kitchen and the computer trying to identify what was seed and what was chaff on the 'seed site' and trudi's 'wintersown' site. Passing by my DH who was watching the football game. He thought I was crazeee. The kids think I love the seeds more than them. And right now I won't answer that!
I've determined to take pics of all my seeds and add them to the internet to save other beginner seed collectors such consternation and cussing!
And by the way, how do you get rid of all the chaff in things like eupatorium? Or do we have to? If I were saving the seeds for myself I would just save the seed head and then crumble it into the planting medium...
And does anyone have a pic of the eupatorium seeds (boneset, joe pye, etc.)?! I have my fine flour strainer to work with but there must be another approach!?
So, I have several seeds ready to go (after all this whining)--these are not quite so common and I have the more common nectar and host plants in the process of dechaffing and labeling!
1) Layia platyglossa 'Tidy Tips' Baltimore Checkerspot nectar plant for spring bloom; CA native
2) Sweet William spring nectar plant
3) Cleome 'Pink Queen' butterfly and hummingbird nectar plant
4) Schizanthus 'Butterfly Flower' nectar plant
5) Scarlet Runner Beans 'Painted Lady' cultivar host plant (legumes)
6) Limnathes Douglasii 'Poached Egg Plant' nectar plant
Also, how many seeds in a packet? Some of mine are a little sparse, but seems like enough to get started with the plant, anyway...?
I will repost all of my seeds when/where appropriate...
Thanks for all the good info in your posts above. t.
Y'all be careful what seeds you use the sifter on.. Some aren't small enough, and some are.. Could get broken and make them inviable. JPW is one I wouldn't use the sifter on.
debnes
Here is what I have packaged so far for the swap
Nectar
6- Verbesina alternifolia
3- Tall Purple Ironweed
1- Lavender Rose of Sharon
3- Tall Orange Marigolds
2- Mixed Canna
2- Canna Gaiety- not sure if true to seed or cross pollinated
6- Leonurus nepetaefolia
1- Amonsia Blue Star
3- Hyacinth Bean Vine
1- Daylily
6- Asarina Scandens vine Pink
2- Salvia Elegans
4- Tall Orange Cosmos 6'+
3- Celosia Pink Flamingo Flower 6'+
4- Hardy Hibiscus
3- Tx Red Star Hibiscus
4- Pink Pavonia
4- Coral Porterweed-not sure if true to seed
2- Stokes Asters
2- Red Cape Honeysuckle
5- Purple Skullcap- great for low border or hanging basket
2- Alstromeria Red Flower
4- Ruellia Elegans
3- Hot Pink perennial 4 O'clock
3- Senico confusus Mexican Flame vine
3- Sesbania punicea Scarlet Wisteria tree
4 or 5- Salvia Mexicana Lollie Jackson
4- Verbena bonariensis
5- Stans tecoma or Tecoma Stans forget which way it goes
4- Groundsel Tree for Butterflies/Bees
6- Sparkleberry Tree for birds
4- Cestrum nocturnum- Night Blooming Jessimine
4- Vitex angus tree- Blue- Skipper Favorite
Host
4- Milkweed Silky Gold
4- Centrosema virginanium vine-flower like clitoria but is pale lavender- long narrow leaves
5- Passiflora Morifolia
5- Passiflora Incarnata
5- Aristolochia fimbriata- hanging basket
6- Vigna leutola
This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 4:03 PM
This is becoming very intimidating for me. I know I have seeds for...
Asclepias curasavica
Moon flower
Blue butterfly pea vine
Some virginia snakeroot seeds I could share that I just received from Loess_roots (DGer) who has been growing these successfully for many years.
The other plants I love I cant figure out how to get seeds...( I have propogated from cuttings)
Verbena bonarensis (and I really need more of these)
Salvia heatwave flare
golden pineapple sage
Texas star hibiscus, white or red
Texas tarragon
and I am sure there are others.
It would be good if there was a want thread so that I could buy some of the specific things people would actually use.
chris
Chris and others who might be thinking of purchasing some seeds for the swap:
The sticky thread here on this forum has some good links, but I will post them here to help y'all:
Host Plants:
http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/Butterfly%20Gardening/Host%20Plants%20by%20Butterfly%20Species.htm
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=2886922
Nectar Plants:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/745182/
I love my Zinnias (any kind) and the butterflies agree with me! I see them frequenting my flowers all the time when they are here in my area! I hope these links help!
Don't get intimidated. Some of us have been growing butterfly gardens for quite some time. We will have more to offer. And we love helping newbies out and educating more folks about these lovely creatures! :-) And most plants that butterflies like for nectar, so do the hummers!
So much to do!
I found more bags today at WM for .97 per 100. I will be packing more tomorrow.
A few of my plants have pods that are still green too... If they aren't ready in time, I will have to wait on them. Will offer them later on.
Yes, Please no one needs be down about not having a lot. I'm glad to see them distributed to caring gardens like all of yours. Would be a bummer to see such good seeds not get propagated while they are still good. Great to see people who can use them, re-trade or pass them along!
debnes
I would love to get in on this....I am a bit busy this week but can go through seeds hopefully next week if that isn't too late.
I am not worried about equal exchange. I have many many plants. I am just looking for seeds for my wildflower garden like zinnias, cosmos, mex sunflowers, sunflowers, tall annuals, etc., and any annual flowering vines to help hide the log pile we have to stop a bad erosion spot. It is so big I can only collect from around the edges or I will trample the flowers to get to the others and the birds eat some of them as well
This message was edited Nov 2, 2007 11:21 PM
Bet we can fill some of your order then. I have some Frostweed, a couple types of Sunflowers, W TX Mist Flower, Ironweed, Tx Star Hibiscus & etc. Need to make sure though before I go listing the quantities.
blue_eyes and anyone else thinking about joining in .... In the year I have been a part of this forum, there has not been a group swap. There may or may not be another one until this time again next year! We are thinking ahead for our Spring/Summer/Fall 2008 gardens and hoping to get the seeds we need. Trust me ... this is about the cheapest way to go unless someone gives you plants for free! And it is a very good opportunity to get some host plant seeds which will lure the butterflies into your yard!
Edited to add:
All seeds need to arrive by Friday, Nov. 16th when this swap closes. So y'all still have time!
This message was edited Nov 3, 2007 1:06 AM
o.k. Becky I'll get mine out Monday the 12th. I was hoping for more and was able to harvest more purple skullcap and Salvia Lollie Jackson today.
Ohhhh! Is there still time for me to get in on this! This will be my first robin!! YAY!!!
LOL Thanks for all the encouragement. I worked on sorting my seeds last night.
I have many seeds that I would like to get into the hands of gardeners who could use them since these particular flowers don't grow well in the garden spots I have for them (I have too much shade). And I would like anyone interested in BF gardening to be part of the fun and excitement of this forum to try them out... So, maybe I should send you, Becky, the ten packets plus a few extras, and then later on post another list of seeds for SASE in a separate thread? ---just to keep it simple and not get you over-extended?
Some seeds of interest for the swap:
Layia platyglossa 'tidy tips' California Native and nice early spring flower for the Checkerspot.
Belamcanda chinensis Blackberry lily hummingbird nectar flower for July
Milkweed syriaca Common milkweed native to the eastern prairies and woodlands
Caraway mentioned as a host plant for swallowtails (and culinary uses too, of course)
Helianthus Perennial Sunflower Woodland native. Back of the border for autumn bloom.
I don't really need too many more seeds now that I've taken a close look at my inventory...
Have fun. t.
This message was edited Nov 3, 2007 4:31 PM
I've just scaned the posts above but I didn't see any grass and tree seeds. Are these aceptable for the swap?
I don't turn the handle on the shifter,I just shake it.
P
portiaraylee - Welcome to the group swap!
T - Send me whatever you want. It will be shared with folks in this swap!
Instead of this being a Round Robin seed swap as originally planned, it is just going to be a group seed swap. Everyone is to list their seeds here of what they are going to send and then I will make a seperate thread to list ALL the seeds available and how many packets of each. Then everyone can post their "wish list" from the seeds available. And I will do my best to divy them out fairly so that everyone gets some that they really want and then I will surprise y'all by adding in packets of whatever is left. I was thinking about just dividing all the different seed packets up evenly so that regardless of whether you send me 10 or 50 packets of seeds, that everyone gets an even amount. Those of us with lots of seeds may not need as many back as we are giving. Like if Donna sends 50 and someone else sends 10, I may get enough seed packets that if divided equally, each person would get 20. Donna would get less than she gave and another person would get 10 more packets than they gave. Those of us with established butterfly gardens may not need as many plants as someone who is a newbie! And the more host plant seeds, the more chance of raising more butterflies or having more butterflies in your yard! :-) But the nectar plants bring the butterflies to your yard too!
Peggy - Yes! Tree seeds are good too! Especially if they are a host plant! :-) :-)
Well so far I collected dogwood(cornus florida..birds ate all the round leaf dogwood seeds already) ...I forget what it host but I will look it up and add a list that tells what each pkg of seed host or nectors for what. I also have some grass seed(big blue stem...I think). I got a bunch of green milkweed in trade but the young lady didn't which green milkweed it was...is it ok if we don't know exact kind as long as I know it's diffenantly milkweed(she sent pod intact so I DO know it's milkweed).
I wanted to collect some sassafras seeds too but the birds have already gobbled them down.
P
Donna, would morning glories help you out? I have a big packet of mixed seed from last year's fence row of morning glories that I'd be glad to send you. :-)
Donna - I have MG seeds and Moonvine seeds as well. Let us know!
Becky, I'm working on my list and I'll post it very soon.
most definately Critter and Becky. If you want tree seeds I will collect some today. My brain was thinking strictly Butterfly/ Hummer/ Moths. I have Dogwood, Viburnum, Magnolia,and Sparkleberry all full of berries if the birds haven't gotten them all yet
Becky I think we shouldn't give all the info on the seeds. You learn so much more about the care of your plants when you look them up yourself. I know I have and it is part of the fun of growing from seed. Also I am not able to sit at the puter for to long at a time. I will be happy to answer any questions anyone has about my seed. I have listed latin and/or comon name/annual/perennial/sun/shade etc.
Donna - Sounds good! I am only listing my DG name, season/year it was harvested as seeds, and both the common and botanical names on the slip of paper I enclose in each seed packet. :-)
Don't forget hummer nectar plants too, everyone!