Good grief! I would be delighted with either!
CG Forum STOKE'S SEED SWA-OP
Well, My Nolana flowers never got that big -- by a LONG shot! Maybe I have a different kind because they were just sort of no account, but sort of unusual, too. And in the fall blue is an unusual color around here.
Nolana stops blooming in the summer, and I don't remember if it dries up or goes away or what, but as soon as the nights cool down a bit, there are those little blue flowers again. (They aren't really 1/5th the size, but they are substantially smaller, and the plants it intertwines with and comes up between don't have to be flat to the ground, just small, like maybe Profusion Zinnias. And when I say intertwine, I really mean sort of "flop between". Lean against? They are very lightweight and don't take anything down with them, they just sort of "lean against".)
Mine didn't look a thing like your photo. I had every intention of putting a photo with this, and for some reason I didn't take a photo of either of my Convovulvus paatches. So sorry, but mine were a deep yet very bright blue with 2 disctinct zones for yellow and white.. The yellow zone was 100% YELLOW and the white zone was very pure. On your flower, the yellow and white zones are blurred and the blue has been bleached out.
Suzy
Gee, now I wish I had saved some seed!
LalaJane, I meant to say you don't have to worry about keeping up with the thread.. If you get far enough in your reading you might find a few of us are sort of "particular" about what we are growing -- and there might be a better word for "particular"! ROFL!
Yes, there will be a couple things you say, "eh" to, but by and large I think you'll be real happy. You can always send those yucky seeds back in to the Feb swap LOL!
Wrigtie, Yup, Paypal. Couldn't be easier, but I just found out they charge 30c a transaction. Sigh -- is nothing ever easy?
What are the thoughts on delivery confirmation? It's up to 75c now.
Suzy
I'm with you Wrightie.. I'm just going to sit back and let you nice folks plan what I'm going to be growing. I'll pay extra for paypal! :) I got my swap seeds with no problem.. I would do confirmation if you required it though :)
Do you know I still haven't been to the stokes site...maybe tonight after I put my kids to bed. My 6yo had to miss his first day of school this year with a serious overnight tummy ache.. went to the doctor and then to the lab for blood work.. and then pharmacy..He will be fine, but thats the always the story isn't it... Things happen unexpectedly and they must be attended to.
Suzy I'm sure I'll be tickled with whatever I receive. I skimmed through the 'wants' that have already been posted and there are a few unusual things that look like fun. I made a note of the ones I was most taken with....
I like the Figaro, but I prefer a solid color. I wonder what the Violet looks like?
898H Figaro Violet
985 Marine Lemoine Strain
924 Summer Skies
P973A Silver Mist
1483F Profusion Coral Pink (actually I want this one whether it makes the cut or not. Would you snag me a package? (minus your cut of course. LOL)
I didn't save any petunia seed at all this year wanting to start fresh so I would like to try a few of these. I want to try:
1245D Double Cascade Orchid Mist
1245B Double Cascade Burgundy
1245M Double Cascade Soft Pink
The petunias come 50 to a pack for $3.50. If we don't buy them as a group would anybody like to split any of these with me?
Thanks Suzy. I think I wished you lived a little closer to me. I could sure use a few of your organizational skills around here!
I kind of feel the same as SGL about the confirmation. Not real worried about it, but if Suzy is, I'll pay for it. The .30 for PayPal isn't a problem. It would cost .41 + an envie to mail a check.
I like paypal and will go either way on the delivery confirmation. :>)
PayPal is fine with me!
Count me in too! Just got back home and am trying to get caught up on all the threads.
Paypal is fine with me too. Rachel
Welcome Cat!
Tick Tock on the personal packs.
Is anybody going to be bummed with a midnight deadline? I thought I would start now and get that cart filled so I can press sendon the stroke of midnight, but I don't have to.
Suzy
This message was edited Dec 13, 2007 11:23 PM
Click away Chief!
Click away!
I am about ready to cry. I am not going to go through all my trials and tribulations, but I will tell you that I have gotten kicked off their website 6x now with a window that says "Stokes Seeds. We are experiencing very heavy volume Sorry for the inconvenience". At least it isn't my computer.
I have a shopping cart, but I have to dump some things and reduce quantities before I can check out. BUT I can't get to my shopping cart because of heavy volume.
I'm going to go and empty the dishwasher an try again.
Suzy
This message was edited Dec 14, 2007 2:30 AM
I wanted to edit my whininess above, but had reached my limits on edits. My dishwasher is empty and the order is placed.
Ijust double checked, and everyone wil be getting at least one thing they wanted, NO ONE will be getting everything they wanted. I am praying that I saw and ordered every single person's extra seed add ons -- that's what is worrying me most at this point in time.
It was going really, really, well, until I totalled it up, and I had to dump a whole lot at the very end. And they were things that I kinda wanted myself, so I don't want anybody to feel like I was picking on them.. and yes, I dumped one of mine, too. In fact, I really don't want you to think I was picking on you, because at the very end, the very very very end, I just had to dump, and I didn't look back to see whose offering I was dumping. (Did I mention the website was extremely slow?)
It was just a case of how many seeds I could get, and where the divisions lie, and how hard it would be to divide by 15 people. (100 seeds divided by 15 is only 6.66 seeds per person. If I already know from experiance the seeds are like dust and/or difficult to germinate and the next size up was 500 seeds for $10.00, I just couldn't swing it. And there were a lot of them. Likewise, there were a lot of Dianthus, Petunias and Viola/Pansies offered up, and we couldn't get them all. I tried to make it a varied order, but that might have been a mistake; I guess I won't know until you see what I got.
On the other hand, you all will be getting a lot of nice things for a lousy $12.00 LOL! I'll dmail you on the costs, Paypal, and extra packets you ordered one by one over the next 2 or 3 days. Stokes uses heavy paper envelopes -- more postage. Yes, I'll be nickling and diming you to death. Merry Christmas!!!!! :))
Suzy
Suzy, when you wake up after your night of Terrible Tussles with Stokes and limitations on this group's goals and your multi-tasking storage/functional dishwasher, I want you to feel the heartfelt thanks from all of us for what you've done.
My garden would be a far more boring place if ever I had the time, money and health to do exactly what I would've done if I could've, because the serendipity of having to take a more flexible, adaptive route rather than a more direct, in-control route has made it more - well - unusual?
I always ask myself, now what would my frugal Yankee grandma think about such and such a flower? Although food and clothing were hard to come by, her home had been in her family for generations, and so had the plants in her garden like lilacs, peonies, hollyhocks and enough other flowers to carpet the inside of a picketed area from picket to picket.
She would have done incredible things with whatever seeds you send back to us, and so will I.
((((((((Suzy, thank you))))))))
Bless your lil pea-pickin' heart Suzy. You know we'll all be tickled with what we get and very VERY greatful that you've gone to the lengths you have. It's $12! ...... ......Well except for the add-ons of course. ;-)
Suzy, you sure are fast in reading all our posts :)
wow, I can't believe their site was so busy! Business of online seed selling must be good :)
>>>>>>THANK YOU!!!
edited typo
This message was edited Dec 14, 2007 7:09 AM
Thanks so much Suzy.. had to laugh at you wanting to edit your whininess... too bad we can't edit things that we've done in life!! Suzy, be a little easy on yourself.. I am grateful for you doing this! :) If I were doing it, we might get our seeds this summer.
Susan
Thanks everybody!
The timing just worked out really well again. I had two workmen scheduled for yesterday, so I was able to get a whole lot of stuff done on this swap while I was waiting for them to either arrive or do their work. And you can't host the swap unless you know you can be around and check in frequently. I hate when I join swaps and we never hear from the person!
Suzy
Suzy, you continue to AMAZE me. The organization skills and the great ideas, like this SWA-OP, and the near midnight whining included ;0). I probably would have dissolved into a puddle. and now you have to divvy up all that bounty. Of course we'll be thrilled with what we get!
Ack! Paypal costs 94c, not 30c. The first ones just came through, and oddly, the people all added up to the next dollar, so they're fine, but if you haven't sent it, either mail a check (addy in the exchange) or buck it up 94c.
Sorry, I've never done the Paypal thing before. Never been on the receiving end, I mean. Kind of pricey when you think about the percentage!
So sorry,
Suzy
Suzy - I continue to be thankful that I can humbly sit at your feet and learn, AND for the fact that The Fates blessed me with living so close to you! (Gang, I may get to help with the sorting and stuff and learn at the elbow of The Master!!)
Is there a place on DG where people can be nominated as DG Heroes of the Day????
Robin
Suzy,
Put simply, we love ya girl!!! Don't sweat the small stuff :0) Rachel
~snort. I'm not sure why you think sitting on my butt is heroic, LOL!
And you definitely will "get" to help sort!
I was going to make a joke about it when Lala Jane said she wished she lived closer to me -- I was going to tell her that I wished she lived closer, too! I'd put her to work!
To all -- You know those pieces of paper I put in my seed envies that give the germination directions? This one is too long and won't fit. Normally I delete words until it does fit, but the geranium seeds are tooooooo expensive to mess around with trying to save some paper or time, and everybody gets like 6 seeds, so no room for error. I need everybody to have this information:
Pelargonium peltatum (Ivy Leaf Geranium)
‘Summer Showers - Burgundy’
True cascading, base branching ivy leaf geraniums from seed. Large open 4 in. single blooms, green leaves. For window boxes and hanging baskets.
CULTURE: For May 10th blooms in 4 in pots, seed by Dec. 20th. Use sterilized soil or a commercial seedling mix, plus low nutritional fertilizer. Cover seeds with ¼ in/6 mm of fine soil. Ideal soil temperature of 72 - 76̊F must be maintained for 4 or 5 days. Use bottom heat if you have it - if you don't, this means that your air temperature will have to be a constant 85̊F to maintain about 75̊F soil temperature. Cover seed flats with plastic after soaking with warm water. The plastic should be removed in 4 or 5 days. On sunny days, remove plastic, or seed will cook!. Lower night air temperature at this point to about 60̊F to keep seedlings nice and short.
TRANSPLANTING should be started as soon as the cotyledons have expanded (about 15 - 17 days after a Dec. 20th sowing. Transplant directly into 4 in pots using ½ soil and ½ seedling mix. Pots would be put on benches or pallets to keep them off the cold ground. Maintain a night air temperature of 72̊F for about 2 weeks to promote rooting. Reduce the temperature gradually over a period of 6 - 8 weeks after potting until a night temperature of 62̊F has been reached. Low temperatures (under 55̊F) will not allow the buds to open. Sunny day temperatures should reach 68 - 72̊F/. Maintain air temperatures at 60 - 65̊F. NOTE: Geranium breeders say that there is recent evidence to prove that excessive soil temperatures of 85̊F/29̊C or more will prevent germination.
Can I ask a dumb question? What did you end up ordering for the potluck? I'm dying to know :0)
Yes, of course you are dying!!! That's the surprise! LOL!
If you really don't like surprises because of other orders you might want to place, I'll d-mail you the list, but if you can wait, then it might be more fun. (That goes for anybody else, too, I *will* tell you..)
I do not think you will have much overlap with anything you might want to buy between now and about Jan 15. Of course, I did see T&M offering $5.00 off a $35.00 order for the next 2 days, so maybe you are catalogue shopping as I type!
Suzy
Oh me too rachel! I also want to offer my thanks for your work. Sometimes we underestimate the time involved in these activities!
I quickly deleted that T&M e-mail. it's no fun to order by myself anymore. Suzy has ruined that for me. I need to share with friends and get surprises in the mail and stuff like that.
Well myself I like surprises so I won't be dmailing :) Thanks for all your work on this Suzy I can't wait for my seeds then I can't wait to plant them, then I can't wait to see the blooms! LOL It's never ending lol
Lea
LOL! LeBug, You forgot something to complete the cycle........."Then I can't wait to see the new catalogs and order more!" ROTFL!
You're all very welcome. I spent a large portion of the day getting all the paper labels for the seed envelopes typed and printed so you don't have to navigate that awful website to see how to sow the seeds. They provide directions for inside and outside and I added the stuff about Wintersowing. For those over 40, be prepared: the print is very, very small. :) LOL!
I had to use some abbbreviations: WS = Wintersowing F1 is a first generation hybrid, and the seed is more costly that OP (Open pollinated). The following year, the saved seed from F1 hybrids may or may not yield plants that are like the parent they were collected from . You can save and trade the seed, just be sure to say it's from an F1 parent on the label. A shorthand way of saying that is 'F2'.
Single quote and double quotes are important. "Black Eyed Susan" (nickname) vs Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Eyes' (proper Latin names are always italicized, but for gardeners printing out our own labels, we don't always do it because the print looks zig zaggy on a monitor. )Comes out fine on the printer, but it's hard to read if you have it spelled right, and spell check is worthless beause it always thinks it's spelled wrong!). So "nickname" and is the 'varietal' name. Whether someone uses ' or " is important in telling you what the seeds will be. Karen probably went through that in her post above/
Is there anybody out there bracing for a huge snow storm? Michaela? Gram? Lala? Wind ,Wrightie, Blue? Lots of people?
Good luck tomorrow. Check in if you have power!
Suzy
Pretty sure that I'm too far into the Deep South to worry about snow and ice ... suppose I should go look at the weather reports though. :)
We're supposed to get some snow but no on can agree on how much. I've heard from 3 - 15 inches! Guess we'll find out in the morning. Snow doesn't bother me much but I really don't like ice.
I'd rather have the snow than ice, too. ice is more likely to mean power outages. snow just means we're stuck in the house and I got nowhere to go. decorating to do and cookies to bake means I should stay home anyway. we're north of what they call the 'snow belt' in western NY. very often we get less than half the snow they get 2 counties south of us.
It's hard to know how much folks do or don't want to know. Having grown up as an army brat in so many different places around the globe, I learned early how one thing can mean so many different things to different people in different cultural contexts in different parts of the globe. So, when I found out that one plant could be identified by one name, it was downright soothing to know that somewhere on this planet something could mean one thing and only that one thing. I don't know about y'all, but I find this planet an extremely complex place to live.
Anyhoo, I hope I didn't step on any toes by going into that plant naming business - just thought it would be helpful. I'm no botanist, and any taxonomist could probably eat me for an aperitif. There seem to be a couple of tiny things about properly naming plants where Suzy and I have learned differently, but it matters more to me to have fun growing plants with y'all than it does to be right about anything.
But, oh Wrightie, I wish I could be wrong about Maryland not having to worry about snow and ice. We even had a hail storm one June here that knocked all the young apples off the trees and shredded the hosta so badly it never recovered for the rest of the season. Henry Mitchell*, who lived in Washington, DC at the end of his life, once gave some advice about what to do when an ice storm pounces on your iris just when they reach their peak of glory: pull down the shades.
*http://home.austin.rr.com/neumeyers/Mitchell_index.html
This message was edited Dec 14, 2007 9:51 PM
LOL, bluespiral, you are a great writer. As for the snow & ice ... I just meant in regard to the storm that's coming on Saturday/Sunday. I believe that we're currently considered to be in the clear down near DC, right? At least that's what weather.com has been telling me.
My poor, dead fothergilla did not survive the Easter Freeze of '07. I've still got the shades pulled down from that storm.
Wrightie, I am never going to forget last April - grrr - whipped my big rose bushes around as if their root systems were cyclones in the dirt. As if it wasn't enough for Sally Holmes' roots to have an inverted triangle of air around themselves, Mother Nature next proceeded to knock a piece of a silver maple bigger than Sally Holmes precisely upon the spot where the winds had lashed her around. All of this was just desert to the ice preceding those awful winds.
The roses survived, but last April sure didn't predispose them toward "enjoying" the ensuing drought. Fortunately, these roses have been established for many years in their present places, and they look okay right now, so I'm not too worried about their making it to next May.
Had your fothergilla been in its spot for long? If not, it might be worthwhile to try again what with those improbably early, fragrant flowers. Was it planted bareroot or did it come in a container?
We've gotten a reprieve near Baltimore - just rain for Sunday in the latest forecast. Hope it'll just be rain for you in DC, too.
I had planted that Fothergilla last fall from a 5 gal. container... I was soo excited to see it's glorious baubles -- but that was not to be. It didn't stand a chance. I never did get to see its' flowers or new Spring foliage.
I'm bummed that I didn't know about this swap until today :(