I sent my cheque last week, Suzy - you should get it any day now.
Michaela
CG Forum STOKE'S SEED SWA-OP
Ok, thanks!
I just got an email telling me the seeds have been shipped.
Suzy
I for one do not expect you to be counting seeds when you should be stuffing stockings :0)
I'll bet you are very proud of your daughter. good for her!
Hi Suzy - I'm sorry this is late, I've been meaning to let you know how happy I am for your daughter and her graduation - you must be so proud!! Let me know when those seeds hit, my sister will be visiting for a few days after Christmas, so she and I can do the counting and such if you want.
Rob
:-) Merry Christmas everyone!
Suzy, Enjoy your Christmas and time "off"!!! Thanks again for hosting this.
Merry Christmas Everyone :)
Suzy.. I should just go ahead and paypal you already?
Susan
Susan, what an adorable picture! and that looks like the 'real' Santa
Took the words right out of my mouth, Gram! (And those look like real kids!) ROTFL! Just kidding you SGL -- Great picture!
SGL ---Yes, go ahead and paypal whenever you want, deduct $5.00 for the Park seeds if you want to make life easier all around.
I made themistake of leaving my Christmas shopping list on the table and I think Mr. Clean has gone out shopping to try to help me. Can't wait to see what he comes back with!
Suzy
Merry Christmas to Everybody!
While we're waiting on our seeds to get delivered, I wanted to ask some questions about logistics on the White Elephant Swap, formerly known as the February Last Chance Swap.
I'm not in a hurry for answers, cogitate on it, and sometime after Christmas, definitely, maybe after New Year's, post your thoughts. If you could help me sort it out a bit before I post the sign ups, I would appreciate it.
The very easiest for me is when you guys do all the presorting. When you post what you have, and then people say, "I want this!" and, "I want that!", and the little baggies come in with your names on them.
BUT if there are 30 people it can get very overwhelming to see all those seed packs scroll along. Some people have to look them up in Plant Files, and new peole probably have to look up each and every one! It also can get dicey because so many lists are posted during the day when a lot of people are at work, and to them it might feel like all the best stuff is gone by the time they even see the list.
I am also assuming the lists could be very, very lengthy.
What would you think about sending your lists to me, and letting me post them all at once on a weekend? Or over a course of many posts on a weekend? You don't have to list everything you're sending, but some of the items are somewhat specialized -- something like Solomon's Seal, a woodland plant which I just learned can take over a year to germinate. (No necessarily germinate, but show above the soil) Well, who wants *that*? Mebbe somebody, but it isn't the kind of thing that everybody wants, and I'd like to get it to the right person.
The other thing that has me a bit worried is how I can keep the seeds you send in (which may or may not be your own seeds, in your own seed packs), separated so you don't get the same ones back? I had thought about stickers, but those can get expensive to buy in 30 different colors/shapes. Or drawing some stripes on them with a paint pen -- a blue line for Gram, a red line for Wrightie, a triple blue-red-blue for Rachel? Sounds very time consuming after I get past the 5 colors of paint pens I own. LOL!
Also, what would be good timing on this? I had in mind people sending in stuff they plumb don't want, but also packs of extras leftover from wintersowing. When will you know what you have leftover from wintersowing? End of Jan? Middle of Feb? End of Feb? I can't go much later than that because things get hopping around here in March.
Needless to say, I will have lots of lovely corals and reds and golds to personally offer, so I will probably take the whole swap to the Seed Trading or Round Robin Forum so I have half a chance of getting some of those lovely colors back! LOL! I'll use this post to let you know when signups start and to identify the new thread for you, so try to keep it on watch status, ok?
I'm trying to find the most efficient way to give you back good stuff for the junk you send me, and I'm not sure how to go about it. DylanCGC (Peggy) types up all the packs and posts it for people to look at, but I really don't like typing too well :)
I will have to limit quantities to 5 of a kind
Limit packs back to 100 per person
Herbs ok, No Veggies, No Shrubs or Trees.
Really Limit the commonest seeds to 2 packs:
Morning Glories: Ipomoea purpurea & Ipomoea tricolor
Rudbeckia fulgida and Rudbeckia triloba
Datura
Nicotiana sylvestris
Liatris
Cleome
Four O Clock's (except Broken Colors)
maybe Purple Coneflower, but I will probably take all those and send them down to the Texas butterfly ladies who have large properties where they'd like to grow them. If you want to send yours down to them, just add them in.
---> help me expand this list, I forget what they were in the last swap.
*If you want any of those listed above, please let me know!*
The good news is, you don't need to add height or color since these may or may not be seeds from plants you've grown yourself.
If you can think of anything that would make it better, especially on a swap of leftovers, please let me know, or post here.... no rush. Have a.....
Merry Christmas!
Suzy
This message was edited Dec 23, 2007 2:17 AM
Suzy, will do. Have a very merry Christmas and enjoy having your kids at home!
Hi Suzy! You continue to amaze me. If I come up with any ideas, I'll certainly post them here.
Question (I didn't see the answer in your post, so apologies if it was there and I missed it) - Are "Last Chance" swap seeds limited to fresh 2007 seeds (or only seeds from our fresh seed swap)?
We can do whatever is easiest for you Suzy. I for one, can easily figure out some way to make the pkgs I send in unique! Make polka dots on them or something! LOL.
Thanks, for the reminder, Gram. I was just thinking this will be the last year of the two week Christmas at home for all of us. :((
Wrightie, No, They can be old -- to 2005 if they're unusual, and not Delphinium or Larkspur or Lily (the only ones I know for sure lose viability). 2006 & 2007 otherwise. Any source. Leftover commercial, yuccky swap stuff, garden, trades, I can't think of any other sources, but if you can think of them, they're in!
Cat, Excellent idea! I'll just say that if a person wants to make sure she doesn't get back the same exact packs, she has to mark them with a defining emblem or marking. Of course if everybody sends in Hollyhocks, everybody gets Hollyhocks back, just not the same ones you sent in. LOL!
Suzy
This message was edited Dec 23, 2007 1:39 PM
Sign me up :-)
sign me up, too. anyone want some seed viability charts? -
http://faculty.matcmadison.edu/mchristoffel/plants/seeds/viability.htm
http://www.hillgardens.com/seed_longevity.htm
These could only be used as an guide, I think - probably lots of variables that could result in seeds being more or less viable than information on these lists.
Thanks - it's great to know I can order some seeds and not feel obligated to sow them all in one year - especially annuals like petunias and snapdragons
LOL, bluespiral - I hand my link crown to you, with a flourish!!!
Pagancat, let's "do" links in a couple of weeks - share them on the other thread on this forum and perhaps you or someone could walk me through on how to set up and format a blog on DG.
But, right now, I'm under pressure to provide some links in a more complex organizational manner to another forum for a sticky - that has to come first.
ps - another great source of seed viability times is http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/ . They are in some of the individual plant descriptions.
Do you mean a garden journal? I'm not sure where else you would put up a blog, unless you mean off of DG, and then it's pretty easy. I will gladly help you out if I can!
*sigh*
I wish they would just do FAQs instead of this sticky stuff. Ah well, whatever works, I guess.
DG has both journal and blog (used to be called a diary) features available. I think it's a nice way to collect or develop information, ideas or whatever you think some other gardener would enjoy or appreciate.
Have you seen Tabasco's? rjuddharrison has a great one, too. I haven't taken the time to explore as much as I would like. There's another one by someone with an Asian name where every entry is presented as poetry - another favorite of mine.
Suzy, your doing ANOTHER one too??? After this??
SGL, Yes!!!! I have a lot of seeds to get rid of. LOL! I've even been saving 3# coffee cans since the 1 pounders were bordering on too small.
Don't you have a bunch of seeds to get rid of, switch out?
Oh, I always forget -- I might need more than other people because I have annual gardens, not perennial gardens. About three years ago, I surprised and amazed all my (local) friends by getting rid of all my perennials. Some of the plants didn't have much of a root system for the amount of top growth, but I started taking these big clumps of perennials to garden club-type meetings for the door prizes, and I pretty much started over, but used annuals instead. They bloom all summer long and there is an amazing variety when you consider all the tender perennials we grow as annuals in the north. You can switch out the colors -- one year this, and one year that. Last year was oranges and reds and scarlets, and this year I am moving away from the oranges and using burgundy and red in the big bed. That way, if any reseed, it will still "go". Out of self preservation, I will probably have to drop scarlet and go toward a dark cherry red and dark pink for 2009.
SGL, I was just thinking yesterday after seeing the picture of your kids, how much my Christmasses have changed in a measley 15 years. I was so stressed out when the kids were little...trying to keep the packages and toys a secret, and still getting them all wrapped. Trying to get the house cleaned up and all the work done. (I host the extended family Christmas dinner). I do not miss those days one little bit! (Oh, okay, maybe one little teensy bit, but life is a lot easier when you can ask your kids to set the dining room table, run to the store for a quickie pick up, and to help you wrap presents!)
Merry Christmas!
Suzy
Merry Christmas everyone
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has a great one!
I have to share I am so excited! I'm getting to see my grandson this year for the first time in almost 10 years! He's a big 14 years old now, this is going to be a wonderful Christmas for me!
And I'll join your other swap when it is ready and I have some perennial seeds to get rid of :) I just can't imagine a yard full of annuals lol Must be beautiful! And a lot of work, yikes!
Merry Christmas!
Suzy, it's good to be your friend.. with all the seeds you come by and share!! :) Yes, I have some things I might not grow. Parks seeds are here :) Merry Christmas to me. (and you all too!!)
I try not to get stressed out about Christmas and made a decision to set priorities and plan ahead as much as possible for my own mental health. I had to hurry and hide a new kids bike in my workshop off the garage and told DH about it and locked the door.. It was supposed to be a from Santa gift and the other was already hidden in the attic.. So my DH goes in there to get something and just tells the oldest (who is standing nearby??!!) not to come in there while the doors ajar.....uggghhhhhh.... and of course he comes close by and saw the bike.. and my husband says we can play it off by putting one of their old bikes in there and play it off like that was the one in there the whole time.. And I had to tell Dh that they aren't mentally deficient just becasue they are kids.. :) So the next day, my oldest told me what he saw and I had to tell him that sometimes parents do a bad job hiding gifts and that we might have got them some bikes this year and we will have to wait and see.. ... oh well, it will still be special tomorrow morning. We put cookies out for Santa at night and it's so sweet to see them look at the plate in the morning :)
My oldest wanted video games and I went back and forth on it and I opted to not this year.. I want them to be active outside and play and I just don't need to fight with him about getting off those games for as long as I can hold off. I already have to battle for time on my own computer. No can do.
Susan
Wonderful Lebug :) have a great day :)
Thanks Soulgardenlove! It's been a long time coming and I am so happy!
I miss those days of putting the cookies out for Santa :) Those were the best times!
Am enjoying everyones' Christmases past and present - wonderful news about having your grandson today, LeBug; SGL - hopefully if I hang around here long enough, some of your "planning ahead" abilities will rub off; and -
Suzy! you certainly don't hide seeds *away* from us - received your seeds for this swap yesterday and my goodness - I was happy to get some I chose and the rest were perfect. In the hubbub of a cottage garden, I often find that as some plants grow up, the only way they actually cover the dirt out of which they are growing is to grow up to a certain latitude and then make a crash landing over the neighbors. This is precisely why "socks" (plants that carpet the ground) were *invented*, and you sent quite a few low things that will carpet the ground right up to the bases of local "skyscrapers". Hopefully this coming summer the only bare ground will be in the paths - many thank you's.
Wishing everyone here a very special Christmas day.
Karen
Suzy, you sneaky Christmas seed Santa, you. I got the Swa-op seeds yesterday! A very merry Christmas to me...something to put in my stocking :0) Thank you so much!! all that stuff about putting them away until after...and I believed every bit of it.
Wishing you all a very wonderful and happy day, however you choose to spend it!
P*E*A*C*E
~ jan
Just want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS, hope all of your wishes come true today :)
It's going to be a nice day to get out in the garden today and do some cleaning, we aren't having our Christmas dinner until Thursday but I might get to see my grandson this evening when I take their presents over there for today, I'm hoping anyway...
Maybe I'll get my seeds Wed. I sure hope so :)
Wow, the seeds are already on the way?! She's amazing, that woman...
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Oh my gosh - this is the best Christmas ever! Just think - nice surprises still to come! Thanks Suzy!
Merry Christmas!!
Now, I want you all to know -- I didn't lie; I really did get an email that the order shipped on Friday, then much to my amazement, the seeds were in the mailbox that same day! I think that might have been some seeds that Wind and I were getting that were backordered.
Meanwhile, what you didn't know, is that I placed 2 orders so I could get a staggered delivery. So, I had a good start on the first half before the second half arrived.
Dryad, I'll either get these over to you tonight or I'll have them here for a Wednesday pickup.
Hope everybody had (is having) a great day!
Suzy
Suzy, we had a wonderful Christmas in addition to the fact that I surprisingly got my seeds from you on Christmas eve as well! Was that Suzy's Santa magic or what?? I am planning my beds now for a wonderful season of flowers.. Winter just doesn't hold the same gloominess now that I garden.. it's just the halftime break!...and much needed rest!
:)
Susan
Hi everyone - and belated Merry Christmas! We were out of town visiting my sis and her family, and just got back last night. Suzy, when I didn't hear from you over the weekend I figured you were up to something :-) Give me a buzz and let me know when would be good for me to come by and swap $ for seeds - my sister's having surgery today, and I need to pick her up afterward, so noon-ish won't be good, but otherwise....
It's good to read the special things that everyone got to do/is getting to do - and the family we all get to see, VERY exciting for us all - and then Suzy's Seeds on top of it, well.....
Robin
Lawdy, Lawdy, I just received my seeds! What a great selection!
Thank you so much, Suzy, you continue to amaze me. Love your labeling style, too!
Merry Christmas - again!
I got mine too!! Thank you so much!!!
Suzy you did a great job picking my seeds out I love every one of them, thank you so much! That had to be a lot of work doing those labels really appreciate your efforts on this great swap, can't wait for the next one I'll be there :)
I want to thank seandor and bluespiral for putting those viability chart links up too, that information is going to come in real handy with Suzy's next swap and for personal use, thank you! They answered a couple of questions I had the other day going thru seeds, mighty handy!
And I got to see my grandson Christmas evening, GREAT CHRISTMAS! He gave me a big hug and I cried like a baby lol
Oh, I am so happy, Lea -- I was worried -- wasn't sure whether to ask or not. So, sounds like he was an ok kid since he gave you a hug and all. -- can never tell about those teenage boys ;)