Think Spring! Seed Swaps and more for Feb 23 Tea Party

Here's our official Swap Thread for the "Think Spring!" Tea Party at my place on Saturday, Feb. 23.

See this thread for party planning details: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/804976/#new

It's not necessary to bring seeds to swap. It's certainly not necessary to bring plants -- but I know some people have a few they wanted to trade around. I've got plenty of extra seeds to go around, too (no trade needed). I may list them at some point, or I may just present a surprise selection on party day. :-)

If you want to list what you have so you can see what people are interested in or pre-arrange some trades, this is the place to do it.

You can also just bring what you have along to the party and do your trading on the spot.

It'll really help if you have your seeds in labeled packets... I often use little zip top baggies from the WalMart craft department (100 for 99cents) with a slip of paper inside that has my DG name, the plant name (common and Latin name for easy lookup), and growing information like height, sun requirements, etc. More information makes trading faster and easier.

OK... let's swap some seeds! :-)

I have plenty of Cassia marilandica (hardy to zone 6), and will check my stash to see what else I have. I will bring plastic ziploc baggies (small ones) & stickon labels. Hope the weather is ok. I may bring some plants, too.

The date change makes it highly unlikely that I will make it, *sigh*, but I have been holding some seeds to the side for this swap, so I'll try to send them along for anyone interested in them.

As I mentioned on one of the other threads, despite having such a stuffed seed drawer, there are still some seeds I'm going to have to order this spring. I'm pretty sure I'm going to need 'Gypsy' hybrid sweet pepper, although it looks like I'm OK on my other must-have pepper, 'Carmen'.

If anybody else is interested in ordering from Tomato Growers Supply or Pinetree, please Dmail me, and maybe we can order together. TGS has bigger packet of pepper seeds that could save us a bit, plus we'd be able to save on shipping. I'm amazed at how many places have gone to minimum shipping charges of $6-8, even for just a pack or two of seeds!

TGS: http://www.tomatogrowers.com/index.html

Pinetree: http://www.superseeds.com/default.php

So far, my biggest "must have" from Pinetree is Pineapple Tomatillo. I've grown them in the past, but I'm out of seeds and gave away what turned out to be the last of my saved ones... Anybody have them in their stash? :-)

Jill I've so been waiting for you to start this thread. Need some Italian Basil seeds. I was absolutely lazy in the fall about collecting seeds, so won't have much in return. I'm afraid I'll feel like a beggar, but pride/shmide. Will cook for seeds!

I've just been working on my basil seeds! I'll have plenty of Italian basil.

I do need to know how many people want "dibs" on other varieties of basil seed, so I know how many to put up for other trade or SASBE offers... I often have a couple of extra plants available in spring, but if you want more than a couple, you'll have to start them yourself! (Basil can be direct sowed once the weather warms up, also.)

Italian Genovese type -- seeds originally from Italy, my absolute favorite for pesto and sauces
Sicilian Basil -- another good culinary variety, without the anise note of the Genovese
Cinnamon Basil -- spicy flavor, a nice "edible ornamental"
Sprite Mix -- Lemon and Lime Basils, two distinctly different plants but the seeds got mixed together while drying
Thai Basil -- nice in stir fry, several generations out from 'Siam Queen' & the blooms are a little smaller but still lovelyIf
‘Minette’ Basil -- tiny leaves, nicely rounded very compact form
Purple Basil -- deep purple stems and foliage. Not sure of the variety.

If I find some other basils in my stash, I'll edit this post & list them here also... :-)

OK, who is ordering seeds??

It looks like I'll have to order from Parks, because Mom wants Polka Dot plants again for her containers, and there are a couple other things I might "need" as long as I'm ordering...

Wrightie, they do have some nice looking Poppies -- check out their Thai Silk Mix! I think I saw Flemish Antique and Peony poppies there, too.

Sally has me covered on the Pineapple Tomatillo, so I may resist placing a Pinetree order. But Park's doesn't have Gypsy peppers on their list, so I'm still looking at TGS.

Is this too confusing? Should I move the catalog stuff to another thread and save this thread for swapping?

Jill,

Have you ever seen a BLUE Poppy? I mean--true blue!

Here's picture I took of one in a Garden surrounding the Lowell Thomas Gallery outside of Homer, Alaska. I was there in 2006--my sister lives there.
MAN! Do the gardens grow beautifully there!!!!! They may have hot days, but the nights get cool. I think plants really love that--kind of to take a breather.

Here's the picture!

Here's another shot of it. I have NO idea of the name of it.

Gita, that is a meconopsis aka Himalayan Blue Poppy. I have seeds. Somewhere around here I have a couple posts on threads about them. Probably on the poppy forum. I am ready to move back up North just to be able to grow them successfully, I love them so much!

You know you've made Wrightie drool all over her keyboard!

I've tried winter sowing and direct sowing poppies, only got a few stunted plants... I think I may just have too much sun for them here. I should probably give away any seeds I have left. Hmm, most of them might have ended up in a "mixed" baggie with some sand, let me check the fridge to see... nope, I've still got a pretty fair selection.

Shirley Poppy (P. rhoeas)
Mix from pepsidrinker
Double Salmon
Double Choice mix (Martha Stewart)

Opium/Breadseed poppy (P. somniferum)
mix from sjms
"Large Lavender Poppy" from Fedco (organic)
single pink w/white dots from WZ (very few)
Heirloom mix from WZ (few)
Double lavender from WZ (very few)
"Red Poppy" from Susan51
Mix from gardengirl1204
"pink tones"
"pink with purple throat"

misc. packets
Flanders Field Poppies
'Laurens Grape' Poppy
Peony Poppy Mix -- dark purple & dark red
"mixed frilled poppy seeds"



This message was edited Jan 19, 2008 1:54 PM

I'd be interested in the somniferums in particular, maybe some others.

What are you in the market for, besides peppers, Jill? (I don't have the peppers that you requested)

Hmm... I'm considering Vincas for the front beds, may order 'Burgundy Halo' unless I'm convinced that the new (and costly) Cora hybrids are really "all that." I'd like to try Nemesia for the scent (supposed to be fragrant like coconut) -- have had trade seeds in the past that didn't germinate. Maybe Pentas ('New Look Violet' is a nice one).

I can always use shorter plants, especially perennials or reseeding annuals that I can direct-sow out in an attempt to make the mini-orchard area look more presentable (waging a war against Johnson grass out there). But there are so many seeds in my stash that there's not a lot I'm really searching for right now.

You don't need to come up with a trade to get dibs on the poppies. :-) I'd be happy to have them go to somebody who can get them to grow. Down the line, when the fruit trees are big enough to provide them with a little shade, I may try again -- and I'll come to you for seed!

Nemesia, Nemesia, Nemesia ... not sure if I have any or not, but I'll take a look later today and let you know.

I don't think I've grown pentas - do they go by another name by any chance?

aka "Star Flowers" http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/239/ The 'New Look' series are dwarf varieties. Despite the comment in PF, butterflies like 'em just fine.

I just realized I may be between French classes on February 23, so it looks as if I can come early after all!! Hooray!

Oh, thank you -- I believe that I was drooling over those in one of my catalogues. I need to figure out which one that was. :) I've never grown them!

The Pentas seeds from Parks come in packs of 20 (pelleted, I think)... assuming good germination, that should be more than I can use...

wrightie,

I buy a few Pentas every year. They are the "Premium Annuals" and run between $2-$3 a 4" pot. I love them as much as I love Heliotropes--both bloom really late into the Fall. I believe Pentas come in pink, white and red. Yes?

Thanks for ID'in the Blue Poppy. Also--I know that in the state of Washington, as well as in Homer (AK), Nemesias are fairly common. I believe there just are plants that like it cooler than we all have here. I envy the WA and OR gardens!!!!!

Jill,
I have a lot of seeds from Tall Ageratum. They self seed like crazy! Once you have them--you will always have them. Last Spring, I even applied "Preen" all over my front bed in an attempt to control them. They still came up!
How would these be for your "Mini Orchard" area?

:o(......I still have not made my "haves" list of seeds.........Hanging my head in shame....

Gita

Jill:

I'm drooling over all your different varieties of Basil! Do you also have any culinary Thyme? Whatcha looking for???

Those Pentas are beau-ti-ful!!!

Pentas are almost continually in bloom as long as they are regularly deadheaded. They are a favorite of the black and yellow varieties of swallowtail butterfly. They are easily started from cuttings. I'm new on DG, so I just had to have something to say.

LOL, welcome to the mix, Pam!

You know, now that you describe them as "premium annuals", Gita, I realize that I have grown them for containers. DUH. I just didn't know what they were called because I purchased them at HD and they had the generic "4 inch Annuals" label instead of a real ID. LOL I knew that they looked familiar!

Pam! Welcome! I hope your posting on this thread means you're considering coming up for the swap. Er... how far away is Charlottesville? Hmm, couple hundred miles... well, Frederick is a nice place for a weekend getaway, lots of neat little antique stores in the old part of town in addition to nice local nurseries, or you could spend Sunday romping through the museums on the DC mall...

Shirley, I don't grow thyme from seed because most of the good culinary cultivars are propagated from cuttings. I often have starter plants to share in spring or summer... I do have one seed-grown creeping english-type thyme that tastes pretty good, about 6 inches tall, spreads nicely... depending on the weather, we might be able to get a piece up for you to take home. (This is not me volunteering, so much... this is me offering to point and send you outside with a digging tool and a baggie, LOL

Gita, I appreciate the offer. I'm not a big fan of ageratum as a bedding plant, but actually I'll bet it would be more to my liking mixed in with other flowers for a "wildflower meadow" look. How tall is tall? Plants out there really should be under 18 inches... Jim would prefer under 12, but that's not realistic, unless I just go with clover...

Well, Jill

These are very robust growers. They are not the tiny, clumping kind people p[lant in their borders, yet the flowers are exactly the same. I guess they might be about 14-16" tall and they can get about 12" wide.
I DO like them! I just don't like that, once they sprout, they end up taking everything else in that bed over. Like--CHOKE! Then, I am talking about a small 6' circular bed in front of my house. If you wanted to "natuarlize" them, then they would fit right in.

Gotta start getting ready. There's a party i am going to tonight.....Woo--Hoooo

Gita

Welcome Pam! I love Charlottesville -- and if Monticello is an indicator, you must have wonderful growing conditions and a beautiful garden. I hope we get to hear all about it at Critter's!

Does anyone want any cactus seeds? I have NO clue what type they are...

LOL... I nearly added some to my list from the Parks catalog... I've got to make up a plan, though, and make sure there's enough room on my heat mats for all these little goodies... I do start most things in little seed starting trays/containers and then transplant to cell packs and pots, or I'd never have enough space for things that need a warm start!

Oh, and not to blow my own horn, but in case anybody is wondering where to start with this whole seed starting stuff... Last Thursday's article was on setting up lights, next Thursday will be about seedling heat mats & DIY alternatives, and Groundhog's Day (2/2) article is an introduction to winter sowing. :-)

I read your article.. I think that was the day I signed up for all of DG's suff.

I found out that my local southern states has peet pots and I can get 1000 for $30.00, which I will do in two week! :)

Has anyone ordered the 50 pack of herb seeds from Artistic gardens?

I ordered a bunch of cell packs and trays off of ebay last year. I think it's going to take me another five years to use them all up -- I got a great deal though. I used to use peat pots, but gave them up when I bought all of these market packs.

I'm glad if I helped convince you this is a great place to hang!

No clue about Artistic gardens... do you have a link?

I love Southern States, but peat pots are another story. I think people either love 'em or hate 'em. I'm not saying don't use them, but here are a couple of tips... Most plants can't really push their roots through the sides of the pots, so when you plant out, be sure to tear or break apart the sides & bottom of the pot a little so the roots can expand into the surrounding soil. Be certain to bury (or remove) the top rim of the peat pot. If it's exposed, it seems to wick water to evaporate above the soil line, drying out the plant's rootball. Sometimes they get mold or algae growing on them while you're growing the seedlings -- no big deal, you can spritz with peroxide water or something if it bothers you -- but don't count on them holding up for more than 6 or 8 weeks. I tried starting impatiens or something in them once that needed a 12 week head start, and they just collapsed.

I like plastic "sheet pots" aka cell pack inserts for trays. I use either 48 cell ones or deep 36 cell ones (about the same as a 2 inch nursery pot), depending on how big the plant will get before I plant it out.

Just throwing it out "here" but if anyone has/getting etc. some of those Zombie Zinnias...please let me know. Jill that purple Basil sounds pretty...anyone in need of Morning Glory seeds?

Where do you get the trays from.. I have never used any of them... I was trying to save stuff and my hubby, who is a neat freak was having fits.. I would not mind the plastic if I can reuse them.

I thought that the peet pots would be the best thing to use because of a few articles that I read...

Here is the link.. https://www.artisticgardens.com/catalog/

if you search on seed starting in the garden section of ebay, you will get numerous hits, http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?ht=1&from=R4&satitle=seed+starting&sacat=11700%26catref%3DC6

Gardener's supply is another site worth checking out: http://www.gardeners.com/

Someone else (don't remember where I saw it) used the florist green stuff to keep her plants fresh for caterpillars and they rooted. Was wondering about giving those a try to start seeds - setting them in a container of water ($1 store baking pans etc. Apparently you just plant the entire thing. Anyone heard and/or have thoughts on this?

My thought is that I'm sticking with my potting mix, because it works. :-)

I got tired of the flimsy black plastic flats (especially when they got less sturdy, and the price went over 99 cents at DPF), so I invested in Perma Nest Trays last year... love them! You can find them at Park's... sturdy green plastic, and the cell pack inserts fit nicely in the big ones. I got my 36 cell inserts in bulk from B&T grower's supply, and I get the 48 cell ones at DPF (Dutch Plant Farm)... might order up a case of those this year, though.

Is there interest in the cell pack inserts? I can look into splitting up a case (I know I'll eventually use the extras)... there are a lot of seeds I won't be starting until March (that still gives me 12 weeks before planting out around Memorial Day), so picking them up on Feb. 23 might work out for folks. I'll get back with prices. I know shipping is more from everybody this year it seems, but they'll probably still be cheaper than buying them 1 at a time (and I can't find the deep ones locally anyway).

Raising hand....i'd be interested...me, me me!!!

Chantell, are you interested in the same sizes -- the 48 cell inserts and the deeper 36 cell ones? I'll be back with a link as soon as I find it...

Ummmm I have no idea what I'm interested in...I just know i have A LOT of seeds that I'd like to do something with

What are they.... UGH I have so much to learn,,

Chantell I am going to come and steal some of your Persian Lilac. I have a french Lilac in my front yard. I love it.