Think Spring! Lunch & Seed Swap, Sat. February 21

Hi everyone - I am fairly new to the forum. It's a great way to 'garden' in the winter. Would love to join you at the seed swap. It'll be my first one. Looking forward to seeing and talking to lots of folks who love plants and gardening.

Hooray! Froggy, I'm looking forward to meeting you. You're right, a party like this is a great way to "talk plants" with folks whose eyes won't glaze over when you want to chat about your cuttings or your landscape plans!

Oh the joy of not stopping every five minutes to explain yourself or think- nobody here knows what that is but me...

Hey folks, tulip bulbs in the fridge. The rest of the iris will be planted in moist wood shavings in a big pot & put outside in a protected area. See you 2/21/09.

Critter, can you post directions on how to get to the DPF and Chef Lins? I have this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=0,0,16938849000733789348&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&dq=Dutch+Plant+Farm,+Frederick,+Md&daddr=151+Baughmans+Ln,+Frederick,+MD+21702&geocode=4045281526419773012,39.418809,-77.437846&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=directions-to

But can't seem to find the streets: Jefferson & Baughmans Lane.

Thanks, Buttoneer

I'll be adding directions to the top post in plenty of time for the swap, not to worry. :-)

I worry!!!!! LOLOLOLOL.

You'd worry more if I tried to post directions tonight... Nutmeg & I packed peppers all afternoon, and I'm fried!

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. LOL and on that note a good night to all.

I got lost last year even with the directions and so did the driver I was following. LOL After zigging and zagging we stumbled into the right place. I assure you the computer generated map was not up to date. Close though. Close enough for an old antiquer hunting a musty old attic on a back road was good enough in the final effort.

Boy- we went to WV a few years ago, Not far in, just up near Morgantown I think, the upper corner of a national forest, came down from Hagerstown MD. But we got off the main road and hubby said- well, they might not have all these roads on the map...One cornfield looks surprisingly like another, and cannot get your bearings.!
I used to navigate for Dad on family trips, although now I realize he knew exactly where we were going anyway. But I liked understanding the map. But they can be confusing if you have no idea of the scale of things. NOT that I'm accusing doc or his leader of being confused about the map- some people prefer one web map to another, maybe thats what they've seen, ---up to dateness.

All I did was go to Mapquest & type in the address from my home to DPF (from last year's thread) , then typed in the address from DPF to Chef Lins and printed both out and put in a plastic sleeve and its going in my car. I won't have any problems at all. Critter, don't forget to DMAIL us with your Cell Phone number again in case we get lost. Thanks.

Last year, we relied on mapquest. This year, we will supplement with written directions for the last little bit... finding your way through those interchanges can be confusing. I'll post a link to these directions at the top of the thread, also.

Jim (DH) helped me with these directions, because he's better with left & right than I am. I'll Dmail out my cell phone again, so people can get in touch.

* * * DIRECTIONS * * *

The restaurant is in Prospect Plaza, at 417 S. Jefferson St,near a nest of interchanges where 15, 340, 40, and 270 all come together. This makes it both easy to get to from different directions, and hard to describe. :-) McDonalds is at the front of the Plaza, easy to spot. Chef Lin is toward the center of this strip mall.

Combine these directions with a look at the map! http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=417+S+Jefferson+St,+Frederick,+Frederick,+Maryland+21701&sll=39.40377,-77.416792&sspn=0.027788,0.073643&g=417+S+Jefferson+St,+Frederick,+Frederick,+Maryland+21701&ie=UTF8&ll=39.409258,-77.428894&spn=0.006947,0.018411&z=16&iwloc=addr

From the north, coming down 15 South. Get off at the Jefferson Street exit, turning LEFT (going east). Cross over the highway, and Prospect Plaza will be immediately on your LEFT (turn LEFT at the light).

From the south, along 15-340 North (the two highways merge together just south of Frederick): Stay on 340. (Don't get off onto 15 North when it diverges.) 340 more or less becomes Jefferson Street. Keep left. You'll cross the bridge over the highway, and then turn LEFT at the light into Prospect Plaza.

From the south, along 270N (coming up from the DC beltway): Get off at the Jefferson Street exit and turn RIGHT at the end of the ramp (east onto Jefferson). Make an immediate LEFT at the next light to turn into Prospect Plaza.

From the east (Baltimore), you'll be on 70 West. Take exit 53b, 15 North. Take the first exit onto Jefferson Street. Turn RIGHT at the end of the ramp (east onto Jefferson). Make an immediate LEFT at the next light to turn into Prospect Plaza.

From the west: you'll be on 70 East. Take the exit for 15 North. You're now on 15-340. Stay on 340. (Don't get off onto 15 North when it diverges.) 340 more or less becomes Jefferson Street. Stay to the left. You'll cross the bridge over the highway, and then turn left at the light into Prospect Plaza.

From Dutch Plant Farm, at 151 Baughmans Lane. Turn LEFT onto 40 East. Take the first RIGHT onto 15 South. Take the first exit, Jefferson Street. Turn LEFT onto Jefferson Street, cross over the highway, and then turn LEFT at the light into Prospect Plaza.

Dutch Plant Farm is off "the Golden Mile," highway 40, W Patrick St. At the corner of 40 and Baughman's Lane, there's a shopping center with a JoAnn's. DPF is just behind the shopping center. Coming from 15 onto 40W, you'd turn RIGHT at the first light onto Baughmans Lane and then take the 2nd entrance on the LEFT into DPF. (The 1st left is the side entrance into the shopping plaza.)

Link to DPF location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=151+Baughmans+Lane,+Frederick,+Maryland+&sll=39.419934,-77.437627&sspn=0.006945,0.018411&g=151+Baughmans+Lane,+Frederick,+Maryland+21701&ie=UTF8&ll=39.41995,-77.437842&spn=0.006945,0.018411&z=16&iwloc=addr

We didn't have any trouble last year that I remember. I think we passed Dutch Farm and had to turn around or something like that, but no real trouble. What was handy was directions back to Dutch Farms from the restaurant as we went back there to pick up our plants.

Here's directions and a map from googlemaps, for going the other direction between the restaurant and the nursery: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=417+S+Jefferson+St,+Frederick,+MD+21701&daddr=151+Baughmans+Ln,+Frederick,+MD&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=39.418809,-77.437846&sspn=0.012234,0.015857&g=151+Baughmans+Ln,+Frederick,+MD&ie=UTF8&ll=39.411711,-77.432177&spn=0.012235,0.015857&z=16

Nice goin, Jill. How did you highlight it? There must be a place where you can do that. I printed out the directions & the map & should have no problem. I'm batchin it behind the wheel this trip.

Got the maps......Think we will not get off to visit the greenhouses. That is where we got tangled up last year. It now appears we pass the intersection of 15 S and 40 staying on 15 S. making a left onto S. Jefferson. It is going to be to cold to move anything back home with us anyway. We still have six inches of snow with more on the way Monday to Wednesday. No way will be be thawed out by the 21st. this year.

DPF is worth a stop, I think, even if you're only browsing through as though it's a conservatory. I like the parrots. And it was Feb when I found my great little grumpy garden gnome there!

Off topic- I cannot look at or drive past that South street exit without remembering an event from several years ago. I took my three kids to visit my aunt in Cumberland. COurse we had a day of activity, and didn't get on the road as soon as I'd have liked, then the almost three hour drive home. Youngest was about five. Around Frederick, He had to "go' I mean "go" It was dark, unfamiliar with the area. But I figured, take the next exit and find a gas station, easy. Next exit was South street which is an industrial area. Here's me and three kids suddenly on a dark creepy deserted road with a few industrial buildings.....eeeeeeeeeeee. I could feel three sets of huge wide open eyes behind me, my kids...I turned around and got back to the road!!!!!!!!!!!!Not much scares me but I didn't like that.
Fortunately next exit had a Mini mart kind of place. WHEW Never so glad to see neon, high priced snack foods, and a semi clean restroom.
And while we were lingering near the restroom waiting for the little guy to be done, a British girl comes along and asks- Is there a queue? IThat sticks in my mind too!)
OK, that s it for tonights edition of Sallys random memories

That is a strange little exit... but Southern States is on South Street, and Frederick Brickworks used to be there too, so I do venture out that way!

Bec_No_Va I was just re-reading this thread and saw your post. I would love to adopt one of your caudiforms. Critter, I have some stuff for your door prizes - I'll dmail you later with details.

Hi Critter: I would love to come to the seed swap and will bring a neighbor friend. I've been talking to her about Dave's Garden people and this will be the perfect opportunity for her to meet you guys. You may not remember me but I came to Hart's place a couple of years ago and had a great time. I'm really looking forward to this. Betty

Hooray! It'll be great to see you again -- and to meet your friend! (We'll bring her into the fold. :-)

Critter - make sure DPF brings back Orchids :-)

Froggy - I'll bring a "fatplant" for you :-) Bringing some for Buttoneer as well - and I'll bring one for a door price :-)

Becky, are you into Epiphyllums?

Nope, not at all :-) This years obse..., I mean passion, is orchids and fragrants :-)

Ok. Just curious. I know you had caucie's. I believe gita is into epi's, though.

Does somebody need epis? I've got a 'Queen of the Night' and a smaller unknown one that I think is supposed to bloom pink (according to my recollection from the person who shared these cuttings with me). Both plants are large enough to spare a couple of cuttings.

I have queen of the night. Did you get your pink from Wren107 by any chance?

That Queen of the night goes back (oh my) 55 years or more. It was my Mom's plant and I can remember when I was a little girl, that she would bring it into the basement when it had a bud about to open, invite the entire neighborhood and set up chairs and make refreshments and we'd all sit there & talk & watch the bloom open around midnight. I remember one elderly person say that the interior of the flower reminded her of a Church with pews & Pastor. The local newspaper even did an article about it. Well, I kept this plant in the E. Window of our Television store and when we closed the store in 1998, took the plant home & put it in the greenhouse. Keep in mind now, I never repotted the plant and only watered it when it was dry. Last year, it really looked terrible, so I repotted it & hung it up & it is growing like a weed. I sure hope I can get it to bloom once again because it is so happy now. Years ago, I would collect plants & was too busy to give them the care they really needed, that is, until I retired. My hands are dirty all the time, so I scrub them with an old toothbrush. I have rubber gloves, but you know, gardeners love getting their hands dirty. Anyway, a little bit of trivia about that one. We called the plant the night blooming Cereus.

Buttoneer,

LOL! I am NOT "into" Eppies--It is just that I got cuttings, for 3 of them, several years ago from someone in CA. These are the only 3 I still have--Four--if you count my Ric-Rac Cactus as one--even theough it is in the "Orchid Cactus" family.
One of the red Epis has bloomed for me--beautiful blooms--the other two have not...yet.

Counting the many rooted and unrooted cuttings I have shared over the years, and the beautiful bloom pictures I have posted--I can see why one would assume that I am "into" Epis. Just being a good "surrogate Mom" to that which has been given me. And--we ALL know about propagating every little trimming and stem....don't we?

I am bringing a well-rooted, white, NBC for the Gift table. Hope whoever gets it can get it to bloom. I have never seen it bloom...yet....I think I am not giving it proper growing maintenance.
Whoever holds the next "Plant Swap"--I should have several more rooted cuttings to bring. Will it be Holly?
Gita

Yes Gita we are planing, too. I guess we will be putting up an interest thread next week to see what will dates will work. I think there may be a few other swaps in the planing process as well. I hope you all won't be too disappointed thought. My gardens aren't extensive and anything worth looking at has already been photographed and posted in a thread. LOL

Are you kidding? I'd drive up to Pennsylvania just to see your potting shed!

Amen, happy...amen

Me too........There has been flat out excess hard work making all those pretty beds. A picture does not make a thousand words if a date works out for me. I wanna see too.

LOL, Well we have a lot of Hard-scape to look at, I know how much you all love Rocks, and little tiny starter plants. There may even be a new trellis over the driveway. I asked Ric if he thought there was any chance of getting it up before the Wisteria flowers in the spring. He seemed to think that was doable. I will say that I love looking back at the before pics and see how much we have done in the last couple of years. Besides we love to have friends come and visit.

I think I'd like to come, too! I've been waiting to see if my job needed me back before the end of the month (I was laid off from my real estate job in November, but they say they want me back as soon as the market starts to pick up again). It doesn't look like that's going to happen, so I'm going to go ahead and make other plans. Being laid off sucks, but having my Saturdays free is awesome!

Kubileya - mercy, sorry to hear about your job but very happy you'll be able to join us!!!

Likewise! It's always good to look for that silver -- or maybe green? -- lining. I'm looking forward to meeting you! :-)

Jill--
As the numbers of people wanting to attend seem to be growing--I am wondering if we could eat in the restaurant part and use that small room in the back strictly for the Seed Swap?

Last year--it was pretty tight in there and most people did not get to really mingle and meet each other. One pretty much stayed where one sat down. I, for one, missed getting to interact with all the people I had gotten to "know" from posting on DG.

The restaurant did not seem all that crowded at this time of day--so I am wondering if we could all sit and eat at the back tables near the back room, and then move on back into the back room for the fun part?????

Would this be doable? Gita