This will be my first swap ever. Am getting so excited.... Today I need to go out and divide some things. Most of my things are hardy- they cane with me from New Jersey. This year they look a whole lot better than last year !!! I will be bringing a friend with me who also has never been to a swap. We'll be the two that look like kids in a candy store...oooooh i want one of those and one of those and oooooooh what is that... i need one of those and one of those...we'll be giddy just learning the name of some of the things grown here that we've always admired but didn't know what it was...

Since these swaps started and have been such a hit, I haven't really needed to attend any other plant swaps so I really don't know how other people run theirs. I like to think of the Raleigh Swaps as a garden club that regularily chit chats here on GardenWeb but meets face to face twice a year with the swaps(a spring and a fall swap).

We have a sort of loose structure and try to keep rules to a minimum. No one is under any pressure to bring a certain amount of any certain thing - everything is handled as a "do what you are most comfortable doing". Some people are looking for only certain plants or plants of a certain quality - the "Special Trades" mentioned on this thread keep that all organized. But we also do a General Swap where everything is piled on the picnic tables and we do a round robin approach to picking a plant. By this I mean that everyone steps away from the tables and I ring a bell - at the sound of the bell you get to race in and grab ONE plant and then leave the shelter and stash your plant in your little holding area. We do this over and over til someone starts to complain and then I move it up to 2 plants per bell ding. Eventually we end up in a free for all and people swoop in and take all the rest of the plants. The beauty of this approach is that everyone gets an equal chance to grab their favorites and in the end ALL the plants find homes. So far it has worked well for us and I am not interested in changing it.

I just want new swappers to not get too worked up about what they bring or how the system works. We are here to share and most of us are pretty flexible as well as propagating fools when it comes to plants - there is always an abundance of plants to choose from. No need to be shy about it - and if you miss out on something you can always continue to trade plants throughout the pot luck lunch or in the parking lot when the swap is over.

For those of you wondering how to advertise or promote your own swap or this swap - we get about 45 people at this swap twice a year which is plenty. I feel no need to bring in more but if more people show up they will not be turned away. I only promote this swap on GardenWeb simply because I don't want to have to repeat the rules and info over and over again to various groups and clubs. But, that doesn't mean that you have to be a GardenWeb member to participate - it just means that there is no contact person to relay info about the swap to. GardenWeb is the only official spot to get the details, who sees it and shows up is not my concern. Bring your friends and family and prepare to share.

Thanks John! I was wondering about those details. The free-for-all sounds like a lot of fun! I look forward to finding homes for all of my spare plants!! This will be my first swap, so I'll be the one looking really confused!

I'm so excited we have new swappers! TJ has made it so it is more than just getting plant for plant. It is meeting and getting to know fellow gardners and oh yeah eating! It is an open club which has twice yearly meetings. I have been able to learn so much from this group. I have also been able to try new plants that were way beyond my gardening realm. It is really neat to walk around my garden and see my "first" plants. They have grown and some have reached dividing stage. (Okay, I admit I have unintentionally killed plenty.) Shannon/Dirtrx

Hi everyone and welcome to the newbies. You'll never meet a nicer or more giving bunch of people than this gang.

The biggest problem you're going to have is figuring out where on earth you're going to put everything you bring home. Some of us even end up bringing things back that we grabbed the previous swap, takes a while to get it all in the ground! There was something I brought back in its original container last year (stop laughing John). Another time I had some kind of speckled cast iron plant for about 2 years. Two leaves a year was not my cup of tea, especially since I had to bring it in over winter, so I dug it up and brought it back. Someone pounced on it.
I've learned so much from so many, and hopefully passed along what little I know,... plus made new friends and my gardens have grown by leaps and bounds. So jump on in the water's fine and you're going to have a blast at the Spring Swap!

There is a term to describe the area we all have for those plants that we just cannot seem to find time or spot to plant. It's officially called a "pot ghetto." We all have 'em. The first step is to admit it.

I love it Brenda! The "pot ghetto". Yep, I admit it, and I've got more than one too.
And I've also brought back a plant from a previous swap - still in it's original container.
Dana

I am thinking of coming this time if I can get a garden buddy to come and gas share. I'm in Salisbury.
I haven't got too many plants to share which was putting me off, until I read above posts.
Clare

I guess I'll be one of the 'swap newbies' this spring. I've always had conflicts with past dates, but I think I've got this particular Sat worked out. Don't know if I'll be organized enough to venture over to the Special Trades postings. I've had so little garden time lately that I'm not sure what all is coming up out there yet. I'm looking forward to the general swapping, though, and should have plenty to bring.
Karen

Welcome karen_w - we like newbies and are happy you can join us unconflicted!

It is not necessary to participate in Special Trades - usually just us swap oldies get rabid about this time time of year and can't wait for the surprises of the laden tables of plants so we sling our droolings all over that thread to see if we can be assured of getting a plant we saw at a previous swap but missed out on getting during a bell ring round. If you read those two threads you can see what the oldies are bringing in addition to the Special Trades. And, it is a good way to note who has what so that you can drool and get rabid for the fall swap, or to set up a trade using their "See My Trade List" via "Send me an email" the rest of the year.

For really NEW newbies to trading you can do that by clicking on "My Page" next to their screen name in a post. You'll see the "See my trade list" and if you find something they have and you want you click on "Send me an email" and make arrangements to trade for something they have to offer in return for something you have that they want.

I've met other GW's that way who live within 10 to 30 miles of me that I wouldn't ever have met otherwise and had such fun trading in person! You can trade too by mailing stuff but you must consider the cost of shipping and how to do it (mostly without heavy dirt) so it's not D.O.A. versus how much that plant would cost if you just went to the nursery and bought it.

See you there on the 29th!

Nancy the nancedar

Nancy, thanks for the welcome. One problem for me with special trading at this point is not knowing if what's special to me would be special to anyone else. I've taken what I consider to be real goodies to swaps before and then had to do a sales job to get anyone to take them. Who knows, maybe I just like weird stuff. BTW, not to turn this into another special trades thread, but I saw Cornus Midwinter Fire on your trade list as 'in progress'. If you might have some available let me know. Then I'll most definitely head over to special trades and see if there's anything I can entice you with. Karen

Karen- from what I've seen of your posts I don't think you'd have to sell me on anything you'd be bringing. I love salvias and I know you do too. Heck, anything unusual could come home with me just to see if I could grow it! Glad you're planning on coming.

Shari

Karen's no newbie, though it's her 1st GW swap, and I'm glad lots of us are bringing lots of stuff for general swapping - can't wait, cuz you can never have enough plants. (As you can tell, I have fallen off the wagon and I'm back to step 1 of the 12 steps.)

Hi all! I live in Garner and I would love to come. I have no plants to share YET, possibly in the fall I will have a bunch of Iris. I am glad I found this forum and have a chance to learn more. Thanks Teresa

Well, Blossom, don't let having no plants to share yet stop you from coming - it is a swap, but just bring a very special blossom food dish and no one will notice.

Blossom, I live in Garner too. Would you like to ride with me? Let me know here, then we'll get in touch.

Sally - I look forward to finally meeting you.
Beth are you coming? Sure hope so.

All newbies - just remember you'll have to plant all the plants you take home. LOL Lots of us tend to do that and spend lots of time planting them. Make sure you put on a name tag so we get to know each other by name. Get to the food early. Lots of us go together somewhere after the swap - usually to nursery in Sanford. I don't go because my plant addiction gets out of control easily.

Most of us garden solo (I love the quiet and sounds of nature), so this forum and the swaps are a great way to be in touch with kindred spirits.

Did you know John won 1st prize at the Fair? He really knows his stuff.

I've missed 2 swaps due to knee surgery so I'm really excited to get to this one. See y'all there.

Jeanne

I gotta tell you all I was wandering around my yard yesterday and marveling at how far it has all come. I told dh (he was fixing a place for the berry plants I got from Tammy last spring!) that after years of work it's finally all coming together. Before it was just a vision of what I wanted to accomplish. Now I can see 'some' of the reality of it. Pretty AWESOME,.... and I owe much of it to all the great people I've come to know on here. Thanks All!

To anyone that might be sitting on the fence about whether or not they should come. Just make up your mind to do it, you won't regret it. I've known others that didn't have anything to share the 1st time around, and someone or several someones always adopts them and makes sure they find the things that will work for them as far as soil, amount of sun, care and so forth. It's what this is all about. Yes, some of us are big into the special trades but we also love sharing and passing on to those that are maybe just starting this wonderful and ADDICTING journey! Hehehe, the more the merrier on this trip!

Hey everybody...please call me Carol...the goldiemom comes from having 2 beautiful Golden Retrievers who are like children to my fiance and me, but I digress...should we NEWBIES have nametags on? I'm bringing Jeff, my fiance, and we'll be the ones with the look of *we don't know what we are doing" :-)

Someone brings the HELLO tags and we have talked about getting permanent badges. But -- I think the best solution is to put our name tags on our backs since we're always bending over yakking about some such plant. I'd like a gallery of photos with screen names but that would jeopardize our anonymity to the rest of the world. I have a pile of mailing stickers but sometimes that glue stays forever on a shirt. Any suggestions?

Nancy the nancedar

Nancy, I dug your EE last night! I hope someone can help me learn the variety of all this stuff I'm bringing!

I added a couple of blazing star to my pile. I plan to dig the daylily, coreopsis and irises this weekend. Hostas are already potted. I'm bringing a few Rose of Sharon seedlings.

My new question is, how much is too much to bring? Ya'll aren't going to laugh at the new girl....are ya? :)

bmaxx - we don't laugh at the newbies - we welcome them with open arms and empty spaces in our gardens - and send them home with oodles of new stuff. How much to bring is whatever you have that is extra! It'll all be taken home by someone, and no one really watches what you bring - we just drool over the laden tables, benches, and floors.

Nancy the nancedar

Newbie tip: offer to help carry plants to the tables then you'll know what is being placed where lol. You gotta plan your strategy. Shannon

I will be there, with a dish and child in tow!
Looking forward to meeting fellow horticulturist!
I want to get some tips for dividing my iris for the next swap!

~Teresa

Bmaxx, no such animal as 'too much' and if something is left over someone always adopts it to pass on. Also John is doing a box for a Katrina victim.

LOL! Great tip Shannon!

Last reminder to check the food list.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food List

Bmaxx: Ooooooooo, blazing star!!! Can I get on board for some of that? Hey, look, you may already be in the "special trades" business. Check my trade list, wontcha?

Ratgirl

I am going to try and make it. I have a new home with minimal landscaping and I just made some new beds. I need something to fill the space. I will have to figure out what to bring.
Kelli

kelcorn - Welcome! Please try to make it to the swap otherwise you'll have to either spend a lot of money or wait until the fall swap. We'll help fill up your beds, or at least get you started on the addiction. One of my favorite sayings is, "If you can see mulch you don't have enough plants". As said before, bring what you think are extras and don't stress out about it.

Bring food, our other addiction at the swaps.

Nancy the nancedar

Hi Folks! I'm a newbie working myself up to come on Saturday. I have a few things potted up and a side dish planned, so I think I'm ready if I don't chicken out! :-) One question: I'm guessing it's a really good idea to label the plants so people know what they're getting. But what if I don't know what something is? Just label it "reseeding ferny kind of thing with white early summer flowers?" "Plant o' Mystery?" Carry a sign that says "Will share brownies for plant ID?" :-)

Thanks!

moka_jo - Brownie sign would be way too cute! Might just work too!! Welcome - be brave - newbies are treasured. You will embark on a great new adventure that will change you forever. Well, maybe. If you don't know what the plant's name is - ask any oldie. We love doing that kind of ID thing. Bring some popsicle sticks or spring clothes pins or something to write on to attach to the pot when you get it ID'd, and a pencil to write with.

To all newbies -- BRING A NOTEPAD - you're not ever going to remember the names of the things you didn't scarf up and there is a lot of information that gets bantered about so you will be on info overload and not remember half, or who told you, or whatever. Some of us stay on way after most have left so that's a good time to pick the leftover's brains.

Nancy the nancedar

Ratgirl, I will add some blazing stars for you! I could use a Canna Bengal Tiger or Horsetail!

I've been gardening in solitary confinement for years...I'm so excited to meet people with the same addiction! :) I'm bringing a neighbor....perhaps we can infect some more folks...haha

Frankly, I'm not sure I am ever going to relinquish newbie status. For every plant I think I know I find 10 more that fascinate me. I keep hearing about sedums and I know that I have at least 2 different ones in my yard-gathered from previous swaps. Right now I am stuck on salvias, last year amaranthus. I'm always going to be a newbie- I have dead plants to prove it!

I'm with you, Shannon. The more I learn, the more I see I have to learn. I also hesitate to use the word "newbie", because gardeners new to our swap doesn't mean they aren't very experienced, expert gardeners. Bmaxx, lots of us garden alone - like John says, the swaps bring us together, and only twice a year. We share the addiction, and we're looking for converts! Moka, I like plant-o-mystery - you will fit right in with this humor-ridden crowd - please come and bring food! You don't need brownies for plant i.d's, although now that you've given John the idea, he'll be extorting goodies from everyone.

Bmaxx -- Yay! I'll pot up some bengal tigers for you. I thought I'd have lots of horsetail but apparently I'm the only one for whom it hasn't run rampant. And I WANTED it to. Waaaaah.

This year for me, it's S&S--salvias and sedums, and boy do I have a lot to learn.

Carla/Ratgirl

Hey Guys! I didn't mean to make it sound like I wasn't a newbie...just that I haven't had anyone to share my addiction with! Perhaps I should have written, "attempted" gardening in solitary! :)

Looking forward to Saturday! Everything still looks alive in their pots!

I keep attempting to garden in solitary but the kids and the dogs keep joining me LOL. Maybe we should create a new word for new members. Perhaps narpies = newbies + gardeners + swappers. This could be anyone who is new to gardening or to swapping. Or maybe we could add a latin slant and make it sound educated and sophisticated. Shannon

I sure do like the idea of a brownie for a plant answer!! But if I should answer something wrong (been known to happen) does that mean that I have to give the brownie back??

I survived my cross country drive and all the plants I bought seem happy to see the rain - so I am ready ready ready to swap.

neswappian= newswapper
negardian= new gardener
negarswappian= new gardener and swapper
jucafool= just came for the food

0 0
..)..
\__/

I'm bringing Datura seedlings for everyone (Datura metel). I have about 40 seedlings in dixie cups. AKA Devil's Trumpet or Horn of Plenty. Look for me in the general trade area!

Here is a link that might be useful: Datura Flower

When you see how crazy we all behave you'll be convinced we all ate some of your datura. I may have to snag one of your because mine are up but staying tiny at this time.

I cannot wait to come! This is my first time, since I just found out about it ~ stumbled on it on the GardenWeb !
I have to admit I am feeling like a newbie - all these plant names, and info!
I don't know how much to bring, and what to bring...
I dont even have a lot of pots, so may be using plastic around damp newspaper on some :-)
It will be helpful to see how the rest of you guys do it.
Jean

John...Everyone will be getting a datura whether they like it or not! Even if I have to sneak them into their car! I have so many seedlings comming up in my garden that it is unbelievable.

Thrip, would you believe I've never grown a datura? Well, I had one last year which I grew from seed and the bloom was real pale, single and small, so I yanked it. I've wanted one of the double purples forever.

Jean, I've been going to this swap since the beginning and I still use newspapers, grocery bags, coffee cups, yogurt cups, anything I can get my hands on, even bareroot for the sturdier stuff.

Yeah - you should see our eyes light up when someone walks up with a large bundle of empty plastic pots! We ain't proud. In fact I think it was Rootdigger and I that were arm wrestling over the large stack of black plastic gallons last fall - shameless I tell ya! We are all hungry for pots and totally understand if some things show up wrapped in whatever was handy at the time.

As a side biz I sell rooted cuttings and seedlings at the local flea market. This market has a large immigrant following. Last year I had the other Datura - not Datura metel, the one that looks just like Jimsonweed. You should have seen the latino customers eyes glaze over. A few of them asked in broken English if I knew what that plant is used for. I replied in my broken Spanglish that I knew exactly what it was used for and that I consider the plant rather dangerous and that I hoped they had more sense than to home brew some hallucinagenics. I sold it as "Deadly Toxic Poison Plant" and sold plenty of them. (for those of you NOT in the know - both Datura and Brugmansia are used in various potions to induce a high or even as a knock-out drug.)

Sheesh John, I've still got brusises from our last brawl, LOL.... Just kidding, we very amicably divided them between us!

I don't know if its been mentioned on this thread (I think I mentioned it on the swap thread), but plants are not all folks bring to the swap. I've seen garden art, water hoses, gardening books, pots, manure, and various compost materials. Makes it interesting!

So tell, me all you wise and wonderful people!

What should I bring besides boxes of plants and a wagon?

Is anything else critical?

Oh, yeah, and food of course! hahaha

Thanks
Jean

Hey there...Carol, here... Jeff and I will be there tomorrow. I was just reading about the need for pots...wish I'd known, I just threw some away a few weeks ago! waah! But I DO have a few little ones still...maybe 6? Could anybody use them?
We are very excited to be joining this group.

Carol, if no one else claims them I could use them! I'll even share with John.... if he insist. :D
D

I used EVERY pot I had. If anyone wants plants from me in the fall there had better be some pots! At leat the kids drink a lot of milk so I can always save milk jugs. -Ais.

When is the swap? And where? I am a newby and want to get green. I will be glad to bring what I have, though I don't have much.

I hope I have not missed it...I am so excited!

Hey Sun, what part of the Piedmont? The Swap was yesterday. Really sorry you missed it, but if you're local I know a couple people that might could help ya out.