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wendy2shoes

Halton spring Swap 2008

wendy2shoes
16 years ago

Hello vets and Newbies. Hoping to get the ball rolling here so that we can meet and greet some old friends (and new) at a Spring Swap in Halton. Open to suggestions for location (Halton's big), but not so big that it's formidable.

The usual applies:

"1. This swap is firstly a tailgater (meaning you can trade plants out of the back of your trunk).

2. No sales are allowed.

3. Pre-arranged trades ahead of time are welcome (individuals may email one another to make prearranged trades or you can do so on this site if you prefer)

4. Any garden-related item is welcomed at the trade, so not just seed packets and plants, bulbs, etc. but old tools, rocks, extra fertilizer, garden books/magazines, compost, etc. - is most welcome especially if you are new to these swaps and are just starting out but don't have a lot of plants/perennials to divide up and swap.

5. And the exciting part, the swap circle, which is always a surprise and was a BIG HIT this Spring. What you do is randomly place between 1-10 items in the circle which entitles you to take 1-10 items back in exchange. We sure had a whole lot more than that in the Spring and thanks to the generous donors.

The circle is where you'll find things you never knew you wanted or needed until you see it, and no one goes home until the circle is empty...that's the rule."

I'd love to see a bunch of new people (especially wintersowers..I'm so into it), but everyone with some extra perennials, cuttings, seedlings, mulch, pinecones, come out and make it a great afternoon.

Anyone interested?

Comments (29)

  • jroot
    16 years ago

    Hi Wendy,

    I may indeed be interested this spring. I have retired from my 2nd career and now want to spend more time in the garden. I believe the site last year was Sherway gardens. That is okay with me, but a site closer to Halton would also be appreciated.

    I have decided to do a lot more travelling, and hence I will have to redo my garden, and put in plants that are more drought resistant. I fear that I will have to let most of my brugmansias go, as they require daily watering, and will surely collapse if neglected for a few weeks.

    Any ideas for drought resistant, tall plants? I do have lots of different cannas.

  • wendy2shoes
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Castor Beans can take the dry weather, (Mine got up to 6' last year), and I also grew some corn to use as a garden "centre". Looks like an ornamental grass..and doesn't need much water once established.

    I'll start looking for suitable sites in Burlington/Oakville/Milton. Hopefully we can find a place that will be easy for everyone to find!

  • horsetail_2007
    16 years ago

    I will keep an on your message to see when the swap will be. Halton would be good for me.

  • peatpod
    16 years ago

    Ok John .. why are you not installing a timer on a drip line for your garden?? Thats what I do and then I have a friend come to check just to dead head and make sure the lines are running fine?? I would love to take some of your Maya off of your hands as well as some of your cannas =) I could have my whole garden filled with Maya as I love the scent so much :)
    I will ask some of my Master Gardener friends what are some good drought resistant plants are for our zone and get back to you.
    Laura

  • peatpod
    16 years ago

    Oh and Wendy ... I thought we had chatted about possibly having the swap in your court :) It would be much nicer to have a little social .. you know I will help.
    Laura

  • jroot
    16 years ago

    OOO, Wendy's court.... and then we could see her lovely garden. Or is that an invasion of privacy. LOL

  • jroot
    16 years ago

    Laura, I have been thinking of running a drip line out to some of the gardens, but not all of them. I will have to revamp how I have done things, but we'll see how I can rearrange the beds ( or hide the drip line so my wife or I or guests don't trip on it ). I'm not giving any of them away yet.

    I appreciate the offer to find out some nice looking drought resistant plants that grow in zone 5a. I'm a little cooler than you are. ( Today, I think a LOT cooler LOL). I'm looking particularly for large growing plants. I tried the amaranthus, but it didn't come at all. Maybe the squirrels or chipmunks got them.

  • peatpod
    16 years ago

    John .. Lee Valley has connectors for the drip lines that can be put underground .. I have them all over the place even under my stone walkway .. I find they do well on the timer. I have one side to start very early in the morning and the opposite side shortly after that. I also have smaller hoses that run to my potted plants. Only problem with the potted ones is that if it rains .. they get way too much water.

  • wendy2shoes
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    My ears are burning...looking for a parking lot..Peatpod..how about something on Mainway? Isn't there an arena on Walkers where we could hide out? Oooh I got it..place I used to work..Marks Supply on Landmark off Blair, south off Mainway, just west off Walker's..nooobody there on a Saturday. Google Mark's Supply, then 'contact us' Burlington a for a map. Not too far off the QEW, s/b accessible to most.
    Good sized parking lot...hmmmm.

  • wendy2shoes
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Woop.don't know what map their using, but they're showing the QEW as the 403!. Easy Peasy to find anyhoo. Will post a date and a better map closer to trade time. Anyone have a better idea? And no...not my house..my neighbours think I'm a nutbar already. Don't need to add to their reasons to send the guys in whitecoats.

  • skraps
    16 years ago

    Please count me into I would love to come..

  • amcorrigan
    16 years ago

    Me too. Also interested in the swap.

    AM

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    I thought this nice warm weather would have brought some folks out here. Is there still going to be a swap. So far I have a lot of dahlias to share, as I have a way too many for myself and my neighbour. Tomorrow I will be setting out my cannas. Also I will have some brugmansia to share. ... not my variegated though. I gave away a beautiful variegated,.... before peatpod put in her dibs:(

  • peatpod
    15 years ago

    John your breaking my heart =( I still have two but if I had my way the whole yard would be filled with them I just love the scent!!!

  • amcorrigan
    15 years ago

    I am also still interested. I don't have a list ready as yet but I am so interested your brugmansia jroot. I had one from a swap two years ago and it was lovely last year but this year I did something wrong and I seems to have died. I would love to have another one, or six, they are so wonderful.

    AM

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    amcorrigan,

    We'll have to see how many surived this winter in the cold cellar. I did have some die back, and soon I'll be taking them out to get them going. I have a few favourites that I want to keep, but, as I say, we'll see what I have real soon.

    Have we set a time and place yet?

  • wendy2shoes
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Hey guys..sorry I have too much on my plate this year..bathroom reno, my sister's coming to visit, and my daughter and 2 grandkids from Calgary.
    Can someone else take up the organization and date? I don't even have time to pot anything up..straight from the 2 litres and into the ground.
    I know..I'm a party pooper. But, a really old party pooper who just shifted 4 cubic yards of triple mix and manure to the back yard.
    Need some young'un's to get this going!

  • nadia_smiles
    15 years ago

    Hi all,

    I just found this thread. Sorry, I've been doing bootcamp in the evenings and I don't even know where my head has been. So, here's an idea: everyone copy and paste the most updated version of this list and vote for your preferred swap weekend. You can vote for more than one weekend. Maybe we can try to choose a swap date by this Friday.

    As you can see from the list below, May 18 & 31 don't work for me, but every other date is great, so I've voted for all dates except May 18 & 31.

    Sat, May 17-Nadia,
    Sun, May 18-

    Sat, May 24-Nadia,
    Sun, May 25-Nadia,

    Sat, May 31-
    Sun, June 1-Nadia,

    Sat, June 7-Nadia,
    Sun, June 8-Nadia,

  • skraps
    15 years ago

    I vote for sat may 24

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    I can't make it on the 18th. I have a house full of guests, and I have to make some of my famous pies. LOL

  • nadia_smiles
    15 years ago

    We seem to have two votes for Sat, May 24. What about everyone else?

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    Sat, May 17-
    Sun, May 18-

    Sat, May 24- jroot
    Sun, May 25- jroot

    Sat, May 31-
    Sun, June 1-

    Sat, June 7- jroot
    Sun, June 8- jroot

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    WHERE are we talking about?

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    Oooops, something just popped up in my calendar, and I won't be able to make it on the 24th. Sorry about that.

    When things aren't carved in stone, my social convenor accepts alternative activities. LOL

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    Well, I gather that the swap took place last weekend, on the 18th. I hope it went well. Cold as H... here. Snow here in Rockwood, this morning.

  • horsetail_2007
    15 years ago

    Hi, Did the swap happen already?

  • nadia_smiles
    15 years ago

    Hi all,

    I don't think the swap has happened yet, has it? I thought we were having it in Halton somewhere. We need to choose a date first, though. Any votes?

  • jroot
    15 years ago

    Well, then, I stand corrected. I thought it had taken place. I do have quite a few tall dahlias in pots left over. If not traded soon, they will be sold in a yard sale.

  • ladybug6a
    15 years ago

    Hi, I am intersted in a swap. Sounds like fun.
    Somebody asked for tall plants. A great one is "Kiss me over the garden gate" (6', smells when in bloom, red, fall O)Persicaria orientalis. lily of the Nile is another great plant, ok in my zone 5a.
    I would be willing to have it at my place (Hyw.#25 N of Acton)or in Milton. Any date, just not May 24 (cottage-time)

    Karin

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