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Fall Swap for Central Ohio!

alison
13 years ago

Whee! We're back on the books with a fall swap for Central Ohio. With Rebecca and Kim's help, my friend Terri and I are plunging into the swap-and-potluck tradition at Terri's house. She's got a big yard, with plenty of street parking, in a pretty easy to find location. Here's the particulars:

Location: 3755 Atwood Terrace, Columbus (directions to follow)

Date: September 25th (yeah, it's a Buckeye Saturday -- but aren't they all?)

Time: 10:30 - ? (when all the plants are gone and there's nothing left to eat!)

Bring your plants, a dish to share at the potluck, a lawn chair if you've got one and -- an appetite for some fun!

We'll start to set up around 10:30, so early birds can come on down.

As with the spring swap, we'll have some time to scope out the plants before settling down to the potluck about noon.

Swapping will start around 1 (earlier if we get restless!) We're still talking about what format to use, but the basic principle is the same: you can take home up to as many plants as you brought. If you bring 50, you can take home 50. If you bring 5, you can take 5.

Plus, Mouse has some great ideas for some creative door prize categories -- prizes for people who've travelled the farthest, people who brought the most, newbies who have the least, etc. If you've got ideas for other categories, or door prizes you'd like to contribute, let us know!

Looking forward to another great chapter in the garden swap, and hope to see a lot of folks there! (Otherwise, I have to eat an awful lot of pulled pork sandwiches all by myself....)

Getting to Terri's from I-71

Heading north:

Take I-71 to the North Broadway exit.

Turn right (east) at the head of the exit ramp onto North Broadway travel 2 blocks.

Turn left (north) onto Maize Rd, travel about 10 blocks.

Turn right (east) onto Elmore, travel 4 blocks to the intersection with Atwood Terrace.

Heading south:

Take I-71 south to the Morse Rd exit

Turn left (east) at the end of the exit ramp, travel 5(?) long blocks to Maize Rd

Turn right (south) on Maize Rd, travel 5 (?) long blocks, cross Cooke Rd and keep going 2 blocks to Elmore.

Turn left (east)onto Elmore, travel 4 blocks to the intersection with Atwood Terrace.

When you reach the roundabout, at the intersection with Atwood Terrace, Terri's will be the green and white house on the corner to your left (the north-west corner, for those with a compass) but the driveway where we'll be checking in is actually on Elmore.

So.... who's in?

Comments (22)

  • violet_2010
    13 years ago

    Alison, So glad to hear we are having a fall swap. I signed up for the spring swap but was not able to attend because of illness. Thanks for your hard work. Put me down for a count of 4 with door prizes. See you in Sept.

  • storygardener
    13 years ago

    Awesome!!

  • smitties
    13 years ago

    My daughter in law and I are planning on coming and we are still waiting of confirmation from her mother. We went to the swap last fall and came home with some awesome plants. My dil was new to gardening and really took off after that swap. She is turning her yard into a garden paradise.

    Looking forward to it. Margo

  • jeanne
    13 years ago

    Mom and I have our calendars marked, thanks so much to all of you for taking on the swap! I'm going to go out tomorrow and mark all the daylilies I want to dig, I've been meaning to do it for years and this time I'm going to get it done! :)

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yay!

    Even tho' my place is far from filled up, I'm potting up little things here and there and setting them aside for the swap -- can't wait!

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Planted up a few small pots of yellow iris this weekend for the swap. How interested would people be in houseplants at the swap? I've got a number of plants around my patio and I doubt I'll be able to bring them all in this winter -- might be nice to spread the wealth around?

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Got a jasmine plant as a gift, and when I looked closely I realized it was actually 7-8 individual plants. So I immediately repotted them all separately. Do you do this with florist's plants?

    They're starting to bloom and it's a little overwhelming. so I think I'm bringing a few jasmine sambac plants to the swap as well!

  • jeanne
    13 years ago

    Do you do this with florist's plants?

    I did that with a clump of palms, had grown them for several years at 6-8 inches tall, one day I realized there was a clump if them and seperated them out. I kept one, it's a couple of feet tall now.

    Do you need plant signs for the different categories? I've still got the ones we used, let me know if you need them and I'll bring them along.

    See you soon!

    Jeanne

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yes! I got a nice areca palm at Sutherlands this summer, and when I got it home I realized how tightly packed the individual shoots were. I potted them up in six smaller bundles and they've all really taken off.

    Definintely brings the signs -- makes it so much easier to "shop" for the plants you need.

    Just got back from a long vacation in the Pacific Northwest. It's so green and lush there it was a bit jarring to come back to a brown lawn and wilted houseplants.

    But September, cooler weather, and a second wind for the garden is on the way!

  • smitties
    13 years ago

    I am sorry to have to post that the three of us will no longer be able to attend this swap event. Life has gotten out of control and unfortunately, the weather has been brutal to our gardens.

    I hope everyone has a wonderful time and hope to see you all in the spring. Margo

  • xaroleht
    13 years ago

    At this point James, the kids, Mom, and I will be there. Love the location...not far from Mom's, which is usually where we stay. We even have a family reunion the next day so, perfect weekend. We will bring at least one door prize, if not more. How about largest plant or most unusual plant for a door prize category. See you all soon and happy gardening.
    Michelle

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Excellent!

    Three weeks to go, and I'm starting to get excited -- and get my plants in order. So far I've got about a dozen houseplants, jasmine sambac, maybe a stephanotis, some areca palms. I'm digging up yellow irises this weekend and will probabaly have a half dozen or more, along with other perennials as they present themselves and I do my fall cleanup.

    Terri and I were checking the site and I think it's going to be great -- a wonderful big yard to romp in, a great patio space to set up the tables for food, and even a roomy garage and tent to huddle in if it rains.

    I've got a couple of good door prizes, and Jeanne's got some great ideas for other type prizes, for the youngest, the oldest, the swapper who came tthe farthest -- that should get us all talking. (Like that's *ever* a problem!)

    Looking forward to sseeing you all!

  • abbiejan
    13 years ago

    I can't make the swap -- and in fact, am moving to a place without a garden! (BOO HOO!)

    I have tons of daylilies I'm giving away to anyone who wants to help me dig them up. I have lots of plastic pots for you to take them in.

    Anyone Interested? They're beautiful pinks, yellow and purples. NEED THEM GONE BY 9/24.
    ANY TAKERS? email me at Y -- abbiebasile. -- abbie
    abbiebasile@yahoo.com

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I'm so sorry about the no garden, abbie -- that sucks!

    But you know I'm always interested in more plants for the garden at work.

    Sending you a pm.

  • kin2mice
    13 years ago

    Kim and I are meeting on Sunday to get the "special" door prizes all taken care of. They are going to be fantastic! We are going to have them for "eldest, youngest, furthest traveled, newest gardener, and most plants brought". This is going to be such a blast!

    I am also issuing an open invitation to anyone who want to come to my mum's house to help her reduce her gardens. There is a giant mixed iris bed and two smaller beds with wild flowers and some small bulbs. Date is Sept. 19th and she lives in Groveport. Anything you dig is yours rest goes to the swap!
    Just email me for more info. kin2mice@yahoo.com

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Cool! I'll be there. (I can't resist more plants....)

    A week away from the swap -- I'm doing the pulled pork this weekend and tucking it in the freezer until Saturday. My plants are prtetty much packed up and ready to go -- looking forward to seeing you all!

  • xaroleht
    13 years ago

    We will be there for sure. Not sure what plants are coming along to swap. We picked up a couple of items to put in the door prizes. Will come up with some goodies for the pot luck as well. Can't wait to see everyone. Only a few more days.

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Just got back from a quick improptu trip to DC; cooking the pulled pork tonight, and checking over the plants when I get home from work.

    In addition to the plants we're all bringing to swap, there will be several boxes of "freebies" that anyone can help themselves to; mixed irises, gladiolas and a number of other plants graciously donated by Mouse's mom, who is eliminating some perennial beds.

    We're gonna have some great stuff -- and a great time!

  • vlam87
    13 years ago

    Sorry it's last minute! But it looks like Mom & I will be there after all! It will be last minute (sorry about that)!!! But at least we will get to attend!
    I've overstretched my schedule, but if I can make everyone happy.... It's well worth it! Can't wait to see you all there!

  • jeanne
    13 years ago

    Mom and I had a great time at the swap, as usual. Thanks so much to Terri, Alison and everyone who helped with the swap, and to everyone who brought such wonderful plants and delicious food. We're looking forward to seeing you all again next spring.

    Jeanne

  • alison
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Well, that was fun -- let's do it again next fall!
    We had an even dozen folks and near perfect weather. (I know Dave was eager to light the fire, but it wasn't quite that nippy.)

    Thanks to Mouse's mom, we had nearly as many freebies as we did plants to trade. And there were some great plants to trade -- there were some striking hosta (was that "Stiletto" or does it just look like it?) lovely lirope, sweet-smelling stephanotis, and I picked up a prayer plant like the ones I remember having as a kid. (And the best part about a swap like this, I got the instructions directly from Dolly on how to care for it.)

    Kim and Mouse's themed door prizes were great, for the newest gardener, the oldest, the youngest, and the most travelled. And thanks to everyone else who brought door prizes, we had a little something for everyone -- including little Nialls, who happened to latch onto his just as his sister drew his name.

    But most of all, it was a lovely fall afternoon hanging out in a great garden with wonderful hosts and fun folks, talking about plants, food, and how funny life can be.

    Terri and I had a really great time -- and we're already planning for next fall! Look forward to seeing folks then, if not at the spring swap -- and thanks again for a great Saturday afternoon. I'll think of you all when I look at my plants!

    -- alison

  • cbfindlay
    13 years ago

    Will there be a Spring swap?