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nelz_gw

NW Penna (Erie area) Area GWers (Ashtabula OH?)

Nelz
21 years ago

Anyone out here from NW Pennsylvania? Specifically the Erie, Pa are. Or even the Ashtabula OH area.

Nothing specific planned, just seeing whose around.

Ken

Comments (20)

  • Nelz
    Original Author
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't bite, honest!

  • hoehum
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, me, here I am! A half mile from Waldameer. Had read some of your posts and almost e-mailed you, figuring you were somewhat near me. Was bored tonight and found this forum for the first time and there it is.

    Once I found Winter Sowing, spend most of my time there. Keep reading in Great Lakes about their get togethers & planned swaps. If a small fraction of my WS come up, I'll have way too many to use.

  • gillian_
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you all plan a plant swap I would be interested. I'm down in Clarion County about an hour from Meadville.

    ~Gillian

  • Nelz
    Original Author
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, it appears I am not alone in the world.

    Hoehum, we are close. I am in Girard.

    Gillian, if anything comes up I'll make sure to pass it on.

    Have a Great New Year!!
    Ken

  • Nelz
    Original Author
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As things seem to be getting more active around here, I'll bump this back to the top for more exposure.

  • sally
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm about 30 miles southeast of Youngstown and 35 mi. northwest of Pittsburgh. I would be interested in a get-together if you folks decide to try it.
    Sally

  • pottingshedgirl
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would also be interested in a get together. Hello everyone. I am just North of Pittsburgh but don't mind driving for a get-together. I would like to meet new gardening friends and would love to participate in a plant/seed swap.
    Hilary

  • stardust
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    OK, I'm a little West of Youngstown between Lake Milton and Deerfield, Ohio. I'm guessing about 2 1/2 - 3 hours away. I'd be interested to hear of a planned outing/swap/meeting/get-together. :) No one close to here is motivated enough to get anything moving in my local area. I tried last year. No participation. Ended up with about a half dozen friends and neighbors. Only two (not counting myself) were GW members.

    The closest thing I've found in the works is in Columbus, Ohio. I wouldn't mind going to two of them (although on the same day could be rough). Let me know.

    Stardust

  • audrey_gw
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live just south of Meadville, PA. My sisters and I--and probably a friend or two--would be interested in a plant swap, if you decide to have one.

  • gillian_
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It sounds like there is interest in a plant swap. Now all we need is for someone to take charge and plan it! Meadville seems like it's fairly central for most of us.....or maybe the Sharon/Youngstown area. I'd be happy to help someone else get things moving.....but I don't want to plan it all myself. If we are going to have one though we need to get moving.....Spring is here!

    ~Gillian

  • audrey_gw
    21 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I noticed that the people in Ohio are renting a covered shelter in a park for their plant swap. That might be a good idea, since there are quite a few parks around here. I live just a couple miles from Lake Wilhelm (Goddard State Park) at the northern edge of Mercer County. Any pavilions there that are not reserved are free, on a first-come, first-served basis. But it might be wiser to reserve space at one of the bigger parks. Gillian, if you decide to organize something, I'd be happy to help.

  • Poochie075
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bumping this back to the top to see if we get more responses. I have not done a plant swap before but would be more than willing to help organize one if we can find someone that has done one before.

  • lorinico
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I camp near Ashtabula and I would love to go to a plant swap.

    --Lori

  • Judy_z5
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It is now the middle of Aug. Did you folks ever get together? I don't have much to swap but I am in Centerville. Judy

  • Nelz
    Original Author
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Let's see what type of interest we can drum up this year, and maybe it will happen.

    Based on reading the posts, with several NW PA and some NE OH folks being interested, is Meadville the best location? Seems pretty reasonable to me, but maybe something at Pymatuning to make it a wee bit closer for our Ohio folks. Audrey mentioned Goddard State Park.

    I'll take the lead in getting this rolling, but will probably enroll the services of many folks to get this to come together.

    First, I assume folks are still interested, at least some.

    Here are some of my thougths, and everyone else post your own or comment. We can develop this plan while folks become interested, then get things planned in a couple of months.

    FIRST (and maybe only) RULE - ALL PLANTS MUST BE LABELED! IF THE NAME IS NOT KNOWN THEN SOME DESCRIPTIVE INFO NEEDS TO BE GIVEN. I see no problem in not knowing what somethings called, as long as we can get some info on what it looks like or how it grows.

    I'm not adventerous enough to pick an un-named, non-familiar plant, and hope it's not invasive!

    I've done exchanges a few ways. The big thing is, there were always more plants than people could take home, and everyone went away happy. Maybe they didn't get the exact plant they wanted, but they got lots of good stuff.

    Couple methods I've participated in:
    1 - I bring 10 plants, Jim brings 5 plants, Sally brings 15 plants, Bill brings 3 plants. We put numbers 1-33 (total plants) in a hat. I pick 10 numbers, Jim 5, Sally 15, Bill 3. Then we go in order from 1 to 33 and when a number you have coems up, you pick a plant. Extremely fair but can be time consuming and cumbersome.

    2 - Say 15 people show up, numbers 1-15 go into a hat, everyone picks one. Then we go in order 1-15, and everyone picks a plan. You use the honor system that you don't take home more than you brought, so you drop out when you're done. A lot simpler, but can be inequitable.

    The other thing I've found is that everyone is friendly and honest, and that when folks are done picking in the organized (mostly anyway) way, there are lots of plants left for folks to claim. I mean is someone brings a couple of Hostas and chops them up, there's a lot of plants.

    I have no problem thinking it would be fair and that we'd have fun, but we probaly need some type of consensus. I'm not looking to write a contract!

    For food, we could make it luck of the draw cover dish, or have folks sign up for a dish type (desert, salad, etc.)

    It could be bring your own plates, or we could have a few people responsible for plates, cups, utensils, etc.

    If we wanted a cookout someone could be responsible for meat, and they could be re-imbursed through a collection. We would also need a collection for any cost associated with a pavillion or shelter location. Another thought is bring your own meat. We get a couple of grills going and everyone cooks their own.

    If it were me I'd go this way.

    -- Pick 1-x (number of people there) and use the homor system on the plant exchange. I'm sure they'll be plenty to go around.

    -- Sign up for dishes by type. That way we don't have 20 trays of brownies, and no salad. Wait that's okay, I meant 20 salads and no brownies.

    -- Limit meat to burgers and dogs (bring your own anything else) and get a rough head count. Someone buys the meat and buns and gets reimbursed. Or just go with dishes brought and no meat.

    -- Everyone brings their own place settings (napkins, utensils, plates, etc). And everyone bring your own beverage(s).

    -- Any excess money collected to pay for meat and/or shelter area could be donated to the park or other charity that we all reasonably agree on.

    Just some ideas to provoke thought. I'm also not opposed to keeping it simple and we show with plants and sack lunches, swap, and get acquainted, and seeing how things go before turning it into a shin-dig!

    Let's start simple (I know, way too late)-
    Who would be willing to travel to Meadville? Pymatuning? Goddard State Park? Any of the 3 (they're not too far from each other)? Other ideas?

    Others thoughts on swap methods?

    Food thoughts?

  • Nelz
    Original Author
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just me again. Once we get some details figured out and move into the planning stage, I'll probably start another thread that has a more descriptive title.

  • Poochie075
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nelz it sounds like you have done one of these plant swaps before I havenÂt but would gladly help if someone pointed me in the right direction.
    Looking at everyoneÂs posts, I would say that Goddard or Pymatuning State Parks would be most centralized for everyone. I am not far from Goddard, and there is a winery right down the road if anyone is interested! Both places are nice and would suit our needs, though I have not reserved pavilions at either. I can check into them if that is what we decide, though.
    There is also Buhl Park in Sharon, PA if we wanted to go a little farther south.

    Here are my other thoughts on swapping: I like the idea of putting numbers in a hat equaling the total number of plants. This way each person has more of a chance to get what they want. But I agree that this can be very time consuming. I guess it would depend on how many people actually came and how many plants each person brings. This can be decided a few days before our event when we have a closer count of people to attend. IÂd even be willing to do the numbers and the hat for everyone to draw from.
    We could also do something similar to a Chinese auction, but then you run into a problem if someone doesnÂt have any of their tickets drawn.

    For food: I would say for everyone to bring a covered dish, with a sign-up sheet for salads, entrees, desserts, misc., etc (although I like the idea of 20 types of brownies!!). Someone can make sloppy joes, or meatballs and sauce for meatball subs, also rigatoni and or perogies as entrees. A few people might even decide to go together and make/bring a lunchmeat tray. That way, no one would have to transport grills and such for cooking and then have to pack them back up to take home. Also, have everyone bring their own plates and silverware and beverages. I think this would cut down on the costs overall. Hey, I would even be willing to keep track of who will bring what and sort it down so that we donÂt have too much of one thingÂ

    So, we have some ideas anyone else what to throw something in there? Or have any better suggestions? First thought that needs decided  when do we want to have this? Saturday or Sunday? What month? Then we can decide on where.

  • Poochie075
    20 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    After posting my earlier message, I went into the Pennsylvania Gardening Forum and guess what I found... there is a plant swap scheduled for NE side of Pittsburgh on May 22nd (I attached the link so you can read it). I wonder if we could get her to change places???? Maybe combine them together? If we did that, the halfway point between Erie and Baden (the town she is having it in) is right around Goddard State Park. What do you think?? Who is willing to contact her?

  • ebrodzinski
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey!,

    I would like to participate in the plant swap, any of the locations mentioned would work for me. I need to keep up on the information for this one! :)

    I am in Youngstown, Ohio.

    Thanks,
    Elliott

  • diggerb2
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    elliott,
    did you notice that the thread was from 2003? i fell into the same trap too, hoping to find something nearby.

    i usually go to the central ohio swap-- which is big and fun
    but its in columbus area. check their thread above. the crowd comes from ohio, wva, ky, ind, pa and mi.

    also there has been a smaller swap in tuscawarus county in the past year or so. but you'd have to search for their thread.

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