Hi all,
As the Spring Swap is coming up quickly, here is some logistical information that you may find handy. I've clipped info from previous years, so I hope this is helpful (and correct! please comment on anything I've missed or mis-represented!)

Welcome! Our spring swap is scheduled for 10 am on May 10th at Gardengranma's in Burtonsville MD (directions below). If you are new to the swap, we're glad to have you join us! We are a pretty casual group and follow a few simple rules.

This is how the swap works:

1. Arrive with a large, empty vehicle and a large, empty stomach. If you have to borrow your sister-in-law's custom van and fast for three days beforehand, so be it.

2. Fill your vehicle with the plants that everybody else brought (unless the plants were specially designated beforehand as going home with somebody else- see pre-arranged swap info and lists on the Exchanges link.)

3. Fill your stomach with brownies, potato salad, brownies, fried chicken, brownies, zucchini bread, brownies, hot dogs, and brownies.

4. Drive home.

(For pre-arranged trades, check out the 'Haves' and 'Wants' lists on the Exchanges link, then e-mail the people who have what you want or want what you have. On the day of the swap, clearly label these swaps with your swappers name/handle and set aside from your 'freebies'.

ACCEPTABLE SWAP ITEMS (Newbies take heed!):Food and plants, including:outdoor plants, indoor plants, houseplants, plastic plants of the tasteful kind,cuttings rooted or unrooted, annuals or perennials,baby trees for bonzai, water plants, seeds of all types including grass (no, not that kind!), grass (sod), Anything related to gardening, including: gardening books or magazines, or books and magazines you'd like to read in the garden, clay, plastic or metal pots of any size or type, potting soil, seed starting mix or other bagged dirt,peat pots, plastic sixpaks, or Dixie cups for starting seeds, dried herbs, herbal tea, herbal soap, herbal cookies (no, not that kind!) decorative flowerpots for inside or outside, supplies, garden furniture, birdhouses, toadhouses or doghouses, bricks, stones, pavers, cinder blocks, sand or gravel, goldfish, koi, or mosquito fish, mosquito dunks or barley straw, egg cartons for chickenpea, paper yard waste bags, hoses, sprinklers, or watering cans, extra Roundup, fertilizer, lime, or other garden chemicals, tools automatic or not, straw, hay or bagged leaves, garden tchotches, garden gnomes, pink flamingos, rabbit poopies, horse manure, llama dung ... (you get the idea) Be creative. Extra points for food containing chocolate.

Most importantly, if you are a newbie and have nothing to trade - you are still welcome if you bring food or offer to help with the setup and cleanup. Heck - you're welcome anyway! There are usually plenty of plants to go around at a Mid-Atlantic swap meet.

And finally, the directions to Gardengranma's.

Try Mapquest. Here are the basics. If all else fails, call 301-421-0284.
The swap in Burtonsville is at Allnutt Lane, turn left at the end of Allnut at the house with the fabulous gardens.

From Rt. 95 towards or from Baltimore - Take exit to Burtonsville, Rt. 198 - go through Burtonsville (cross Rt. 29) continue on Rt. 198 past cemetary. Turn right on Allnutt Lane. Last house on left, brick rambler.

From Beltway (495), take Colesville Rd. (Rt. 29) towards Columbia, take exit to Burtonsville (new interchange!) Turn left on Rt. 198, across 29, past cemetary, turn right on Allnutt, etc.

From Rockville: Take Norbeck Rd which becomes Rt. 198 after New Hampshire. Past church and tree farm, turn left on Allnutt, etc.

This post was edited by nancymd on Sun, Apr 27, 14 at 14:29