(1) This is vegetable seed swap.

(2) The minimum number of packs is 20.

a. Seeds must be fresh. They can be saved from your own garden, or they can be commercial seeds no older that 2008.

b. Each pack must be packaged individually and be well marked with the content. If you can put additional info on the pack, like size or days to maturity that would be nice, but if not, please use the exact name of the plant so it can be researched on-line.

c. Size of pack has been discussed in an earlier thread and it was stated that 25 or more was a good number for large items like beans or corn. I will say that for seeds like tomato, pepper, melon, or squash, 10 seeds would be a good number. This would be about half of a rack pack for some of those items. I would ask that you be generous and provide the amount that you would be happy to receive. Some seeds like greens, lettuce, radish, etc., I would expect a larger amount.

3. Seeds need to be packed in a bubble envelope or a small box so they will not be damaged in shipping. Your seeds will be returned to you in the same envelope you send your seeds to me in. In addition to your seeds, please include:

a. An address label addressed to yourself, for the return trip.

b. Adequate postage for the return trip.

c. Some have asked for a copy of George (macmex) instructions on hand pollination. It is several pages long so if you wish it mailed with you seeds please allow for extra postage. I can also email it to you.

4. All seeds should be in the mail to me on or before November 30th. I will try to turn them around in the following week so they don't get caught in the Christmas mail rush.

5. I stated a minimum of 20 packs, but that doesn't mean that you can't send more.

a. Any number over 20 will be placed in a separate bin and divided equally among everyone playing. Everyone that sends in 20 is gauranteed at least 20 in return.

b. If any of your bonus packs are to go to someone that you have already promised them to, please mark them clearly.

c. Bonus packs can be anything you want to send and don't necessarily need to be vegetable seed. They can be herbs or flowers but your 20 required packs need to be veggies.

6. Please sign-up by responding on this thread and make sure that your profile allows you to receive mail from gardenweb. As soon as I see your sign-up, I will send you a personal email through GardenWeb with my address. I will also post you username on this site. I will leave the sign-up open until Friday midnight, November 20th. Final mailing is due by November 30th. I will not release your address to anyone else, nor will I send you junk mail. LOL

Let's start sign-up now, and then we will talk a little about what you HOPE you receive. Carol

I'll have to see about what I'd like to receive. Generally, I send out a whole lot more than I receive, just because I'm always pressed to fit everything into the garden. I love to share. But sometimes I'm frustrated when the garden gets too complicated : )

Thanks Carol!

Count me in too.

I am sure I can come up with at least 20 packets of various veggies seeds, and probably more than that although there probably won't be a lot of tomatoes in the mix since I sent out all my extras last year.

I will include some packets of Pink Brandymaster in the packets I send, though, and I know several folks here do want to try it.

And I'm only going to whine a little bit here, but...I am STILL harvesting and I'm glad you didn't hold up this thread any longer for me because I'm beginning to think this garden is not going anywhere any time soon. As much as I'm enjoying the lovely mild weather, I'm tired of picking, blanching and freezing and ready for some down time.

This swap is going to be so much fun!

Dawn

Let us know if you mean a total of 20 packs of any one veggie seed or just 20 packs total!

Dawn

Since I know we have seed savers out there, I added the bonus seed pack part. I am involved in a swap right now that was for 20 veggies. One person sent only seven, but the hostess said she will only get seven back. I think that is only fair, so that is the reason for the minimum of 20. In the same swap, another person sent 57 packs. After I fill the 20 for each person (that sent in 20), I will divide the bonus packs equally.

Maybe I am not being realistic on the age of seed, so I will let you decide. I just don't want to get seed so old that it doesn't germinate well. You send in fresh seed, you should be able to get fresh seed in return.

Dawn, I know you sent out your tomato seed last year, but I think we have another addict out there whose inventory will rival some seed stores. HaHa Jay, are you reading?

We have a tomato man, a bean man, a gardening geru, etc. (We have some "butterfly whisperers" out there too, but that will have to be another swap. LOL) I really expect it to be a good swap. I have set the time a little short, but I always have December company and by January most of us will be planning and getting ready to start transplants. I tried to wait until the harvest was complete, but that just didn't work this year.

I have many packs of seed that I wouldn't mind sharing a few seed out of, so I could make a few small bonus packs, so let's just say that bonus packs can be any amount in each pack, with as many packs as you are willing to share, and they need not be vegetables. Anything goes on bonus, but if the seeds are older, please mark them as such.

For those of you that are new to trading, you can make your own envelopes or you can use small plastic bags. I buy my bags at Walmart in the wedding and crafts isle. You can get a pack of 100 for about a dollar.

If you use a bubble envelope for mailing, it can travel at "large envelope rate" if it will fit through the 3/4 inch template at the post office. Sometimes you have to tape your seed packets to a sheet of paper before putting them into the envelope to make sure they don't bunch up. I don't know if that is an advantage over parcel post this time since most of us will be mailing from within the state, but is probably asking the PO about.

Hm... I am reminded I have a few bulbs to plant...

I am pretty sure our Tomato King will join the swap and will contribute some tomato seeds unless he is too busy because he's outside building a greenhouse, a high tunnel, some low tunnels, another cold frame or two, or a manure-heated hotbed. Or, perhaps, he'll be outside building one of each of the above.

I may surprise y'all and come up with more tomato seed too. You never know what I'll find in my seed box.

Its OK--I never expected you to wait for the harvest to end here because it seems like it just isn't going to end. I have a love-hate relationship with the never-ending harvest anyway. We are starting to get busy with the fire department's holiday charity drives and I am behind on planning and preparing for them, because I'd rather be gardening.....

George, I've used the little manilla coin envelopes from Staples for years too, and this year I brought some of those tiny ziplocks from Wal-Mart to the swap. Like Carol, I found them in the craft section and the ones I bought were on the aisle with all the beads and jewelry suppies. I think I bought the smallest size they had.

Gamebird, Have you noticed that on this forum, we start talking about one thing and that leads to another.....LOL

I have some bulbs to plant too, but I'm waiting for a freeze first. I've been chilling them in the extra refrigerator and I'm afraid that if I plant them now, the ground is still so warm that they'll likely sprout immediately.

Dawn

So far we have four people in the seed trade and you will find my mailing address in you inbox.

1. soonergrandmom
2. macmex
3. okiedawn
4. gamebird

Several others indicated an earlier interest so I think more will sign up in the next few days.

Are we going to do a flower and herb seed swap later?

I am going to go out to the root cellar (formerly known as the tornado shelter) later today after the sun comes up and get out my seed box and see what I have. It has been so long since I looked in the seed box, I may find seeds I'd forgotten I had purchased. Like Carol, I have been on a seed-buying obsession this year and I've done it without making a single road trip to Baker Creek....LOL

Just think y'all, by the time we have finished this seed swap and are knee-deep in holiday preparations, the 2010 seed catalogs will be arriving in earnest.

Dawn

Lisa

Thanks, Carol!!

Paula

A lot of what I've got is heirloom or organic but there's some tried and true standards too. I'm also sending sunflowers, decorative fall corn, flowers and herbs. I'm even sending a little Hairy Vetch as an extra in case someone out there hasn't tried it and wants a small amount for a trial. There are a few of the more unusual like lemon cukes and purple and white striped eggplant.

I'm happy to get anything in return but would especially love some of those old timey pumpkins and/or warsaw buff pumpkins. I'm also looking for cherokee purple tomatoes if anyone sends some.

Would love George's hand pollination tips.

Will send em off as soon as I have your address.

Felicity was more than happy to choose seeds to send in place of doing her regular science lesson today :)

Mandy

Wow, Guess I had better get my own seed packs together.

Mandy, We have two of yours, do you have a few more wishes?

Diane, I have looked at my seeds and I would like to adopt you for this swap if that's OK. Just send me an email with your mailing address and I will do the rest. Don't say no, because I am already packing up the seeds. Please.

Other swappers - Diane's husband has been laid off from his job since March. I just can't imagine what that must be like. I want her to play too. If she agrees to let me do this, then maybe some of you would like to send something special for Diane's envelope. Just put her name on it and I will see that she gets it. Carol

I hope you're online, paying attention, and see this.

I'd love to send extra seeds to our wonderful Owiebrain! I cannot imagine the challenges involved in having the family breadwinner laid off for so many months, and would consider it an honor and a privilege to send seeds to this family.

We love you, Diane, and truly want to do this, so please send Carol your address. Remember that Santa Claus comes in many forms, and I know you'd do the same for any of us if the shoe were on the other foot.

Dawn

How about I just join the swap? I don't know that I have much left of fresh seed as we weren't able to buy but a bit this year but I'll dig through the stash. Would 2007 be okay? I'm actually doing some germ testing on older (2006) bulk seed out in the greenhouse right now and, if those turn out well, I would have plenty to share.

Thanks to all!

Diane

I'm glad you're joining the swap! Hope you and Steve and your merry brood of children and animals are doing well over there in southeastern OK.

In the past I've had good germination on seed that was up to 6 or 7 years old, so I hope you have success with the 2006 seed, and I expect you will.

I spent too much time in the garden yesterday and never got out the seed box and started digging through it, but I intend to do that today. I was outside earlier this morning trying to soak up the sunshine and enjoy the garden before a freeze swoops in and kills it. It is getting close to that time.

Got your winter greens going in your greenhouse yet?

Dawn

Last year I was "flower challenged" and someone adopted me on another forum, then several people sent me flowers. Then Lisa on this forum, and seedmama on this forum sent me seeds and coached me thru wintersowing and planting. I promised to pay it forward and this is my chance.

No seeds from you, OK, just an address. We know you could send seeds, but we don't want you to. This is supposed to be a fun swap for everyone.....so let the fun begin. Send me your address lady.

My parents are saints. Without them, we'd have been foreclosed on quite a while back and I'd have already cashed out my 401k.

What I came on to post about is if herb seeds count? I have basil (genovese and fino verde), dill, onion chives and garlic chives. I also have scarlet runner beans, which I regard as an ornamental, not a "vegetable". Do sunflowers count? Or should I just count these as "extras"?

If Diane is a good girl and sends you her address, we'll leave her alone and not bother her and happily send her our seeds, knowing that she too will "pay it forward" to someone else in due time. (And I KNOW she has shared seeds with other people in the past, so actually this could be her karma--to be on the receiving end this time since she's been a giver in the past.)

If Diane clams up and refuses to send her address, we can go to her "House" blog and harass her until she gives in and sends you her address so you can send her seeds from all of us.

Diane......I know y'all are an amazing family and I am sure you are making it just fine because that's the kind of folks you are....survivors who can cope when life throws you an unexpected challenge. But, we really want to do this, and you just have to let us do it, because we are your Oklahoma gardening family and we are pig-headed and stubborn and determined. OK?

Your friendship on this forum, and the way you have shared your entire family life/homebuilding adventure on your blog are so wonderful and are a real gift you share with us. We just wanna throw some gift seeds "back at you". So, woman, let us do it. Please. And. Do. Not. Make. Me. Beg.

Dawn

Looks like it's going to be a good swap all.

Carol, I would also be interested in romaine if anyone's got any. Just whatever you do don't send me soybeans as DS is sooooo allergic just handling them makes him break out. Thanks :)

*smiles* Mandy

Since I don't have a mailing label, I'm going to tape a 3x5 card on the envelope with your address on it and underneath that will be my address. So when you get the envelope, just cut the 3x5 card off and my address will be on the envelope for you to mail back. Let me know if that won't work.

macmex
okidawn
gamebird
p-mac
mspriggs
mjandkids
dannigals_garden
soonergrandmom
Owiebrain (I hope, but still waiting for the address)

I have my 20 and owiebrain's 20 packed up and ready. Just have to go through and do a few extra's now. I'm not seeing a lot of wishes yet and I'm kind of waiting for that. I would really like to see one from some of you gardeners who grow everything (and you know who you are) and see what ELSE you could possibly want. LOL Hopefully we can provide something. If no wishes appear then you may be really surprised. LOL

Mandy, I can cover you on the romaine.

My wish list would be a tomato or pepper. I would like to have a small quantity of any pepper. I probably wouldn't plant more that 3 or 4 of any one kind, especially the hot ones. I have not planted many in the past, so all I have are jalapeno, pablano, and annehim. I am still looking for a pablano that isn't a hybrid, if any one knows of one. I would love to have Creole, Break O'Day, or Prudens Purple tomato, or ANY really early tomato.

Thanks on the Romaine.

1. Tomatoes (I still have a lot from Dawn, but if my kill rate next year is as bad as this one, then I'll need more seeds!)
2. Bell or banana peppers (nothing too hot, so no jalapenos, habaneros, etc.)
3. Spinach, lettuce and other salad greens (I know I'm sending you some lettuce, but I had a lot of that variety and I like a mix). Heading lettuces are okay too, but I prefer loose leaf or loose head.
4. Corn (preferably sweet corn, but if I get other kinds, I'll give them a go too)
5. Melons, especially watermelons, but muskmelons/cantaloupes are cool too - I'd especially like some ambrosia! (I didn't save seed from my stuff because I had lots of different kinds growing and for many of them I didn't know for sure what they were. I saved some Blacktail, but I don't know if it's pure so I'm not sharing it)

I'd like a copy of George's hand pollination tips if the copy comes with those great pictures he has in the online post. If it's black and white, then skip it. What I don't have available to me is a good quality color printer.

I'm still not seeing a mailing address. It should show up in my email inbox, right?

Diane - come on....!! We take care of each other, right? I share somewhat of the same plight as you and gamebird. DH lost his job in February and hasn't been able to find ANYTHING! We are blessed in that we're older, don't have kids at home or credit card debt and can make it just fine on my salary but things are still tight sometimes. If we hadn't had the garden to not only save us grocery money, I think he'd have been bored to tears this summer! He packs my lunch every morning, starts my car for me and even fixes coffee to go that's waiting in the car! Then he spent the day tending to our garden and let me tell you...I'm gonna miss my built-in gardener if/when he goes back to work!!! I'd keep him as my "house-husband" if I thought he could stand it!

I don't have a wish list...I love surprises!

Paula

Soonergrandmom - I got the address once and only once, so thank you for sending it three ways! I wonder if something has expired on the game_bird address. I was having hotmail forward it... I'll check on that and thanks for letting me know.

melissa

I'm in Claremore too and I didn't have a whole lot of luck with the Aunt Ruby's German Greens but my Cherokee Purples this year flourished and we had trouble keeping up.

DH said the purples didn't really have a unique taste so much as more flesh and less seeds inside. He really liked em on his sandwiches and such as they didn't make his bread mush by the time he sat down to eat.

I've been told if you want good success with the German greens you have to time em to miss the summer heat spell because it just gets too hot here for them. I'm not going to try again...there's just too much other good stuff to plant this year to worry about em.

This was my first year gardening on my own...and it had been more than 10 years since I was helping Grams lol, so basically I'm a total newbie too :)

You all are building me quite a reading list! Guess I'd better get off the computer and stick my nose in these books :).

Mandy

Having a house-husband/garden helper must be wonderful. My DH is a great guy, but I cannot let him near the garden or any flower bed or shrub bed if he is operating any sort of equipment (lawn tractor, mower, string trimmer, chain saw, etc.) because if I do, something will die. Once he was weedeating around the cedar arbor that serves as the entryway to my garden and he took out almost an entire 'Pink Lemonade' honeysuckle about 4" above the ground. Luckily, it resprouted and regrew. He's not a gardener and he means well, but he is a plant slayer, so he does us both a favor and pretty much stays out of my garden.

Game bird, I'm glad you'll having some positive activity in the job search area and hope one of those positions that sounds promising does work out for you.

Your e-mail problems remind us to let one another know when we're e-mailing them because sometimes those e-mails go through and sometimes they don't, as I learned last year when mailing out all those onions and tomato seeds.

Dannigirls, You're welcome and I'm glad you got Louise Riotte's book. It is a terrific book and I believe now I have read every book she's written and I love them all. She was quite a prolific writer and sometimes ghost-wrote for other garden writers, including Jerry Baker.

Be very careful with this whole building up the seed stash thing, because it is addictive. I think we all have the attitude that you can never have too many seeds.

Mandy,

I have found Cherokee Purple to be a challenging tomato to grow. I think I grew it for 2 or 3 years before it finally started behaving and producing tasty tomatoes for me. It either had disease or we had either severe drought or severe flooding and it just didn't do well. Finally, though, I had a good year with it and it has done well ever since.

One thing to remember about tomatoes is that they are highly variable. Sometimes a variety will produce great-tasting fruit one year and then will produce sorry stuff the next year. I never 'give up' on any variety until I've tried it 2 or 3 years because of that variable behavior. For what it is worth, CP seems prone to be watered-down and have bland flavor in a wetter than average or cooler than average year, or if it is overfertilized or overwatered. So, if you give CP another chance and it is grown in a drier year, y'all likely will be more impressed with the flavor. Having said that, though, I now grow the closely-related Indian Stripe instead of CP because it produces earlier and better for me and has better flavor too.

Aunt Ruby's German Green does best for me as a late summer through late fall producer. The flavor is incredibly unique and will knock your socks off in a good year though.

My reading list stays long and varied. I love to read and I read very fast so I am constantly reading something new.

Carol, I don't have any wishes.....and I do love surprises. Well, I probably have wishes for some of the seeds Jay listed as being available from him earlier this summer. I need to go back and look at that list and talk to Jay and see what I think. My problem is that I want to grow everything, but don't have enough improved, fenced garden soil to make that possible. So many varieties....so little time and space!

Dawn

I have only grown Cherokee Purple one time and it was not a success. I bought the transplant from Tomato Man but later realized that it was in a very poor spot in my garden. I have improved the soil quite a lot since that time, so I bought another pack (at Baker Creek) so I could try it again next year.

Last year when I was planting flowers, I learned to appreciate the wintersowing method. If you follow guidelines and plant at the right time, I believe you could start most any seed with this method (I'll reserve peppers). I started my Sungold seed this way last year but started all of the other tomato seed under lights. Several of the Sungold plants I planted in February or March are still alive and still producing a few tomatoes. Maybe I was just lucky and tried the right variety, but this year I plan to plant tomato seeds both ways. I started lettuce (and all my cole crops) in the summer when it was still too hot to plant it in the garden, by putting it in a prepared milk jug in the shade and then transplanting it to a sunny bed. I am convinced this method works.

I am saying all of this so that I can get people to learn about this method. In addition, if you read about the method then you can order a sample size pack of tomatoes from Trudi for free. The list has over 100 on it and you can chose 6 with 4 alternates. If you include a $5 or more donation, you will get all 10, if not, then you get 6. They are just sample size packs but will give you enough seeds to try a new tomato and then you can save your own seed from it. You can also donate seed from your own tomatoes to keep the program going if you are careful and keep your seed true. You can only order using the form found on the page I will link. You need to include a legal size envelope addressed to yourself with 2 stamps ($.88) attached for the return trip. I like the method and I like this program so be sure to read about it instead of just ordering the seeds. The GardenWeb name for the forum is Winter Sowing, so you can read what others have to say about the method.

I don't have anything against winter sowing (and I know it works well in general) and I like it for some things, but I prefer to start my warm-season veggies inside in late winter so I can have them the size I want by transplant time. I do like winter sowing for flowers and herbs, especially those that need cold scarification, but I am too much of a control-freak, schedule-oriented veggie gardener to just winter sow my toms and wait for them to do their thing. To me, the worst thing in the world is to have a very warm March and to have tomato plants too small to set out. (Sadly, that very warm March has eluded me for the last three or four years, but my luck has to change.) Of course, there are not many people like me who expect to start harvesting fresh Toms in April (from containers) or in May (from in-ground plants) at the latest. LOL

I would never winter sow pepper seeds either because I think the young plants get exposed to cold soil temps early in their growing cycle that stunts their growth and delays production. There are not many veggies, though, that are as severely impacted and stunted by exposure to cold as the peppers are. Of course, broccoli and other cold crops can be, and so can onions, but they can handle a lot more cold than peppers can.

I think what Trudy does with winter-sowing is amazing and she has had a profound impact on so many people with her seed-sharing---I don't know anyone who shares more seeds with more people in a given year than Trudy, and I think her Winter Sowing technique is great, but it doesn't always work well for me because of my wildlife issues. Anything I have growing outside in winter, whether it is small containers of tiny winter-sown plants, or house-raised seedlings I am hardening off, I have to take into the garage or screened-in porch at night or the varmints get them. If I forget to carry them in just once, something will find them and tear into them without fail. Sometimes I think the raccoons sit in the woods on a winter's afternoon and wait for me to go inside so they can run over and destroy any plants I mindlessly leave sitting on the patio. There's times I wish we had an impenetrable 12' tall wildlife fence around our yard to keep the wildlife out.

I am going to winter sow a lot of flowers and herbs after the winter solstice, but my precious baby veggies will sprout and start indoors where I can play God and control their temperature and light exposure. : )

Dawn

Also, having lived in your neck of the woods, I know it can go from winter to summer almost over night some years. We have so many days in spring when it is nice outside, but you know winter isn't over. I had two groups of plants last year. One group was cold hardy and could stand the weather, no matter what, and the other group I had on a little metal wagon and on cold nights I pushed it into a small building where it had shetler from the wind and frost, but no additional heat. I think I brought the tomatoes inside the house for three nights after they sprouted because I was afraid of losing them.

Like I said before, I will still continue to do both methods until I learn which is best for each veggie. If I find WS to be safe for most, then I will do it, because it is much easier.

I wanted everyone to be aware of the tomato offer also.

This afternoon I have had the seed storage box out, cleaning it up, trying to sort seeds back into their appropriate categories, etc. I have no idea (ha!) who messes up this box so badly. All I can say is that somebody in our family has far too many seeds. I still have a Wal-Mart bag full of seed packets to finish sorting through and to file away in the right gallon-sized zip-lock (one for each kind of veggie, but flowers and herbs are just lumped together), and then I can start filling up my little envelopes for the swap.

After looking through the seeds, I can tell I won't have to order very many varieties for 2010 because I already have most of what I want to grow.

It was good to make everyone aware of the tomato seed offer on the winter sowing forum...or at least everyone who reads this thread.

Dawn

Then I got to your flower part and remembered that there is a whole shoe box full in another place. I have a lot of annuals to plant for next year thanks to Lisa and Seedmama, and some offers and swaps I made last year. I did a lot of the perennials last winter. A few bloomed this year, but most should be pretty by next year.

My flower bed that normal looks the prettiest to me was the pits this year. It has lots of hosta, and that big stray dog that was here for a month or so, slept on top of them too many nights. I hope they make a comeback next year. In another bed he liked the canna, and on the side of the house he picked the day lillies. Of course, they came back since they are just the plain old ditch lillies that will grow anywhere.

I had hoped to do a lot of work on my yard this year, and I did do some, but with all the digging during the spring construction, it still looks really bad. There is always next year. I keep saying that, don't I?

Jay, thanks for checking in. It sounds like you may be the only one that can provide seeds that Dawn will want to grow. LOL I told you that you had a seed store.

I keep hoping that George will post something that he would REALLY like to have.

The new restaurant must really be keeping the Chef busy since I haven't seen him on line in a long time. Where is Ilene? It's too late in the year for her to be out in her bee costume polinating plants. I hope she isn't sick. It seems a lot of people are. That flu is scarey and makes me avoid crowds when at all possible.

I would like some butternut squash if any comes in, but I'm not picky otherwise. I've got limited space and would be perfectly happy with herbs and ornamentals. I think someone mentioned dill; that sounds good. My favorite herbs to use in cooking are oregano and thyme.

I have some Sparky Mix Marigold seeds I can send too. They always perform well for me and marigolds are said to be good for veggies.

I did get my hands on a green-striped cushaw pumpkin that weighs about 12 pounds. When I open it up I'll have seeds from that to trade but I probably won't do that for a couple months yet as I want to see how long it will keep.

I am, however, going to try really hard to get to the swap if it's held again in the spring in Oklahoma City or elsewhere. I'm really wanting to get to meet a lot of you face-to-face, since we've become practically family and all. By then I should have everything ready, including those bushel basket gourd seed and maybe some Black Pearl ornamental pepper. I'm getting maybe 12 seeds out of each little pepper that ripens and I'm waiting on more of them to ripen. A lot of what I have to trade does not exactly fall into the vegetable category.

It looks like your seed swap is going to be a great success! Rock on! --Ilene

I do feel like we all have become like family here.

My absolute favorite way to plant is to clean up a bed in the late fall, add any amendments which that bed needs, and then surface sow flower and herb seeds for earliest spring---stuff like hollyhocks, Laura Bush petunias, violas, chamomile, parsley, chives, sweet alyssum, larkspur, malva and poppies just to name a few. These start sprouting for me shortly after the winter solstice--usually by mid January at the latest, and I'll usually have blooms on the larkspur in March or April and on the poppies in April. The others are more variable. These early plants keep me smiling until the weather warms up enough for everything else to sprout and grow.

Because the weather has been so oddly cool and wet, I already have brand-new small bluebonnet plants up, and malva, petunias and chamomile as well, and those are things that have sprouted in the mulch before I've had a chance to clean up the beds yet since the fall garden is still going and growing and producing.

I've bought some large-ish clear plastic storage containers with snap-on lids and I'm going to try putting winter-sown containers inside those larger containers to see if I can keep the raccoons and other varmints out of them. I still might have to put a large brick or rock on top of the storage containers but I don't 'think' the coons can open them because the lids snap on pretty securely. The problem may be that the coons, possums or skunks will be able to turn the large storage containers over and spill everything out of the growing containers even if they remain inside the larger clear containers.

Ilene, Maybe we can do a flower and herb exchange in December or January. I have a lot of non-veggies too, and less and less space for them every year as the veggies take over the world.

I have had green-and-white-striped Cushaws last forever in some years, and one year I grew bushel gourds and it took them a year or two to completely dry out so I could do something with the dried gourd shell.

Carol, I have no idea if any of us even could come up with a veggie variety George would be tempted to try--he has so many marvelous ones already.

George, I might have one that would tempt you---Texas Moschata Indian Squash, although it wouldn't surprise me either if you already have it.

Dawn

Sorry that there are others out there dealing with unemployment as well. It's scary stuff! And I'll stop right there so I don't show you all my nervous breakdown. LOL

Diane

I am beginning to see a few wishes that I can fill and I hope all of you are also. Sometimes things that seem very "common" to one person, are something very new to another. Like gamebird said, it is nice to mix it up a little and have variety so we have some new things to try.

Ilene, I am sorry that I made the time too short for you to play. I was trying to wait until harvest was over for most of us, and short enough to finish before Christmas. We will look forward to trades with you in the Spring.

Welcome aboard tigerdawn and owiebrain.

George and Jay - I know you like to give but we would like you to think of something you really want and I will look for it. Of course, Dawn probably has it anyway. LOL

And to Dawn and others - YEP! That's me! I volunteered for the Spring Swap and I'm looking forward to it! We have 2 1/2 acres about 12 miles off of either 1-40 or I-35 in northeast Norman just north of Lake Thunderbird. I think Carol is maybe the one that told me she once lived about a mile from here. Easy to find and plenty of room for parking cars, got a large metal garage for tables so if it rains we can all fit under a roof. Got 2 bathrooms in the house so that will accomodate too. The way I see it, wouldn't be more than a 3 hour drive for Jay and he lives the farthest as far as I can tell. Even DH is looking forward to it! Since it's a "spring" thing...do we have it in April? or March? early May? It doesn't really matter since none of those are "deer season" which would be my only problem (hehe--DH is quite the hunter). I'm kinda guessing we might make it like a "pot-luck" too but if not, that ok also. No one ever leaves my home hungry so I can cover that too. But enough about that...let's get on with our seed swap now and oh my gosh...just think of what we'll have in the spring!

Dang it....just remembered that this weekend was going to have the grandson help me count out my packets. He's crashed right now, but I'll bet I work that in tomorrow before I deliver him back to his mom (my youngest daughter). I can't wait to see what surprises are coming! And I'm looking forward to having a face to put with all of you "family" in the spring.

Paula

Today's the day I am going to sit and package my seeds, so if any of you are looking for something special that I might have, please post your wish list if you haven't already.

Diane, Thank you. You don't have time for a nervous breakdown, you know. As for being prideful and hardheaded, LOL, you don't hold a monopoly on that. I am prideful and hardheaded myself.

Paula, I am so looking forward to the spring swap and it is so nice to have the location 'locked up' this far in advance. You are a saint to offer to host this event, but I am sure we all will be good guests. We normally 'aim' for the last weekend or two in April, but it is your house and you can pick whichever weekend you want. : ) By late April, most people's seedlings are large enough to give away and both Easter and Spring Break are over. Sometimes our swap date does conflict with some of the herb or plant festivals around the state, though, and that can be hard to avoid.

We usually do make it a potluck lunch and the food is always yummy and we emjoy the food and fellowship as much as the exchange of plants and seeds. In fact, as much fun as it is to bring home seeds, plants and other goodies, my favorite part of it all is just the opportunity to meet folks I haven't met before and to see 'old' friends again.

Another nice thing about the swap is that if anyone has had a crop failure with an early spring crop or with seedlings, someone else usually brings enough similar plants or seeds to help that person get started on a second chance with the 'failed' crop.

Yalll, I know we'll stay busy the next several weeks with the seed swap, then we'll be busy from late November through early January with the holidays, and then it will be catalog, seed ordering and seed starting time. No wonder the weeks and months and years fly by so fast!

Dawn

1. macmex - "can't think of anything I want" LOL

2. okiedawn - Likes surprises.

3. gamebird - Tomato, sweet peppers (bell or banana), spinach, lettuce, salad greens, corn (especially sweet), watermelon, canteloupe.

4. p-mac - Likes suprieses

5. mspriggs - Pickling cukes, Tomato (Better Boy, Better Bush, Marcelino, or Cherry), vining okra, chives, iceberg lettuce.

6. mjandkids - Old timey or warsaw pumpkins, Cherokee Purple tomato, and Romaine lettuce.

7. dannigirls garden - Hasn't requested anything yet, but this will be her 2nd veggie garden so we should be able to think of lots of things. LOL

8. Owiebrain - Beans, eggplant (Ichiban, Thai Green), cabbage, lettuce, herbs, melons, peppers, tomatoes (Brandy Boy, Creole, Eva Purple Bull, Fox Cherry)

9. tigerdawn - Butternut squash, herbs and ornamentals, especially dill, oregano, thyme.

10. soonergrandmom - I said peppers and tomatoes, but I like to try most everything. Diane I might be willing to fight you for Creole tomato. I've been looking for that one myself.

11. elkwc - Has only committed to giving, not receiving, so we will have to figure out that one later.

I hope that everyone will get to receive 20 packs that are all different and a few bonus packs also. Since we have fewer than 20 people, it would be possible to get more than one pack of something if someone sends only one kind of seed. I will split it out the best way I can and hopefully everyone will be surprised and happy. I think swaps are fun and I hope everyone enjoys doing this one.

Post your wishes if you just thought of something!!!

If any of these wishes have changed, let us know, and feel free to add to your wish list. It's a cinch you will not receive everything on your wish list, but hopefully you will receive something.

It's nice to want you have and have what you want!

George

I have only attended the Spring swap one time, but I enjoyed it and look forward to another one. It is fun to put faces to the people you feel like you already know. I didn't plant melons last Spring, but brought home one of Dawn's and ate them all summer. I thought of her everytime I pulled one. I met George and brought home a great bean, and enjoyed meeting Lisa with her great humor and her flower seeds. Moni brought me something special, and seedmama became a good friend. I have missed seeing her on the forum, but I still get an email now and then. We spend so much time talking to each other that we become good friends first....and then we meet. It's fun.

George

I am not a big herb grower so it is nice to be able to pick up just a plant or two at the swap. Dawn brought a hundred or so tomato plants so there was something for everyone. Everyone that came brought nice things and good food, so it was a fun day.

I've got enough pumpkin seed to plant 20 acres worth. SHEESH! What was I thinking?? Tigerdawn - if I had known, I'd have a TON of chives...maybe they'll still bloom. If not, I'll have some for the spring swap. Do ornamental peppers count? Can someone tell me how to harvest seeds from thyme?

Back to counting pumpkin seeds....1001, 1002, 1003 =)
Paula

Hey Dawn- when you use your lights to grow your seed indoors what kind of bulbs do you use? I had some shop lights given to me, but didn't know if I could use the regular bulbs or needed to buy some grow bulbs. I usually start my seed indoors also. But, I start them in the window sill. So, I was excited when I was given the grow lights so I can grow more seed this year indoors to give them a really good head start.

Melissa, I just use the plain old ordinary shoplight bulbs. They work just fine. I have used the more expensive growlights and also some different kinds of aquarium type lights our son bought, and the plain old ordinary (and much cheaper) shop lights work just as well as the more expensive 'special' ones.

The key to success with lights is to keep your lights so close to the seed flats that the lights practically touch the flats, and later on the plants. If you raise your lights too high too soon, the plants stretch to reach the light, get leggy and fall over and often die. My lights are suspended by little chains so I can raise or lower them as needed.

Dawn

Is vining okra that luffa plant?

George

I think the first year I planted chamomile, I just surfaced sowed it in a flat and transplanted the tiny plants outside when they were a couple of inches tall. It has reseeded ever since. However, if I want to start plants in a new bed, I just surface sow the tiny seeds atop a bed in November or December. The seeds need light to germinate and often germinate quickly in the fall or winter, but if they've been sown while it is very cold, you might not see sprouts until January or February.

I have small chamomile plants growing in my garden now that have sprouted during the last couple of weeks. If you don't deadhead your chamomile, it will spread quite easily. Obviously, if you are planting chamoile to harvest, you'll likely cut off the flower heads before they go to seed, and it is less likely to become invasive if you harvest it regularly before it sets seed.

Dawn

Hopefully none of you will get your package returned, but if you do, just make them take it back and let the PO try again. Don't pay for it twice because it is their problem.

I am involved in another swap which was mailed Priority Mail from Georgia on Saturday. I have been watching on-line tonight as people in IL, KY, SD, and CA have already received their package. If mine doesn't show up tomorrow I may be reporting another one. They only CALL it Postal "service", but it isn't really.

Sorry in advance if it comes back. You can tape this message to the package if you want and then maybe they will no how mad I am.....again. Carol

You mentioned Roma type tomatoes for cooking. I just don't care a whole lot for many Roma types. They tend to get blossom end rot more easily in periods of highly variable rainfall. The one's I like best are San Marzano Redorta, Amish Paste, Polish Linguisa, Viva Italia and Opalka. However, the best producing paste-type tomatoes I've ever grown are Burpee's Big Mama and Martino's Roma. I haven't grown any of the various Heinz tomatoes and I need to try some of those to see how they perform and taste.

I don't grow as many paste types as I used to. Nowadays, I just grow a lot of heavy-producing, non-paste hybrids (Supersonic, Jet Star, Primetime, Ramapo, Red Defender, Scarlet Red, Mountain Fresh, Brandy Boy and Mountain Glory) for cooking and mix them in with heirlooms (Royal Hillbilly, True Black Brandywine, Chocolate Strips, Indian Stripe, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Nebraska Wedding, Momotaro) for sauces, stewed tomatoes and tomato puree that I can freeze or can for winter. I reserve the Roma types strictly for salsa and even then I often mix in the regular heirloom tomatoes. I just cut the regular ones and let them sit in the sink iin the colander for a while to drain off the excess water before we make the salsa.

To me, most Romas just don't have enough flavor, although that doesn't matter much in salsa since the other ingredients do have the flavor. In cooking tomatoes, I like to use the regular ones because they produce so many more tomatoes and such large ones. When I mix together a nice blend of hybrids and heirlooms, I always end up with better-flavored sauces than those made from Romas alone.

I do like to use yellow heirlooms, like Dr. Wyche's Yellow or Azoychka for beautiful yellow salsas, or orange heirlooms like Nebraska Wedding for orange salsas, but have been disappoined with my attempts at cooked yellow tomato sauce. It tends to turn a really horrible yellow-brown when cooked and it just doesn't look very appetizing.

Dawn

(I didn't even know I had a wishlist up still. LOL I think that was just me beginning a basic outline and then I forgot to go back and flesh it out. Santa needs to bring me a secretary!)

I sure hope the employment fairy visits us soon so we have enough spare moolah to make it to the spring swap! It's been what? Three or so years since I last saw you folks.

Diane

Dawn- When do you start planting your seeds indoors? Also, do you think my garage would be ok to grow them since I have lights? I would put them at the front where it doesn't get as cold and is not right by the door. I would like my plants to be pretty established and big when it comes time to put them in the ground.

Carol, here's Jerreth's wish list. Some, I believe, are not seeds. I don't know much about some, so I can't say how practical they are.

Marjoram
Rosemary
lovage
fennel
dianthus
nasturtiums
Holly hocks
Chamomile
Oregano
Thyme
Pennyroyal
Poppy
Solomon's seal
spikenard
Black Cohash
Caraway
Different kinds of Basil
Sage

George

tigerdawn - Welcome to our world because several of us on here are confused. We just pick a different topic everyday to be confused about. LOL The seed swap is a mail in/mail out only swap. In the spring we have a get-together where we share seeds, plants, transplants, food, and fun. It is usually somewhere in the OKC area and the discussion earlier was to have it at Paula's house rather than at the park next spring.

The first seed pack has arrived. She had to send it to me twice, but this time the PO got it right. My DH said he saw the mailman yesterday and told him I was hot. He dropped off the mail and left pretty fast today, but he did bring the package. Actually, he is very nice and he isn't the one sending them back. It is someone at the local post office because they stamp the package then return it and the carrier doesn't have that stamp. We have been through this before.....several times. I no longer complain at the local post office, I just write to the powers above and let it float down to them. That way, I know I will get action.

I think that several packages should arrive tomorrow and Friday, so I will begin posting their arrival so you know that I have them. From the way my email looks, I think I will be sorting through a LOT of seeds. As soon as I know that I have them all, I will start sorting and get them back out as soon as possible.

Thanks everybody for playing. This is fun. Carol

I can only hope the Spring Swap is this much fun!

Paula

George

I would not advise starting your seeds in a garage because most garages get much colder than you'd think. Our large barn-style detached garage is well-insulated but it still gets too cold in January and February at night for me to even consider starting seeds out there. I start my seeds on a light shelf in the guest room. If young tomato and pepper plants (especially the pepper plants) get too cold at night they can remain stunted and slow to take off, grow and produce when warmer weather arrives.

Paula, The plant swaps are more fun than you can imagine. We not only bring ourselve and our plants, but also seeds to share, door prizes to pass out (anything can be a door prize--a gardening book, a tool, gloves, craft items, etc......last year George brought fresh goat's milk!), a covered dish or drinks for a potluck meal, children, spouses, friends, etc. The swap is just a great excuse for us to get together to meet one another, or to renew friendships from previous years.

George, Uh oh. Now Carol is going to have to scold those post office folks again.

Dawn

I opened a message this morning in my email which was from the local postmaster who was sending me a "sincere apology for the inconvenience" of returning gamebird's package. The next email was from George saying they returned his package also. I wrote the postmaster a HOT email in return, but it went to a mail server that rejected it, so I had to call. So even my e-mail gets returned. He evidently went in early this morning to answer my email, then took the day off.

I told his assistant that I was expecting 12 packages in the next two weeks and so far they were 2 for 2. Two mailed, two returned. One of the 12 is a flat-rate "Priority Mail" mailed from Georgia last weekend and it still hasn't arrived. I have watched as the other boxes were delivered several days ago to KY, IL, SD, OR and CA, but not to Oklahoma. They are searching the post office for that one right now, but my guess would be that it has already been returned as well.

I have talked to my carrier (who is great), and complained to the post office, dealt with the postmaster, contacted a level over his head, etc. Since I had 3 packages totally disappear that were never delivered to me, nor returned to the sender, I requested that we be allowed to move our mailbox in case things were being stolen from that location. They granted our request, so we called OKIE got all of the lines marked, bought lumber, set up a new area and four of us bought new matching mailboxes that we installed on one level to make it easy on the carrier. We bought big mailboxes and installed them at exactly the height the carrier wanted and he loved it. We thought this solved our problem. The postmaster drove out and approved what we had done.

I dropped out of a swap that would have lasted all year because I wanted to make sure that my problem was solved. I did my first one last month and that is the box that I am waiting for from Georgia. How long must I wait????

Now this!!! I am so sorry that it is happening again and that some of you are getting your mail back. I am also sorry that I only have a post office, and not POSTAL SERVICE. Just give the package back to them and make them try again. Gamebird had to mail hers twice, but the 2nd time it got her the following day.....no change in address.

I worked 20 years for the Feds and I can assure you that if I had done my job like this, or any of my employees had, we would have been out the door. My husband and I both worked in government contracting, and we watched every penny like it was our own. The waste that I see now is just killing me to watch. Just for the record, I think the Post Office has more "loafers" than Shoe Carnival.

George

Oh, was that you? I thought it was an earthquake.

I'm holding my second package and will mail it tomorrow instead of today, so that way if my first package comes back, you can yell at them again...and then I'll resend the first package at the same time I send the second one.

This is sort of ridiculous and I hate that it keeps happening to you.

The Marietta Post Office has top-notch people and so does the Thackerville Post Office, and I've never heard of anyone here having trouble with mail delivery like you're having there.

Dawn

George

I really and truly believe this is the first time I've seen Satan mentioned on this forum. LOL

I known we've referred to bermuda as evil and maybe someone has used the word 'devil' before, but I believe Satan just made his debut performance.

Maybe evil spirits do lurk at the local post office. Who ya gonna call....Ghostbusters!

If it wasn't so frustrating for you, this would be funny....but ONLY funny because it is sad as in pathetic. This is our U.S. postal service paid for with our tax dollars and for them to continually reject properly addressed mail being sent to an address that has existed and received mail for years is mind-boggling.

Dawn

I bet the seeds I mailed Wed. morning will be in my mail box (instead of yours) on Friday or Saturday. To conduct a test, by the way, Tim mailed us an invitation to the VFD's Christmas Party on Tuesday. He mailed it Tuesday afternoon in Thackerville, it went to OKC and was postmarked there, and was in our mailbox Wed. morning, roughly 18 hours after he mailed it.

I thought the .gov cut the umbilical cord a few years ago and now they have to completely fund themselves. That was the "reasoning" I was given by the P.O. for the quickly-rising rates in recent years. Might not be true as I never read up on it, just taking the USPS employees word for it.

Anyway...

Carol, I thought my P.O. was bad but they're nothing compared to yours! Mine just does idiotic things in spurts once every now and then but, most of the time, they do a fine job. Those occasional spurts are enough to drive me batty -- I can't imagine how you keep your sanity.

Diane

I suppose they are (theoretically, at least) self-supporting, but it still is the postal system our own federal government built and developed if you know what I mean. (It scares me to think of the federal government getting their hands on our overall health care system even though I would like to see everyone have accessible and affordable health care/insurance.)

Our local postal carriers here in Love County are not even direct employees of the postal service any more...they are contract labor. One of the reasons our local postal carrier is retiring in 2010 is because, under her current contract, the job doesn't pay well enough for her to replace her own aging vehicle...and when you are a contract carrier, you have to supply your own vehicle. I don't know if every county has contract carriers, but we do here.

I bet if we had private industries competing to deliver the mail at competitive rates, the service would be a great deal better than it is now. Even if they are supposedly self-sufficient in terms of paying their own way, the postal service doesn't have to worry that we're going to take our mail 'business' elsewhere. LOL I suspect if we had "Jim's Mail Service" or whatever and "Jim" had to compete with other firms for our business, we'd get much better service because of the competition.

The worst mail issues we have here is that occasionally our next door neighbor's mail ends up in our box, and I just walk a third of a mile up the road to their box and drop it in there. We've had a lot more trouble with Fed Ex dropping packages at the wrong addresses, but I cannot even blame them because out here in the rural areas the roads mostly don't have signs and often one road will have 2 or 3 names and it is just insane to try and find anything. We're trying to pass an Enhanced 911 measure here in Love County in December, and at least the road renaming system needed for Enhanced 911 will give us more uniform road names, although they actually all will be numbers and not 'nouns'.

Diane, you and I are assuming Carol is still sane. LOL I'm hoping she doesn't go to the P.O. and 'go postal' on them.

OK, it is time for my mail to be here, so I'm going to walk down to the box and see if the seeds I mailed Carol have been returned. Anyone want to place bets on this one?

Dawn

Poor, poor Carol. LOL Still, I'm going to bet on Dawn's making it through because even USPS knows & fears Dawn's Mighty SuperSeed Power!

Diane

When I checked the morning mail, the package we mailed to you on Tuesday wasn't returned to us in it, so I went ahead and sent the second package today. I hope you receive them.

You are so patient. I'd just be beside myself right now.

Diane,

LOL I do try to share extra tomatoes with our USPS people when I have extras. Do you think that will earn me enough brownie points to keep the seed packages from coming back?

Now that I have cleaned out my seed box and shared some seeds, I have a strong urge to order more seeds. It is an addiction.

Dawn

That's good to know. Let's see how long it lasts. LOL

The second package is on its way.

Dawn

For the record our mail here is questionable also. This is a newly established address (about a year ago) but we still have things returned to people "invalid address". There are no duplicate road names or numbers here. Our carrier just shakes his head when he hands me a letter that makes it through on the second or third go round. We haven't had any mail issues since June and I'm hoping that holds when you send my seeds back to me :-) I can just imagine your reaction if they started trying to send all those boxes back to you...ugh. I'm thinking I may just start using UPS. That guy's been making it to my doorstep since the second week we lived here and we've had no problems with them.

Problems aside, this is my first swap and it's fun :-D

Mandy

The packages are looking wonderful and I think we will have some happy people when your seeds are received. My DH had the news station on this morning and had just heard something that made him very unhappy with the government (what else is new) when the mail came. I came back in the house and said, "Man, these are big packages with a lot of seed. Everyone is being so generous". He said, "Those people are just nice aren't they? To bad some of them don't run for Congress." LOL

The post office said that one of the packages had a bad zip code and they had marked it out in black letters and had a label there to call it to my attention. I am not sure they were right. I could clearly see 4 numbers but they had darkened it so badly that I couldn't quite make out the third number. Anyway, the seeds made it here, what little sanity I had is still in place, and we will see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks everybody for being so nice. Carol

George

Unemployment benefits are different than they used to be. You can now apply on-line. You also report your weekly job searches on-line or the phone. AND the "unemployment" office of the State is different from the "employment" office now, and it's a county office. DH has enrolled there and now is considered a "displaced" worker and is due to start school in Jan. w/benefits continuing for him to learn a new skill.

You & yours will be in my prayers every, every day.

Paula

I am so sorry this happened to you. I know that it can be so disheartening and shocking when this happens to somebody. Like Paula said, this has happened to several of our forum members this year and I keep all of them in my prayers.

We will be praying for you and your family, and I know I don't have to remind you that when one door closes, another one opens. Keep thinking positive thoughts and remember all of us are here for you.

I know there probably is nothing we can do to help you right now, but if you think of anything you need now or later on, please tell us.

Hugs and best wishes to you and Jerreth.

Dawn

When I started to bed last night, my husband said, "I prayed for George. I didn't know his last name, but Heavenly Father does."

I told him your last name and said another prayer for you myself. I don't suppose you saw any of this coming in advance.

I saw something the other day that said, "Don't tell God how big your storm is, but tell the storm how big your God is." It is a rough time right now for so many, but I know your family has strong faith and you will also have the prayers of many others.

Please know that both Al and I have you in our prayers and hopefully your problem will soon be solved.

Paula, glad to hear you're at least getting unemployment. George, I hope you can as well! We can't get it due to hubby being a subcontractor rather than employee so I'm no help on the benefits available.

Santa needs to bring everyone jobs for Christmas. LOL

Diane

George

I will be keeping my fingers crossed that you find something quickly.

All who need it will be in my prayers.

Glenda

George, my husband said that your three months severance would be like the widow's flour barrel. I am glad that you have so many skills to fall back on so you can "keep bread on the table" until you can get back to your profession. God bless you and yours until this is over.

You can reach the unemployment office at 1-800-555-1554. Calls go through best Wednesday and Thursday. The first time around, talk to an operator. After that, you can apply online.

Not only did they take your job away from you, but they made you write a letter of resignation! That makes me so mad. A lot of employers add insult to injury in this way, just so they won't have to pay higher unemployment taxes. I'm sure it's not so much about you as it is about them.

My daughter had a good-paying job in Tulsa, with benefits, and the month before she was scheduled to use her sick time and her insurance to get gastric bypass surgery, they fired her! How they did it was they just watched her like hawks and wrote down every little thing she did or didn't do that wasn't to their liking. The real reason they let her go was because they didn't want her using the sick time she had accumulated, and insurance is such a funny thing, you have it till you need to use it, then when you do, they increase the premiums. All businesses know that when their employees have surgery, the group insurance premium is affected. She has been struggling ever since. Got another job but it doesn't pay very much. I'm a dinosaur. I remember when employers really cared about their employees, knew their families, and would cut their own incomes before they'd let someone go.

George, things will work out, we have been through this sort of thing before and when we look back on it, we can always see how it was actually a blessing that it happened because it opened the door for an opportunity we wouldn't have otherwise had. This will happen for you, too. Just keep your eyes and ears open.

I think you ought to go to the Unemployment agency, too. What they have done to you at your job is horrible. Maybe you will find out, if you report your situation, that this is how they terminate everyone there. I think this is probably pretty close to being illegal. But I understand that it is getting so common now that prospective employers don't hold it against a job applicant when they say they were fired. At least now it is illegal for a previous employer to tell a prospective employer anything other than the time period that you worked there. So at least they won't be able to stab you in the back again. You are better off out of there, if that's the kind of people they are. The state unemployment agency has job listings online that you can apply for. Put the word out, also, at your church. We have had a couple of friends who lost their jobs and eventually took paying jobs at the churches where they had always been members.

Of course our prayers will include you and your family. Please keep us posted as to how it goes. --Ilene

Mandy, I hope you won't be mad at me, but I took two of your packages and split them into smaller packages. Each of them had lots of seeds and I thought they were both desirable things that a lot of people would like to try. I think I made three packs from one and 6 or 7 from the other. I think you will know which ones I mean. One was giant and one was dwarf, if that gives you a clue.

Several people have sent enough packs of one item that everyone will get a pack to try. These are good things too, and I am anxious to try them.

I have given everyone a number and I am marking each seed packet with a number so I can make sure that you don't get back any of your own seeds, but since several of you have sent the same seeds, I hope I can keep from sending you one of those. Sorting is not going to be a simple matter, because all of you have been so generous. We have a lot of seed already and I haven't received everyone's package yet. I hope I have time to set up a spread sheet to help me a little with the sorting, but since next week is Thanksgiving and I will have company from Wednesday until Saturday, my time will not be totally free. LOL At any rate, I will try hard to get things mailed back within one week of receiving the last of them.

Thanks for playing. I think you will enjoy some of the surprises. If there's a vegetable that you just hate.....you better tell me now. There is also still time to post a wish list if you have thought of something new.

George

I love seed swaps. I love packaging up seeds and sending them and imagining how much other people will enjoy trying them, and I love receiving a package of surprises back in return.

George,

You truly have a heart of gold and are so giving and kind. I hope you know that I appreciate you and Jerreth every single day and so admire the work y'all have done for decades through SSE. Just think....there are people all over the country (perhaps all over the world!) enjoying seeds that you have shared so graciously for many years. What a warm fuzzy feeling!!!!

I truly believe the kindness and blessings you give to others are returned to you many times over and that is one reason I am so confident you will come through this unemployment crisis in good shape. And I am still praying for you and all the others here who find themselves searching for work in difficult economic times.

Dawn

And George, I wish I'd known Jerreth wanted Oregano and Soloman's Seal. Have the herb in the garden the other wild in the woods. They both spread by runners. It would probably be better to transplant them in the spring.

Dorothy, we may make it over your way in the spring. we had such a wonderful time that it should be easy to make it an outing.

Dawn (Okiedawn) thanks. You're right, the Lord will take care of us. Right now we're really hurting. Yet, we are living in plenty and providentially had been preparing for this for months, yet without knowing it.

I didn't send any, but if anyone is interested in a rather odd bean, I could send a sample of Tarahuma Pink Green Bean. The late John Futterman, in Berkley CA sent this one to me back in the mid 90s when we were living in Hidalgo, Mexico. It's originally a Mexican bean, and it is daylight sensitive. But it does produce this far North. It just grows and grows and grows all summer. Then, in September, POW! The whole vine bursts into beautiful pink flowers and sets tons of pods. The pods are the sweetest of any I've ever tried, and quite delicious, though they do toughen up quickly, and hence I would not recommend it as a main crop snap. But, the pods also mature very rapidly and it produces a huge crop of easy to shell pink kidney shaped beans, with black markings. They are truly beautiful.

When we came back from Mexico our middle girl adopted this bean, as "her heirloom." Whenever I grew it, I'd give her the seed. Anyway, I didn't realize it, but she didn't rotate, but rather kept the older seed in her favorite jar, and lost the recent seed. This year, when I asked to grow it out, all the seed I could locate was non viable. Finally, digging through my seed drawers, I found two loose seeds, which looked to be either this or Ralph's Italian Heirloom (oxidation made it impossible to distinguish). I planted them on a pole and they came up. By August I knew which one I had, because the vines hadn't bloomed and required another pole and had enveloped two large tomato plants in cages. I'm still shelling and picking the pods. the production is amazing.

George

Love to have you back in the spring. Come when you can stay a while and we will make more time for visiting--and that glass of apple juice.

You said to tell you if we really don't like something. We don't have any complete dislikes here but I did want to remind you about soybeans and how big a no-no they are around here.

I'm just thrilled my package made it instead of being bounced back. Have fun with all the sorting :-)

Oh, and George remember this. Lucado's right when he says "You can no more alter God than a pebble can alter the rhythm of the Pacific", and the Bible promises "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall now want." You have a big God and He will not forsake you. I agree with Ilene--just keep your eyes open and you'll find what you need. There is no situation God has not already planned your victory in. Stand firm on one of my absolute favorites--Psalm 27 :-) I'm praying for you that He will direct your path in the way of victory and that He will bring you His calming presence as you wind your way through this current obstacle.

Smiles and hugs to all of my seed buddies :-)

Mandy

Carol - managed to get my package off to you today (mailed from the FAA post office). I join the others in saying don't worry about sending as much back as I've sent. Mercy, when I got started there was no stopping me! I don't know how zealous everyone else got, but send any extras along to someone who can use them if you've got too many. I was afraid I was the last hold out, but Dorothy has joined so YEA! HEHE! And if I sent too much postage, use it for those others too.

And George, how wonderful you can see God's guidance in preparing you & yours for this without you knowing! I'm always so amazed still and thankful when I realize that has happened in my life. Still praying for all of us that need the "Employment Angel" to pay a visit.

Paula

THIS SWAP IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED.

I know Lisa mentioned an flower swap so maybe someone will host that. If not, we can trade those in the spring.

Status report:

1. Okiedawn - Here (both)
2. Gamebird - Here
3. Macmex - Here
4. Soonergrandmom - Here
5. Owiebrain - Here
6. Mspriggs - Here
7. Mjandkids - Here
8. P-mac - Mailed 11/23
9. Dannigals-garden - Unknown
10. Tigerdawn - Unknown (Did you mail on Sat. as planned?)
11. Mulberryknob - Unknown
12. Elkwc - Jay, I counted you as in the swap. Am I right?

You guys know I have mail problems sometimes, so if you have sent a package that you think should be here by now, please let me know. My Post Office is "a place where everybody knows my name". But they will forget by next week.

Everyone, sounds like y'all are going to have a wonderful swap! I had to open one of my gourds as it was starting to rot, and looks like the seed is going to be viable. But I have still to cut into my Cushaw pumpkin and the Black Pearl peppers are still ripening, so I'm still planning on spring. I'm trying to get organized but it's going to take some time....

It sounds like you had the same fog we had, and I am just glad you made it to work safely. This was the worst visibility we've had here in several years.

Y'all,

I suspect Carol is now officially buried under an avalanche of seeds, and more still are on the way. Isn't it great?

Ilene,

I'm sure there will be plenty of people with seeds to swap with you in the spring.

Winter squash and hot peppers seem to ripen their seed at their own pace. Even though the top portion of my Black Pearl peppers froze last week, the bottom half is still blooming and forming more peppers. Last year, one of them survived in a pot almost all winter although it was on the patio and had a little shelter there from the frost.

Dawn

Dorothy yours is here.
Paula yours is here.
tigerdawn if the return address is from Del City then I got yours too.

I haven't opened these packages yet and it will probably be a couple of days until I can do so. I didn't worry about your screen names being on the package because I know most of the people that are playing, but when I looked at that 3rd package today, I hoped I knew who that was. Sorry that I am so daffy sometimes.

Dannigals_garden - Still waiting to hear from you.
Elkwc - Jay, still waiting to see if you are playing.

We just about have everyone...and yes...it is a lot of seed. Carol

Is there anything that we can provide for you or your family? Please let us help if we can.

I did not get a crop out of the Tennessee Cutshort beans for which you provided seed this last spring...everything worked against them! I will happily try again this year, though. :) In the spring, trusting that we'll have a swap again and that you are able to attend, would you please set a bit of the Tarahuma Pink aside for me? That one sounds very interesting - I'd love to try it.

May you have eyes wide open to see God's blessings each and every day!
Sharon

I am waiting for one small package to arrive, but I am going to start sorting and should have everything out the first week of December.

Thanks for playing everyone. Carol

Just out of curiosity, did you mean Tarahumara? I only wonder because I recently read "Born to Run" about the Tarahumara (among a few other people). It was one of the best books I've read in a while!

Diane

Sharon, thanks for praying. I sent you an e-mail with a few more details: details I wouldn't want to post for all the world to read. I would love to make the spring swap. But this year I had to use birthday gift $ to go. In the coming year... God only knows.

George

If you are interested in the Tarahumara people, you might enjoy looking at some of the seeds offered at Native Seeds/SEARCH. Quite a few of their seeds were collected from the Tarahumara people and have their name in the name of the variety, like Tarahumara Dark Purple bean and Tarahumara Flor de Mayo.

Dawn

Carol, you're a saint to be doing this. I can only imagine what your house looks like right now. Piles of seed packets everywhere, pets and hubby huddling & discussing whether or not to send in a search & rescue team...

Diane

Diane

I had a list on which I gave everyone a number. When their package came in, I put that number on each package of seed so I would not give someone back their own seed. Then I made a list of what they sent in for the swap and put it all on a spreadsheet so hopefully I don't send them back the same kind of thing they sent in. I have another list that shows what they would like to have (if I have it). Maybe I can make all of this work.

Some of you sent seeds marked for Diane and I didn't do anything to them except look at them. Lucky Diane! Thanks to all of you for caring about each other.

George sent a wish list with only herbs and flowers and since I had not included herbs and flowers in the swap instructions, his share will be limited, but he knows that. However, he was very generous in sharing his seeds with us. In return, please offer a prayer in behalf of he and his family as they are experiencing some employment trials at this time.

Jay said he was sending a little box with a few seeds. HaHa It was not a little box, nor was it a few seeds. I have repackaged some of the bulk packs that he sent and he says he doesn't want anything back either. I am sending him a couple of things anyway so he can try Dawn's new tomato, and the cowhorn okra I traded for earlier in the year for him.

Almost everyone sent more than the required amount and two people want little or nothing back, so we will have some extra packets that will be included in your package.

Actually Diane, it hasn't been too much of a mess. I took out all of the packets and put numbers on them, wrote down what was in the packs, and returned them all to the original package. I did this as they came in then kept them all in a clothes basket. Today, however, the mess begins and I have my entire dining room table covered with seeds. LOL

I have seen the variety of seeds that Dawn and Jay have, and we still have our own king and queen of gardening on this forum. LOL

Now the fun begins....and I will let you know when to start checking your mailbox. Thanks for playing. Carol