I have had two really good trades with Linda.

I am amazed at the amount of water iris she sent me, I would love to trade with her anytime!! WHOOHOOO, my water garden is looking much better.

On 1/5/08 I mailed Linda 6 different varieties veggies and 1 variegated plant seed trade (?). 5 mos later I see she's posting on Plant Exchange . . . yet I have no seeds. Naturally I e-mailed her asking where my end of trade was, to which she replied couldn't recall what they were (meaning what I sent or what she was to send), when I wrote back describing everything in detail she wrote, I'll see. And that was the last I've heard from her. I won't be burned again when GW's FULL of great traders!

Katie
GW: katie88

I got a wonderful box full of miniature water hyacinths and blue ginger (which was a bonus for me) from her! I sent her some plants, but could have just paid for postage. I would trade with her again.

On 6/4/08 I mailed Linda $5.00 in postage (mailed at the post office) for 2 mini-rosette water hyacinths. I never received them. I wish I had checked this forum first!!!!

Correction on above posting. Plants were received today (6/28).

I sent very nicely packaged, potted amaryllis to Linda. 14 days after she received my end, I got 4 lilies, 2 of which had no discernable bulb/roots whatsoever. The wrapping had fallen off and what roots were on the other 2 were pretty dry.

Apparently she had tried to e-mail me after she received my plants to let me know that she was doing a pool renovation and was too busy to send her end on time. My e-mail was down at the time.

In my opinion, if someone is that busy, they should be up front about it from the beginning. Delays still don't excuse sending poorly packaged, rootless plants.

Needless to say, this was a very disappointing trade. I won't do it again.

Linda (Lindamarie) posted a response to my "Wanted" post on the Plant Exchange on July 6 and offered to send me water hyacinths and a few strands of anacharis if I sent her $5 postage. I went to the post office and bought custom-made stamps from the kiosk and sent them to the address she provided in very legible writing. Linda does have a disclaimer on her exchange page that she is not very prompt in sending out postage plants so I waited till August 4th to email her regarding whether or not she had sent my plants -- last I heard from her was August 5th and she said she had not see my envelope(w/postage) but that she would check with her husband to see if he had come across it. I just emailed her again today (Sept 5) to see if her husband had come across the envelope but I know for sure it did not come to my return address and I handed my envelope directly to a postal worker at the P.O. I'm not sure if I was "burned" or if my envelope did in fact get lost in the mail, but I would highly DISCOURAGE anyone from sending STAMPS to ANYONE for anything. If anything, send a CHECK so you can atleast get confirmation as to whether or not the other person on the other end did infact receive your end (when they cash it).

Linda seemed like a very nice person and was very generous for going out of her way to offer to send me the water hyacinths for postage but where that postage went? I do not know and cannot tell.

Keithrnjd -- by any chance, was the postage on your box that you received from Lin custom-made stamps? Were they five individual $1 white sticker stamps (like Click N Ship stamps)?

Hi all -- I just wanted to follow up on my review. I emailed Lin on 09/05/08 following up on what was going on with our exchange (postage for plants); originally in the last email she sent me (08/05/08), she said that she hadn't received my postage. However, this time around, she said that she thinks she sent my plants but she wasn't sure because she is bad with names. Anywhoos, she said she thought the plants may have been lost in the email and is glad I emailed her because she was hoping I would to give her my address? In conclusion, I received the 5 water hyacinth plants(which is more than I needed to begin with) on 09/11/08 in a bubble envelope with a $1.85 stamp (I was told postage would be $5 and thus that is what I sent). All in all, I'm just glad I have the plants now even though it's late in the season for much growing.

Oh, and she didn't send the anacharis; but I don't care. :o)

If I could give anyone some advice for future traders:

Lin has A LOT going on in her life (a farm - with animals, pool renovations, hurricanes, etc)
Lin isn't very good with names, so be persistent with communication.
Lin takes "a little bit" longer to send plants than what some people may be used to.

But overall, I think she's a sweet person with flaws (aren't we all? :o)). If she indeed sent my plants out (she can't remember) and if they were indeed lost in the mail (I received nothing originally), then I have nothing but appreciation towards her for biting the bullet and paying $1.85 to send me plants for the second time (this time -- not lost in the mail). Good luck to everyone! =)

I sent Lin $10.50 for postage for spiderwort plants less than a week ago. I received the plants today. All were in good condition with lots of roots. Amount paid for postage was the amount I sent her. Thanks Lin!

Thanks for everyone's encouragement and understanding. I am amazed how lovely the postings are worded.

Thanks again