I've hosted the past few Spring Swaps and I put it out there recently that I'd love to do it again this spring if that works for the majority. I've heard from a few of you that that works out for many because I am somewhat central-Castle Rock- in between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Looking at my calendar I am going to say that Saturday, May 9th looks to be a good day. I think last year we did it the day before Mother's Day too. I chose that date because the first weekend is a bit too early to plant the tender stuff like tomatoes. I'm not able to do the weekend of the 17th due to Taekwondo testing for my son. And the following weekend is Memorial Day.

So, May 9th, Saturday sound good?

Looking forward to it!

Charlene

~ We'll start the swap with a pot luck. Your dish can be absolutely anything! Hot dishes, cold dishes, appetizers/finger foods, salads, sweets—anything you think others would enjoy! (Are you gonna make your YUMMY spinach salad again, Charlene?)

~ And when our tummies are full, we’ll do the actual swapping. Before we start picking plants, we’ll once again have everybody who brought plants briefly tell what they brought so everyone knows what’s available to help them decide what they’d like to have. Then we’ll do the swapping the same way we’ve been doing it at all the recent swaps. Everyone will draw a number for the "first two rounds" of picking plants. That way everyone has a pretty good chance to get the one or two things they want the most. Then we’ll open it up to just walking around and picking out whatever anyone wants.

~ Please be sure your plants are labeled one way or another. Either stick a tag in the pot, or staple a piece of paper with the name onto the pot, or just write the name of the plant on the pot with a marker or crayon. It’s easy to think you’re gonna remember the names of the things you take home—and even easier to forget them by the time you do get home!!!

~ ALSO, if you’re earmarking something for someone who’s requested it, please be sure to clearly mark on the pot somehow who it’s for. In other words — When people post on the swap thread what they’re gonna bring, it IS ok to say you’d like to have something earmarked for you! The person bringing that/those item(s) will mark them with your name and be sure you get them at the swap. Everything at the swap that isn’t earmarked goes into the pool and gets picked starting with the first two rounds—no early picking on the day of the swap!

~ AND—nobody needs to have either any plants or any food to be welcome at the swap! At past swaps there has always been plenty to go around. And we’re getting together as much to swap gardening talk and friendship as to swap plants—so come regardless of how much you do or don't have to bring!

I think that’s all the basic information. Let me know if I forgot something, Charlene—or anybody else!

Now —
Who wants to come???

Skybird

;-)
Skybird

Bonnie

Deb

If the dates do change, YES, we will be there. If they don't, we will be there in spirit.

And, if I can't make it and if anything good pops up this year, I'll post it and find a way to get it to the swap.

I am expecting Campanula punctata, "cherry bells" babies this year and they are so pretty!

Fingers crossed for a different weekend...

Jennifer

Nice to see you back, Charlene. :)

Thanks for hosting again this year. I missed the fall swap, but will be there on the 9th. Cabin fever is killing me. Gloria

Glad to hear from everyone about coming to the swap.

Jennifer, I'm really sorry and I feel bad for those that can't make the 9th but that seems to be the only weekend I am able to host.

After years (and thousands of $) my son is getting his black belt in Taekwondo and we are really tied up with preparation and testings (up in Breckenridge) the month of May. The only other weekend is Memorial Day holiday.

I could pull some stuff aside for anyone that can't be there.

Can't WAIT for spring!

Charlene

I may be able to attend-- possibly with my 2-year-old in tow this year if DH is traveling by then. She's a bit more up for a drive these days, and I think she'll be reasonably well behaved.

I really enjoy the swaps and getting together with like-minded folks, especially such a nice group such as yourselves!

So, we will be there.

I already know that I'll have strawberries and raspberries and we shall see what is available as the date gets closer.

I accidentally gave one raspberry plant to two people at the fall swap. I had offered it to someone but I thought they had changed their mind. And then, I gave it to someone else who was unable to take it because the first person really did want it. My bad!! I'd like to offer another raspberry to that person. Just let me know if you'd like one or two.

so excited....

Jennifer

I'm looking forward to this!

Billie

I planted a bed of spinach with a row cover over it today. We'll see if it makes it to the spring swap to use home grown spinach for my salad! Two years ago it was awesome but last year it didn't work out. We'll see!

Charlene

Everything I've read says to start spinach, lettuce, and peas pretty much now. This week I'm definitely getting some seeds going.

I was out for a while today potting up some things and sticking cuttings of other things for the Spring Swap, and it reminded me that when I did that first post about the swap I forgot to put in that I’m about 98% certain I’ll be able to make it to this one again. I’m senior enough by now—finally—that I have at least some realistic idea of what schedule I’ll be able to get for the following month, and I’m on "reserve" in May, which means the only thing I’m bidding for is which days off I’ll have, so I have high hopes. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and I’ll let you all know for sure near the end of April.

I’m not gonna post what I’m bringing yet, because I want to wait till I’m sure they’re gonna make it, but so far I have 40 plants, and I KNOW some of them will make it—and probably most. Haven’t even started digging up the mums and other old stuff I’m gonna dig to divide or give away—which is good, because I need to go get another bale of soil before I do that! And, in the unlikely event that I can’t make it to this one, I’ll be sure to find a way to get everything there.

For those of you who have said you need to wait till closer to the swap to see if you can make it, finger’s crossed for you.

And for those of you who won’t be able to make it to this one, set your sights on the Fall Swap, which will probably be the beginning of September again. And when you’re dividing things over summer, be sure to stick a little piece in a pot for the Fall Swap! :-)

7½ weeks till The Day!
Skybird

Connie

Sooooooo looking forward to this swap!

J.

8 — Geranium dalmaticum ‘Compact Rose’, Dwarf Cranesbill

5 — Anemone sylvestris, Snowdrop anemone

1 — Alcea rosea - mixed colors, single hollyhock

1 — Coreopsis auriculata ‘Nana’, Dwarf Coreopsis

8 — Sedum pachyclados

6 — Sedum spurium ‘Tricolor’

4 — Sedum reflexum ‘Blue Spruce’

5 — Sedum ‘Angelina’

6 — Sempervivum, Hen and Chicks – since I don’t know the names of most of the varieties I have, I’ve assigned them letters! This one is variety/letter ‘D’. Those of you who have gotten hen & chicks from me before will need to check to see if this is different from those you’ve gotten in the past. These are nice little plants. When I divided ‘D’ last fall, I stuck 6 little bunches of the leftovers into a corner of the garden so they could root over winter. I just dug them up and put them in cups today—nicely rooted! Since hen & chicks can vary so much, here’s a pic of this one in its winter color.

I’ll post pics of the other things I’m bringing on a separate "picture" thread so the pics don’t slow this thread down too much.

Skybird

I hope that I'm able to make it, because I've already potted up a couple of things to bring!

Bonnie

I'm in Woodland Park, CO. Not too far away. The problem is, I'm still really new to this area, and having some trouble getting a handle on this 'high altitude' situation. What I really need to do is connect with some more experienced gardeners in my area... because at this point, I've basically researched myself past to point of confusion. And the search engine isn't working now... it's driving me nuts.

I have all kinds of things I could trade... but have never been to a plant swap before. I accidentally started way to many seeds last month... baby plants have already taken over my kitchen, and it's too cold to kick them outside. I have gobs of seeds that I've never even tried yet. I went a little overboard on a recent plant order that will be here by April 25th. (Please tell me I'm not the only person who has done this.) And then there are those nice established perennials that need to be thinned out anyway. (Will I even be able to dig those up by May up here, or will it still be too cold?)
I'm so stir crazy for winter to be over. It's nice outside just long enough for spring fever to kick in... and now today we're having another blizzard.

I'm about an hour's drive east from you in Falcon. One of the little tomatoes in my basement will be moving to a friend's house in WP when it's safe to send it west.. She's not an experienced gardener though. She might try a salad garden for the first time this year. The tomato will likely be in a pot on her deck.

This weather is so frustrating after having all those nice warm days in January, February & March. Now that it's not way too early to start some things, it's way to cold!

I'd like to come if the party is still open. Do we have a sign up sheet for the potluck or anything? I don't want to be the 5th person bringing potato salad. :)

I will have a few lavenders, a few cherokee purple tomatoes, some hollyhocks (i think!) and maybe a few more. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

MIGHT have--plants will be small though:
*generic red tomatoes, and maybe some others. Does anybody else plant 83 seeds and 47 varieties even though they only have room for 6 plants!?! (and if you deny it, we'll all know you're fibbing!!)
*pansies
*petunias
*variety of peppers
*basil--maybe?

dryad58, will you please earmark a Cherokee Purple Tomato for me? I have tried starting some, but they haven't sprouted for me (grr!)

I look forward to my first swap!

I checked, and you have Private Messaging enabled on your GardenWeb account (and an email address listed), so when we get closer to the swap, Charlene will be contacting everyone via either a PM or email, and a week or so before the swap she’ll be emailing her address and directions to her house to those who plan to come.

Dryad, the only cutoff limit for coming to the swap is to let us know in time for Charlene to contact you for an email address and send you the directions! I checked and you have PMing enabled, so watch for a post from her. I don’t know if she’ll PM everybody individually or if she’ll ask you to PM her with your email address. Aren’t you up in Cheyenne? Are you really gonna drive all the way down? Last year Bonnie drove in from Silt (on the Western Slope) and we’re hoping she’ll be able to again this spring, and another person who rarely posts here drove in from the Colorado/Kansas border. Now we’re spreading out to the north!

MayBerry, welcome to RMG to you too! The same as I said above—watch for a post from Charlene about if she’s gonna PM everybody for addresses or if she wants you to PM her. She doesn’t have time to do much posting around here right now, but she’ll be back! And with your seedlings, be careful to not keep them too wet. By the time you can see something coming up, you should already be leaving the surface of the soil dry before watering them again. A lot of people bring small seedlings to the Spring Swap. The Fall Swap is usually more perennial divisions.

Our potluck sort of just "happened!" At the first swap at Charlene’s house, she said she’d make a spinach salad, and then some of the people who didn’t have plants to bring said they were gonna bring something to eat, and then some others who brought plants brought food too, so we’ve just sort of kept up the tradition, and anybody who wants to bring something, does. We’ve never had any sort of a list of who’s bringing what, but if you know for sure what you’re bringing and want to post it here, it’ll give others a heads up. One thing I have noticed is that we always get plenty of dessert-type things—not that I want people to quit bringing them since I love sweets!

For all of you, read the second post at the top of this thread for more info on how the swap works, and if you still have any questions, come ask.

And—for those of you who haven’t signed in on the Who’s Here thread yet, come tell us a little more about yourselves!

Only about 4 more weeks,
Skybird

Skybird - I was in Wyoming for a few years, but we've moved down to Colorado. I'm still a ways away, but it's definitely not a two hour drive anymore :)

Thanks
Jen

Since there's less than a month until the swap, should we start a thread for posting what you'll be bringing (plants and/or food), or wishlists?

Can't wait to see some familiar faces, and meet some new ones!

Bonnie

Swap time is getting closer! We were gone for two weeks and now have two baby girls in our care so life's been a bit busy.

I will work on getting out a mass email to everyone with directions and details in the next couple of weeks. If your email address is not on your "my page" then you'll need to send me a private email through "my page" so I can get the info to you.

Glad to see all who can come!

Azura-I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad. We live so close if there's anything you want we can save for you. We live so close I'd love to get together with you another time.

Looking forward to it!

Charlene

anyone want rhubarb?

Azura, I’m sorry you won’t be able to make it. Fingers crossed you can come to the Fall Swap. I hope you’re able to have a good time when you see your family. If there’s anything I post that I’m bringing that you’d like to have, let me know and Charlene can hold it for you.

And—all you newbies that hope to make it to the swap, come on over to the Who’s Here in 2009 thread and tell us a little bit about yourselves! That’s one of the ways we get to know each other around here! And if you have time to read the whole thread, you’ll find out a little bit about the other folks around here. And if you don’t have a "public" email address listed on your bio page, be sure you send Charlene a Private Message with your email address so she can send you the directions to her house.

It won’t be long now! For those of you that are bringing divisions, try to get them in pots now so they have a couple weeks to grow some new roots.

See you all soon,
Skybird

So I would like to come, but I will not have anything to trade except maybe some strawberries or maybe some rhubarb starts from seed. If I come I will be bringing something to eat and holding back to pick up any straggling plants when everyone else has had their picks.

So—it’s the same for everybody, Lindy! (That includes you, Holly/H Giest!) Whether you’re able to bring plants or not, you get an equal chance to get what you want. If you see something posted on the "picture" thread that you want, say so! I’m bringing over 80 plants already, and there will be more! And I’m SO not the only one bringing stuff! There will be plenty—like there always is. (And I, for one, definitely don’t want to wind up bringing anything back home—that I brought!) Whatever you get, you can always pot it up into bigger pots if necessary to keep it until you move into your new home! June isn’t that far away!

Why don’t you post your strawberries and possible rhubarb seedlings over on the picture thread. I’m SURE somebody will be interested in the strawberries. They always seem to go!

And everybody else! Check out the swap Picture Thread where people are starting to post what they hope to bring (with or without pictures!), and if you see something you know for sure you want, let the person/people know, and they’ll mark it for you.

So far, including "guests," I’m showing 28 people who hope to come!

Skybird

P.S. Charlene, just to let you know, I’m bringing name tags, sign in sheets, and the "numbers" again!

If you’re seeing this for the first time and would like to come, let us know immediately. If your actual email address isn’t public on your bio page, PM it to Charline or me so we have a way to contact you.

If you know what you’re bringing (or hope to be bringing) and haven’t done so yet, please go to the Spring Swap Picture thread and let us know what you might have.

If you haven’t yet, go to the picture thread and see if there’s anything you’d like to have reserved for you—and let the person who’s bringing it know that you’d like to have it.

The weather prediction for Saturday, as of now, is for temps in the mid 70's! We have been SO lucky at past swaps, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed that they’re right and we have another beautiful day.

See you all soon,
Skybird

I'll go to the other threads too.

Can't wait til Saturday!

Charlene

Dafy/Jen

We'll miss you, Dafy,
Skybird

Is there anything that’s been posted that you’d like us to hold for you so you could pick it/them up sometime? I’d be glad to bring them home—you know where I live—or I’m sure Charlene wouldn’t mind hanging onto some things for you to pick up if you’d rather go that way—I think you might be closer to her than me. If you want to drive up here—when I’m home and not sleep walking—I could show you my garden in spring, or if you came when I’m on a trip, I could tell you where I put them—and you could still tour the yard by yourself!

We’re running out of time, so let me know—email a list—if there’s something you want.

We’ll be looking for you at the Fall Swap!
Skybird

Conace/Connie

Connie we love enablers :-)

The food was great, the company was great, and the plants were great! Thank you, everyone, for your generosity.

I hope to see everyone again at the fall swap. And I hope I won't be so tightly scheduled, so that I won't be so stressed out.