Hi, Bonnie! So, is this basically presuming the employment of a small USPS flat rate box, or,...?

Hi Cryptid! A small flat rate box would probably work, but I'm not requiring it, because sometimes it's not always the cheapest option. It depends on the size and weight of what you are shipping. But a box of some sort will most likely be necessary. Seeds, and gloves, or plant markers would work in a bubble envie, not so sure about the candy though ...

i'm so sorry-- i didn't mean to step on your toes! i did a search for easter baskets but didn't catch this one-- must've been further down on the list than i got :(

i'd like to join in though if you'll have me :)

No worries, Rosemctier! You are very welcome in the swap : )

I'm a little later posting this swap than in previous year's, due to being preoccupied with the big pepper swap. Plus, Easter is later this year than normal.

Hi, I'm brand new to GW, but I would love to get in on this swap!

Welcome, Mel! Sent you an email. Let me know if you don't receive it.

Thanks,
Bonnie

Right,...thanks Bonnie! Please count me in, too! :)

awesome! looking forward to it :)

Good morning!

So far we have:
Rosemctier
Mellovesgardening/Melissa
Cryptid
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

So what's everyone's favorite Easter candy - jelly beans, marshmallow peeps, chocolate bunnies, those Cadbury eggs with the goo inside. or maybe those eggs that are like a candy coated chocolate malt ball? Just for the record, whoever I get partnered with - I don't do coconut : (

Took my son to the doctor this morning, no worries, just a check-up, but it's a rare occasion when I get a chance to go to the big city. Okay, I'm joking, it's only a town of about 10,000, but that's much bigger than where I live. Anyway, they have stores other than Walmart, so I stopped in Lowe's and Target, and found some goodies for this swap. Now I'm reaaallly getting excited!

Oh, I just thought of something. If your trade page isn't up to date, you might want to work on it, since your partner will be looking at that for ideas. Melissa, I know you are new, so if you haven't filled yours out, just go to the bottom of your screen and click on "Member Pages," it will give you the option to "Edit Your Exchange Lists." There you can put in seeds you have for trade, and seeds that you are looking for. Let me know if you have any questions.

Bonnie

easter is the most dangerous holiday for me-- i love easter candy! caramel eggs and marshmallow peeps and those cadbury eggs with the crunchy coating. mmmmmm.

my trade list is no where near updated. i had actually given up on a veggie garden this year and decided to convert the back garden bed to perennials (we are solarly challenged), but we just got a new place with plenty of sun and a plot already well tended for veggies. i'm open to try anything :) i have this fantasy that i might be able to successfully grow corn and maybe even a melon!!

Thanks Bonnie, I will work on that!

Rose, I can remember, prechildren, my DH giving me huge baskets full of all kinds of gourmet treats. Now, I have to settle for anything that the kids receive, that has peanuts in it, since a couple of them are allergic, and whatever is left over after making their baskets. Maybe that's why this swap has a special place in my heart : )

Since we are exchanging seeds for veggies grown in the spring, I'm just curious what types of spring veggies everyone is planning to grow, or has already started. I wintersowed several kinds of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and a few herbs. The lettuces, broccoli, marjoram, and parsley have already sprouted. Still need to start some peas, and in a couple weeks, it will be time to direct sow some carrots, radishes, and maybe parsnips. If any of you haven't tried wintersowing, it is the perfect way to start cool season veggies.

There's one more week left to sign up. Come join in the fun!

Bonnie

Bonnie, you should sign up for the easter basket swap and get one that's all your own :)

i have brussels sprouts and broccoli wintersown, and they've popped up already :) i direct sowed lettuce and radishes a few days ago but held off on peas because of the rain. i've had peas rot instead of sprout before, so i'm hoping the rain will stop before it gets too warm for peas.

i love wintersowing! it's a great way to stave off those winter blues! i have sprouts in over 30 containers so far. i was surprised to discover that the first thing to come up was dianthus. i thought the hellebores would be the first to pop up but none of them have done anything yet. it's all very exciting and i check my containers too many times a day LOL

Still looking for a couple more folks, to make this swap a go.

Any takers?

Hi Bonnie,
Please put me down for the swap. Thanks!

Ellie

Good Morning!

Hi Ellie! Thanks for joining!

Here's who we have so far:

Rosemctier/Rose
Mellovesgardening/Melissa
Cryptid
Farmergirl2009/Ellie
Sorellina/Julianna
Highalttransplant/Bonnie

Tomorrow's the last day to sign up!

SPRING FLING SWAP PARTNERS:

Rosemctier - Farmergirl2009

Mellovesgardening - Crytid

Highalttransplant - Sorellina

I'll email everyone, so that you will know that partners have been posted. If you don't have your trade page up to date, at least let your partner know what your preferences are as far as spring veggies go, so that they can send you things you will use and enjoy. Remember that the deadline to mail is April 11th.

Happy Spring!!!

Just a reminder. Please remember to post here when you ship or receive a package. Part of the fun of doing this kind of swap is hearing about everyone else's surprises, so please take the time to tell a little about what you receive, and thank your partner.

Has everyone gotten in touch with their partners?

Bonnie

i got in touch with my partner :)

after 5 days of hail it looks like the weather is going to be on the nicer side. still rainy, but warm! really looking forward to the may flowers these showers will bring. and i'm really hoping the warmer weather will mean the bees will be out pollinating my hellebore :D

I finally got some peas planted yesterday, while the weather was warm and sunny. Today, it's back to cloudy and cold, with rain/snow in the forecast.

One of the swap participants is still waiting to hear back from their partner, so we may have to extend the send deadline. Would the 15th work better for everyone? Let me know what you guys think.

Did some Easter basket shopping for the kids this morning, and found some tasty treats for my partner : )

Bonnie

lol my kid is gonna have to fight me for the candy i got! i supposed i should make up a basket for her, but she is fussy and really only wants cash and itunes gift cards lol. she could be worse, i guess-- she has no desire to play video games, so we are spared that expense thank the lucky stars.

i like the idea of sending them a little later-- gives me more time to assemble things. if it is okay i might wait until monday because i don't want some of the things sitting in the PO over the weekend.

Rose, the original deadline was the 11th, which isn't until Monday anyway, so you'd be right on time : )

I still haven't heard back from one of the participants, but it looks like we will definitely push the deadline back until Friday, April 15th. That gives everyone one more week to get their packages in the mail.

Hope this helps some : )

I mailed my package off today. The DC # 0310 1230 0001 4445 2031
Have a wonderful week everyone.

Ellie

Mailed my package to Mellovesgardening (Melissa) this afternoon. DC# 0310 3200 0001 1911 6572

i got my package from ellie today-- can't believe it got here that fast :) it was packed with plants and seeds and stuff-- a chunk of daylily, an even bigger chunk of sedum, some columbine, and geum, as well as a candle, chocolate orange, and a really cool bunny vase that i've already put daffodils in. and the seed, oh the seeds! TONS of stripey and black and cherry and orange and pear tomatoes!!!! and melon! and so many others!!! wayyyyy to many to list here but with this variety i could open my own tomato store LOL thank you so much! i have your package all packed up and ready to go to the post office. hopefully it will get there by saturday if i mail it tomorrow :)

ooo i almost forgot the glads!! yellow too, my favorite :) i am a bit out of it, sorry. my stupid but much loved beagle ran away and i am fretting :( thanks you again for the wonderful box and sorry i'm so flighty today

Wow, that was fast, Rose! Sounds like a very nice box, but no candy, LOL? I'm sorry to hear about your dog. Hope you find it soon!

My package is ready to make it's way to Canada, as soon as I can get to the post office. Tomorrow one of my sons has a soccer game, and is also in a play at school. Plus, I am doing a talk/demonstration on wintersowing at a local women's group tomorrow evening, so it could Friday before it gets on its way. I'm ready for summer break!!!

Bonnie

My package is finally on its way! Good thing I moved the deadline to the 15th ...

i got mine mailed out on thursday, hopeful it will get there tomorrow :)

there was candy--- a chocolate orange, the kind you whack and it breaks into wedges. mmmmm

Silly me! When I read your post, I thought you meant a chocolate orange scented candle, LOL!

silly me too! i was going through my box of swap stuff and found the eggs that were supposed to go in the box i just sent out. jeez. lol. i don't know where my head is these days.

I received Rose's box today and what a wonderful assortment of plants.

There were resurrection lilies, dianthus Arctc fire, Scabiosa "Blue Stocking", Sedum red, Thymus "praecox arctic, Thymus 'Hi Ho Sliver. lots of seeds, candy, hardy oregano. Thank you Rose.

Ellie

Hi guys! This was such a great swap! I finally got my package mailed out to Cryptid (Darrin) very early on Saturday morning. There were terrible storms here late on Friday so I wasn't able to make it to the post office on Friday as I planned. Darrin, you should get your package early this week, I emailed you the confirmation. I got my package over the weekend and WOW! I was very, very touched by the thoughtfullness that went into my package. There were tons of seeds, candies, and awesome goodies! My husband and my daughter were very excited that there were goodies for them as well. We got gardening gloves, a cute frog pot hanger, adorable ladybugs with googly eyes, a crocheted butterfly pin, pens and notepad and a few other things as well.

Thanks a million Darrin and Family!

Also, mucho thanks to Bonnie!

This was such a wonderful experience :)

Glad everyone is happy with their packages so far, and Melissa I'm especially glad that your first swap experience was a positive one! Great job, Darrin!!!

I've heard from Sorellina that my package is on its way from Canada.

"Yffterday I refeeved m'box frmmm Mliffa,...effclooff me...(chew-chew-slurp-swallow) - Ahem,...there, that's better. Forgive me,...I received Melissa's (mellovesgardening) box yesterday and as I'm sitting here typing this I've been sampling the totally tasty sugar free, Splenda-sweetened, variety flavored "Jelly Belly" jelly beans she included (plus *regular* sugared ones as well for Elly & Roy (told Roy they're "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans" from the wizarding world of Harry Potter)) - So, shall I tell you, now, about the rest of Melissas's marvelous box conents?! Yes?!! Right, then,...

Seriously, I'll tell you what, Melissa may be a newbie, but she certainly packs a great swap box!!

Item #1) A neat little hollow ceramic guy,...green with blue sneakers. Muppet representation of
a green thumb critter, perhaps? Anyway, he's kewl (there are even small white shoelaces
hot-glued to the sneakers) and he was stuffed with sugar free Life Savers candies and
a folded-up surprise packet of Rye Grass seeds (cleverly sneaky, that!). The Life Savers
have since been removed to a zip-bag and now the Muppet green thumb is next to our
computer, loaded with Q-Tips. Useful, yes, although arguably not nearly as much fun.

Item #2) A wonderful tin of "Badger Balm - For Hardworking Hands" organic hand balm. Elly and I
are both using this already,...mostly Elly. Nice stuff! It's made-up of Extra Virgin
Olive Oil, Beeswax, Castor Oil, Aloe, and Birch & Wintergreen essential oils. Smells good,
not greasy. Feels great! :)

Items #3) Candy-candy-candy!! Woo hoo!! For me: Sugar free chocolate crispy caramels, sugar free
Life Savers, sugar free Jelly Belly jelly beans. For Elly & Roy: Sugar sweetened Jelly
Belly jelly beans, Laffy Taffy.

Items #4) Seeds: Holy criminey! Tons! Rye Grass, Radish: German Giant / White Icicle / Early
Scarlet Globe, Bean: Kentucky Wonder, Anise, Turnip: Purple Top White Globe, Brussel
Sprouts: Catskill, Parsley: Moss Curled, Pea: Burpee Early, Eggplant: Egg Tree,
Spinach: Bloomsdale, Printemps Lettuce, Cilantro, Tomato: Prudens Purple / Big
Rainbow / Pepper: Sweet Banana / Poblano. - Basically an entire garden's worth!

Thank you so much, Melissa and Bryan! - Oh, and on a weird, fun note, (LOL!!);...tonight we were at
our favorite local mom-n-pop store and in my pocket I had a small zip-full of the green plastic Easter
grass you packed your/my box with. I went into the back room and seriously asked our friend, Gloria,
if she wanted some really good "grass" (aka marijuana), to which she shot back "No!" But then I persisted
"This is the best stuff, though! (pulling it out of my pocket) I know it is, `cause I bought it off the
Easter Bunny!" Then, of course, she cracked up, realizing she'd been had! LOL!! :D So, thanks for that
fun, too!! :D

What a great swap/mnf-interaction this has been!

I'm glad that you enjoyed your package as well Darrin :) BTW, the Q-tip holder was actually some kind of Chia Pet type frog guy (the Rye seeds were for that!), I couldn't fit his proper box into your box :) But, I bet that he makes a perfect Q-Tip holder as well!! LOL

Melissa

Ahhh,...sort of a Muppet-chia-frog-critter, eh?! Right! LOL! Well, for the time being, at least, Mr. blue tennis-shoes anymore is Mr. blue-n-white Q-Tip-`fro! LOL! Thanks for clarifying matters. Still munchin' on them jelly beans and workin' out where I'm gonna plant all the seeds you sent...! :)

mr blue tennis shoes muppet chia frog critter is adorable!!!

The chia Qtip holder is very cute!

Sorellina received my package late last week, and hers arrived yesterday. She sent me a nice variety of spring veggies - a couple kinds of peas, lettuce, onions, cauliflower, parsnips (which I was completely out of), and a couple of things I haven't grown before, kale and collards. Oh, and these cute little round carrots for the kids to grow. Looking forward to growing all of my new stuff. She also sent a couple packs of the plastic seed baggies, which is very helpful, as I have trouble finding them locally. There was a dark chocolate bunny on a stick, some soft toffee/caramels, and some chocolate covered blueberry and acai fruit chews that were really yummy. Thank you so much, Julianna, for everything!!!

Well, I guess that wraps up the I.E. Spring Fling for this year! Hope to see you guys next time around!!!

Bonnie