For anyone new - I feel I should reiterate that anyone not already "in" this swap, has until 9 PM tonight (Sunday) to post the contents of their box and email Vela at vkupfner@yahoo.com directly with your GW SN and name/mailing address - she started all of this and is the uber-organizer. :)

For everyone else, hrmm, well maybe with a continuation/new thread, this is our opportunity to re-finalize our lists?

I can say now for sure, after counting them up, that amidst other things in the box I will send, there are at least 26 (twenty-six) different types of "tea" for whomever the recipient will be. These range from true tea (from the tea plant) to what are technically herbal or other botanical mixes for infusions. There's actually TWO OTHERS that I want to include, but am currently out of (because we drink so much of them here hehehe) that I should have time to re-stock and be able to include them as well. I told you all that I really liked tea. :) I think it's a nice selection though for varying personal tastes, home remedies, to go with different foods/cuisine, or for different times of the day, different seasons, etc. AND miracle of miracles, I DID pin down the Stevia Plus, so that too will be included.

I haven't yet specifically listed some of the "odds n ends" cuttings or plants, because I want them to go into the box "fresh", rather than sitting here boxed-up and waiting for the end of the swap/actual mailing day. I did forget to list the Wild Virginia Mountain Mint that I will include. I hope that since Vela has things "open" for under the radar joiners until 9 PM, that I can get a truly concise list together so there's not so much guessing or wondering by anyone and I can post it to be read clearly.

I want to thank Vela and everyone else that is a part of this White Elephant Swap/RR... after and while all of the less-than-pleasant things going on here lately that is zapping me of energy and focus, putting a box together for this has been a very cheery point for me as it allows me to share some of the "little things" that are "perks" for me, even when it feels like the weight of the world is coming down on me. I hope these little things will be perks for the recipient of my box as well. I really hope that there will be another "anything goes"/White Elephant swap in the future - this one just got the juices flowing!

Hermit

Nancy

I didn't realize we had chatted so much LOL!

Nancy, that's fine. My daughter had a sleepover at a friend's house last night and my MIL decided to have a "grandaughter" sleepover tonight, so we're feeling a little sorry for my son and decided to take him to a movie tonight, so it will be tomorrow before I post the swap list anyway. I never do anything on the weekends, but this weekend has been non-stop.....go figure.

This is going to be soooo much fun!!

ALANA!!!! Thank you soooo much for sending me an AWESOME Blossom daylily!! I was so surprised, and was so excited!!! That was sooooo nice of you to send it! I guess I can take it off of my wish list now, huh? YAY!!!! It's already planted and I'm anxiously awaiting next year (or perhaps the next)!!!!

I would like to make a little request or suggestion if I may? And to be honest, earlier I was thinking maybe some sort of RR with "this" as a part of it would be fun... anyway, I, personally, think it would be really, really great if when each of us goes to mail out our boxes, that we bug our post office personnel or postmaster to show us all of their stamps - so that we can choose "cool" stamps. The "Pollination" series of stamps FINALLY came out - I'd been waiting on those since last year. There's four in the set/series depicting a hummingbird, bat, bees, and butterflies... while I collected stamps in my youth, I don't anymore, EXCEPT that I have a penchant for some of the garden, wildlife, and some select other "themes". I don't care anymore whether a stamp is stamped/postmarked or uncirculated/mint - I just started collecting them again - those that catch my eye when I get a piece of mail... eventually I'll probably put them together under glass in a frame. The POs generally prefer to use an exact-postage stamp (like the stamp that is specifically for Priority Mail) or metered stickies - and I know it's easy for some to print postage from online... but I really like hand picking stamps to put on parcels so that it's not just postage, but an extra little somethin'-somethin' that comes along with whatever is in the envelope or box... I missed out on a lot of the regional stamps that had wildlife from different areas - only got one locally (a sheet with the whole picture) and one on eBay... back when stamps were 37 cents, but I'd love to be able to get my hands on some of the others, even if collected one postmarked stamp at a time. I hope this makes sense???

I'm holding off on digging up plants that are rooted in the ground until I actually know who I am mailing to, have an address, and know what day I am getting to the PO... same with cuttings, etc. The heat we are having is just AWFUL. If anyone else is contending with heat, a bit of forewarning on shipping live botanicals - watch it on plastic and/or moisture. I received a GREAT succulent in a recent RR, but unfortunately between moisture and plastic, it arrived with fuzzy mold growing on it. The top-growth is dead, so I'm just praying that it returns from the rootstock. Even though the PO is temperature/climate controlled, I know that not all transitional points that parcels go through are climate-controlled... so if you all think about it, try to keep foliage drier than rootstock, even if you have to wrap foliage with newspaper or something to draw moisture away from the foliage even while roots are wrapped with a damp paper towel and then in foil or a baggie or what have you. I'd never encountered this before - but I also realize that I usually do my trading/swapping/mailing NOT during the high-heat of the year - the same as I also usually avoid shipping during the coldest times of the year or otherwise watch the weather forecasts as they pertain from my area to where I am shipping something - I try to "time" shipping with the weather "just incase"... of course the heat factor also applies to things like chocolate, some types of soap, etc. - things that can MELT... so also note how things are packed incase they melt or leak... this could end up a messy swap too! LOL

This is also a good reason for all of us to send unique gifts to one another that are not perishable.

Final Box List:
Fernleaf Peony 1 clump w/3 to 5 eyes
Karl Rosenfield Peony 1clump w/3 to 5 eyes
DinnerPlate Dahlia's 2 clumps different cultivars named TBD
Tall Bearded Iris named 2 different rhizomes TBD
Canna 2 large tubers each different named TBD
1 surprise amaryllis bulb
6 tulip named bulbs TBD
6 daffodil named bulbs TBD

ok so this is my absolute final list for my box Veal.Looking forward to a great swapping game : ))
Nancy/cedarnest

1. Seeds - selection of herbs, veggies, melons, & pretties - most of these will be heirloom varieties. If there's anything the 'winner' doesn't want, like say peppers due an allergy or something, just let me know! OR, if there is something specific that the recipient sees on my trade list that they would like just ask, OR, if there is something not seen on my trade list but the recipient has a wish for, also JUST ASK - my trade list is not up to date, some things I am out of, other things aren't even listed at this point in the year. I might just be able to help the 'winner' in meeting something from their wish-list. I will make an effort when the final recipient for my box is discerned, to check their zone/climate or they can just email me or post to the thread to discuss it, so that perhaps the selection of seeds can be finetuned even more, or helpful info can be included that could help to make the most of growing these things in their specific area.
   
2. pencil & plant "stakes" for labeling - I want to note that these are "hand-made". That is to say, I am also a recycler and combined with trial and tribulations with commercial plant stakes, I am now one of those people who swears by a #2 pencil and old mini-blind 'slats' being written on and the labeling actually weathering through all sorts of weather/climate conditions and lasting a looooong time. And I'm picky about the pencils too! Not all #2 (or any other #) pencils are made the same. The pencil I am sending is of a "lead" (graphite I'm sure since lead pencils are of a bygone day anymore) that has proven itself for labeling on these and lasting. I was trying to find one of my "cute" hole-punchers to also put holes in these stakes/labels incase the recipient wanted to tie them around plants instead, but I seem to have misplaced all of my hole-punchers (or the kids "borrowed" them - geesh, that's a polite euphemism!)
   
3. Stationery - suitable for laser printers, typewriters, pens, pencils, etc. How Does Your Garden Grow theme - very light-weight paper, which is helpful in seed trading to keep weight/postage costs down!
   
4. an old print of a Garden Tea Room - kitties, bunny, cockatoo, and a touch of Victorian Era theme OR another (smaller) framed print/photo - which one depends upon which box I actually pack things into. Even though the first one is a weathered print, I don't want to fold/crease it to make it fit, so the final physical box dimensions is what will dictate which print goes in.
   
5. Assortment of 26 (probably more) Different Teas. My husband makes every effort to keep me out of "gourmet" tea shoppes where loose leaf tea can be purchased, because me in such a tea shoppe is like an addict cut loose in an unlocked pharmacy! Fortunately for him the nearest tea shoppe is more than a hundred miles away, so I have to shop locally. I am denoting my personal favourites with *s. I personally usually prefer a black tea or a nice 'red' such as a Ceylon type of tea or a provoking "Gunpowder" when I can con my way to a tea shoppe with lots of cash! Flavoured teas and non-tea-containing infusions are a "mood thing" for me, but each of these have found their place even with my tastes. Assortment including at least the following:
   
   
   • Vanilla Caramel
     
   • Vanilla Hazelnut
     
   • Red Raspberry (blend) - a good "female" tea
     
   • Green Tea - Cranberry Pomegranate - another good "female" tea
     
   • Thai Coconut (blend) - very good with Thai cuisine or other Asian dishes/foods
     
   • Tension Tamer Extra (blend - ingredients listed with these with a hand-note)
     
   • "Calm" (blend - ingredients listed with tea)
     
   • *Green Tea - Orange-Passionfruit-Jasmine (I have to confess, I do not usually care for jasmine or passionfruit in any infusion, but THIS ONE is an exception to the rule. As picky as I am about my infusions, I really enjoy this one - the blend is VERY WELL DONE!)
     
   • Black Pearl - despite being marketed/made by Lipton, this tea exceeded my expectations and has become a staple in my tea stash.
     
   • French Vanilla
     
   • Cozy Chamomile - chamomile flowers (dried obviously), can be drank, used in the bath, for a refreshing rinse in the hair or on the skin, used dry in sachets or sleep/dream pillows, etc. Multipurpose "tea". :)
     
   • *Tetley "British Blend" - this one likewise exceeded expectations. These have more tea per "bag" than standard tea bags - either make a larger cup or brew darker. Good flavour and good with either milk or lemon (never mix milk and lemon in your tea though, you'll end up with a curdled cup and that's just nasty!) I would choose this one over Black Pearl.
     
   • Green Tea - Mixed Berry (good served cooler or outright iced. I'm out of "Tastes of Summer" unfortunately, but this is a nice runner-up)
     
   • Green Tea - Jasmine (just a hint of Jasmine, a nice after-meal tea at midday or if you have a nervous stomach, etc.)
     
   • Black Tea flavoured Vanilla (served sweetened with white sugar is a treat, with Demerara is almost like having an after-meal 'sweet' as the Demerara has the flavour remind one of caramel. Also good with milk when sweetened. I drink almost all of my tea with milk though - it neutralizes the tannins and makes tea smoother and also easier on the stomach, which is why the British have less cases of stomach cancer than those in Middle Eastern countries where they do not use milk with their tea as a general rule.)
     
   • Lemon Lift - blend
     
   • "Awake" blend of black teas, marketed/intended to be a morning tea, like some folks have "their morning coffee" (bleah! I can't stand coffee!!)
     
   • I Love Lemon (blend)
     
   • Orange Spice (blend)
     
   • Apple Spice (blend)
     
   • Sweet Dreams (blend)
     
   • Honey Lotus Oolong (blend)
     
   • White Tea w/ Island Mango, Peach, Orange Leaves, Lemongrass, Green Tea, Rosehips, Licorice Root, etc. - a blend obviously!
     
   • ***Prince of Wales - Twinings - this one gets multiple stars :) This is a tea to savour especially during quiet times or relaxing amidst one's plants.
     
   • ***Irish Breakfast - Twinings - darker than Prince of Wales but a different flavour while still being just as good, but for me, a different time to drink this one...a caffeine 'kick' without stomping the palate or being abrasive to the senses...
     
   • ***English Breakfast - Twinings - same class as the above two, but unique still in flavour, not just for breakfast that's for sure. A tea that for many years was the standard for the Midnight Tea Parties a close group of us use to have/share together.
     
   
   
   A tea-note of note - If you don't like milk in your tea, or choose lemon but want to neutralize the tannins, simply add a pinch of baking soda (just a pinch!) when pouring hot water over/into the tea before steeping, and stir once done brewing your tea. The tannins are what "eat at" our stomach lining just for starters. Also, if making iced tea - the same applies, add a pinch of baking soda. This will remove the unpleasant "bite" in iced tea, which is especially noticable (noticeable?) when tea has 'sat' for awhile in the fridge or otherwise isn't fresh-fresh. It doesn't change the flavour, it improves the brew tremendously.
   
   
   
6. Demerara sugar - "raw" with a caramel colour and larger grains. When it comes to sweetening tea, the choice of sweetener can make the difference in how the brew tastes. Some teas are better with Demerara rather than white sugar, and it's always a good choice for soothing sore throats (and for lots of baked items :)
   
7. Organic Pure Cane Sugar - Whether in tea or for baking, organic pure cane sugar is sure to delight. If you've never had it and are accustomed to most commonly available "white sugar", you're in for a sweet surprise! If you like vanilla flavouring, an enjoyable trick - and treat - is to take a whole vanilla bean pod and bury it in a full sugar bowl and put the lid on. Let the vanilla bean pod infuse the sugar for a week or more - the longer you leave it, the better the infusion. Use the sugar as you would normally and enjoy the little bit of heaven with each teaspoon you use. :) (if they get the vanilla beans in stock before time for mailing, I'll hook the recipient up with this!) One of the little somethin'-somethins that we initiated new Midnight Tea Party participants with was a china sugar bowl with pure cane sugar with a vanilla bean pod that had a pink ribbon tied in a bow around it tucked into the sugar and sugar bowl, as a token of love and friendship. You do need a low humidity in-house for this, or the sugar will try to harden, so sometimes it is easier to avoid the humidity issue by simply using an airtight GLASS container to keep your sugar and vanilla bean in. You can just add more sugar as you begin to deplete the supply. The vanilla bean (dang I really hope they get them in before mailing time!) will infuse the sugar indefinitely. - unrelated to the tea and sugar, if you have a vanilla bean, you can make your own vanilla extract by dropping a vanilla bean into a bottle of high proof vodka and letting it infuse over a period of time (out of direct light) until it reaches the vanilla-potency level that you like.
   
8. Stevia Plus packets - an all-natural sweetener from the Stevia plant. Some people love Stevia as a sugar alternative. It's a good way to curb calories if you sweeten your drinks, it's safe for diabetics as well if memory serves, and those who have had different types of stomach surgeries.
   
9. Mother-of-Thousands seedlings - Kalanchoe sp. - succulent plant(s). I will try to get a photo of the mama plant, though I don't know that there are any guarantees that the seedlings will grow up to look just like "her".
   
10. Messenger(R) - if you're not familiar with Messenger, I'll happily include info. I use Messenger on ALL of my plants! Harpin proteins. If you want more info "now", check it out at http://edenbio.com - I LOVE this stuff. Thanks to Messenger, last year I was a winner of Eden BioScience's All-Star Garden competition. *BIG GRIN*
    
11. "Velma's Cactus" pups - heirloom cactus of a "barrel type". Pups are small, but the largest specimen I have had of this variety was about a foot and a half tall. It blooms a beautiful (corrected!)gradient pink in colour (I previously cited magenta-fuchsia but I was thinking of the wrong cactus, sorry), isn't terribly "vicious" where its prickles are concerned - a rather mild-mannered cactus compared to others. Unlike prickly-pear cactus, you won't have to worry about "invisible" sticklers in your skin causing pain.
    
    Their bloom colour is more intense in the wee morning hours following the previous day's blooming...
    
    
    
    
    I received my original "Velma's Cactus" from a friend and his elderly mother. His mother was one of identical twins. She received hers from her twin, hence it was dubbed "Velma's Cactus", as they didn't know if it was a named hybrid or what exactly. This cactus has been around for a very long time, or at least its line has been. I'm not sure where it originated, but I believe "Velma" was/is in MS and from there some of the pups traveled to AL and grew and I was blessed to receive some and have them come to TN. Once of some size, this cactus is frost-hardy, but won't bode so well if exposed to ongoing freezing temperatures. Initially I recommend growing the pups in containers (with good drainage, but enough depth for a substantial taproot), and I mist them from the top (very fine mist) usually daily - misting, not outright watering mind you. I use Messenger on these as well, since it is a foliar spray. While pups are growing roots, I keep them in bright to diffused light, but out of direct/full sun IN MY AREA - your area may vary. Once established, they handle full-sun, water thoroughly when completely dry or mist as the whim takes you. Nature does have them designed that they will capture water in the very top (of a specimen that has grown up to be more than just a "button") and direct it down between the spines to the base of the plant. Like with any cacti, don't over-water or allow them to have "wet feet". When they are large enough to bloom, remove developing pups (they usually grow along the spines, sometimes offshoots from the bottom - but don't confuse pups with flower "buds" - they do look similar at first) from the plant as they will not bloom while they have pups attached. I thought that was BS when I was first told, but it turned out to be true. I had deer try tasting the blooms, and after biting them off, decided they didn't like them and left them alone the rest of the year as new blooms proceeded.
    
12. Rooting Hormone - to go with the pups and other cuttings :)
    
13. Obedient Plant - this one blooms light purple in colour. Very pretty perennial.
    
14. Heirloom Irises - These are an anybody's-guess on colours and form. They were grown by the now-deceased elderly couple that used to live on this property. They were what those of us in the south call "good people". Some of these irises might very well date back to their parents' or grandparents' gardening. I didn't have the heart to get rid of them, but they don't get the love here that they should so I'd like to share them with another iris-lover. I will include as many as I can get in the box.
    
15. Themed stickers - either for scrapbooking or for fun to include with correspondence/parcels, etc. Garden related on one level or another. :)
    
16. Night Blooming Cereus cuttings - I'm still iffy on the exact Latin name for the variety that I have, but here is a slideshow of blooms from last year. A very easy to grow and low-maintenance succulent. I keep mine in diffused light, not so unlike one would have a Ficus benjamina. They will sunburn in my experience in this area. I direct water them myself, but also mist the "blades" and wipe them down (it gets really dusty here since I live off of a gravel road). A larger specimen, IMO, looks best when grown in an elevated container or pedestal pot. I haven't found a hanging pot/suspended planter yet that I feel is really large enough to provide space for a good root system. You can start them out in small containers though and just re-pot as they become rootbound. But even rootbound they do well. I find they do well with a balanced fertilizer like Peter's 20-20-20/the same as I use on my Brugmansia. There's a tradition with Night Blooming Cereus I was told about, and now do myself. Since each bloom only blooms for one night and only at night, when you see that your NBC bloom is readying itself (and it's pretty easy to observe and learn how long it will take as the bud develops and know which night it will bloom on) to burst open in all its magnificence, you invite family, friends, fellow gardeners, whoever you want, to come and celebrate with you in watching it bloom. Maybe it's just a cheap excuse for a party, but it's fun and the blooms really are lovely. I wish my camera had captured the details better. I will forewarn though that ambient artificial light WILL affect the blooming on these. For the longest time I thought that mine weren't opening until it was full-on night, like close to midnight - I didn't realize that a small fluorescent light that I had hanging in the general area and turned on at night was having a direct affect on the blooms. I started leaving the light off unless I really needed it and when I did that, the blooms began opening when the sun began to set. But party on until dawn and enjoy the blooms for as long as they last, because as soon as the sun begins to rise, the bloom will begin to wither and fade.
    
17. Wild Virginia Mountain Mint - Many, many years ago when I was walkabout in the mountains of Virginia, I found myself introduced to this wild strain of mint - and I brought some home with me and continued to bring rhizomes with me each time I moved since then because this is an outstanding, non-hybridized variety with a true mint scent and flavour. Very hardy, it will grow in full sun to full shade and everything in between. It can be contained or allowed to run amok. It smells great when allowed to intermingle with a lawn and get cut when the grass is mowed or trimmed. It's great for between stepping stones or along any pathway where it will be brushed against and the scent released. It blooms white to the faintest pink/purple tint and you can collect seed or allow it to self-sow. It propagates best by rhizomes IMO. It is an excellent culinary and/or medicinal variety, dries well, works well in oils, butters or other fats, vinegar, alcohol, etc. depending upon your choice of use. It also is GREAT for mint jelly. It can be allowed to grow "tall" (up to about 2 feet) or readily adapts to being kept trimmed. When used in between stepping stones or right on a path, it adapts to foot traffic with ease. I've also used it to hasten the deterioration of tree stumps by tucking rhizomes into holes in the trunk with just a handful of soil and watering (the roots work their way into the dead/decaying wood and help to break it down faster) until established. Will send with foliage and stems intact, but generally transplants have the foliar and stem growth die back and the plant concentrates on its root system getting settled in and then sends up new shoots. And, as per this strains collection providence, it does seem to do best in dappled shade in a woodland setting. I've also used it for erosion control and in rocky soils that nothing else, not even Datura, would grow in. If you have a spot where icky weeds are a problem, this mint will happily choke them out if given the go-ahead and provide you with a lush and fragrant replacement. Great also for tea - fresh or dried, as a base or just as an accent. Sorbet, poultices, etc. The uses are virtually limitless. Why else would I insist on insuring that this strain travel everywhere I have for the last 15 years?!
    
18. Brugmansia cutting(s) - named variety/ies (as feasible to take at this point from my plants)
    
19. And anything else I can get in the box - ranging from bath/body items to cuttings of succulents and stuff.
    

Your box is very intriguing! I used to drink all kinds of tea; but since moving to this new property have fallen off the tea wagon as it were. Can't really say why!....

Your box has such a wide range of items .... I'm lovin' it!

Rocky

1. Hazelnutbunny
2. Cedarnest
3. Rockyridge
4. firegurl
5. wynative
6. hermitonthehill
7. Debbya
8. Beckilove
9. Poisondartfrog
10. ilovefarac
11. Veeja
12. klickitat
13. takingroot
14. Paya10shn
15. Kalena67

Boxes

Box 1 - Debbya's
Iceplant "Starburst"
Hosta (Lime green) "Little Aurora"
Hosta "Night Before Christmas"
Hosta "Golden Tiara"
Book- 387 pages/ "1,001 Gardening Secrets The Experts will Never Tell You"
Asiatic Lily- bright orange
A couple of Lily of the Valley plants/white
A couple of fans of a "Mystery Iris"
And for the "Houseplant person"
6-Russian Violet hybrid leaves!
Koffiniy Aromat
Rozoviy Zhemchug
Titanin Den
Lubimaya Dochka
Ek Snezlaya Bars
Ian Selena
African violets are so easy to propagate. Place the leaf in a solo cup half filled with violet soil, and with in weeks, babies appear, seperate the babies when you feel comfortable handling them. Russian violets are 'rare' and come directly from Russia.
Also included is a "Alsobia Cygnet" baby stolen.
Chirta "Stardust" leaf
Chirta "Kazu" leaf
Episcia baby stolen "Pink Panther"
Episcia baby stolen "Aloha Mauna Loa"
And finally a scented streptocarpus/ leaf segment- "King of Kings" again, very easy to propagate, just place the segment in a McDonalds, Wendy's salad container filled with violet soil, holes poked in the bottom, and with in weeks, babies will appear at the base of the strep leaf, seperate the babies when large enough to handle.
One more item... Another scented strep leaf segment- "Heaven Scent"

Box 2 - wynative's

Reader's Digest Gardening Secrets ~ Expert tips for gardens & yard of all sizes - Hard bound & New (Great book, I use mine all the time!)
Garden Sign
Waterstone Coasters - garden picture
Garden Utility Knife
Feng Shui votive candles - 5
Green tea bags in pretty tin
Gift Caddie w/surprises - you have to wait for this box to see them LOL
Travel sewing kit - Hand stitched in RED black stitch and made by me
Pink Rose pot holder & matching towel - Hand stitched by me
Hand Painted bird house - made by my daughter
3 baby Amarylis - Unknown Red, Peppermint (red & white stripes) & Apple Blossom (BEAUTIFUL Pink and white) - grown & bred by me this year.
2 named Iris - Sugar Snaps ~ white, & Delirium ~ Fragrant! purple & yellow
2 named Daylily's - Disneyland ~ white & Sleigh Ride Strawberry Red and Reblooming

Box 3 - cedarnest
Fernleaf Peony 1 clump w/3 to 5 eyes
Karl Rosenfield Peony 1clump w/3 to 5 eyes
DinnerPlate Dahlia's 2 clumps different cultivars named TBD
Tall Bearded Iris named 2 different rhizomes TBD
Canna 2 large tubers each different named TBD
1 surprise amaryllis bulb
6 tulip named bulbs TBD
6 daffodil named bulbs TBD

Box 4 - firegurl's
A large rooted cane/runner- Cup of Gold Vine- Solandra Maxima
(has huge yellow bell flowers with purplish centers- has a super strong but beautiful fragrance- grows well in sun/pt shade-tropical)
Canna Lily- "Florence Vaugh" tubers/plants
(yellow lilies with spotted orange splash)
Echinaceae "Doubledecker" 1 yr old perennial seedling
Ginkgo biloba- tree seedling with growing instructions
Patchouli-Pogostemon Cablin- cutting with a small pack of rooting hormone, this smells great too, I'll ship it in a little water plastic thingy, you know the ones that go on the end of cut roses...what are those called anyway??
An herb jar of freshly dried greek oregano from my garden
A homemade herbal dream pillow with-rose petals, lavender, lemon balm, and sweet marjoram--this is my sleepy mix....zzzz...
A pack of glassine envies, a black china marker- writes on everything, and some surprise seeds

Box 5 - Kalena's
1 Lily 'Tinos'
3 Lilies unknown
1 Iris unknown
1 Iris 'From A Distance' (no pic)
1 Phlox 'David'
1 Sedum spurium Tricolor
2 Sedum Dragons Blood
1 Sedum unknown
1 Sedum Brilliant Neon (no pic)
2 Liatris purple
2 Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
2 new soft cover books:
Roses
Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses
Fresh seeds collected from my flowers
2 packages (100 ea.) 2"x3" reclosable bags
Body pampering assortment

Box 6 - hazelnutbunny's
4 unknown purple iris
2 "honorable" iris
2 unknown red daylilies
2 mock orange cuttings
1 "Blaze" climbing rose cutting
1 new hardcover book "101 crafts under $10" (great book!)
Gardenia body & hand lotion
New birdfeeder
Small handmade throw quilt (made by me!)
Jar of homemade apple jelly
Handmade fabric goodie basket - with goodies :O)

Box 7 - klickitat's
2 named irises
- 2 named daylillies
- 2 named hostas
- 2 named dahlias
- 2 surprise named plants
- a cookbook
- jar of local honey
- gardening accessory
- candle

Box 8 - Beckilove's
Hand knitted yellow and orange scarf
One packet of Pearberry bath crystals
5 hand beaded bracelets in different colors
One mystery Lilac seedling (mystery as there was no name but "Lilac" on the seed packet)
Bachelor Buttons Cyanus Double Mixed Colors seeds (commercial)
Crego Mix Aster seeds (commercial)
Sensation Mixed Cosmos seeds (commercial)
10 Luffa gourd seeds (from a trade)
50 1" x 1 ½" seed packets made from scrapbook paper (like these)
A pretty garden tote (or could be used other things)
These are from Walmart – I am hoping the will grow:
2 mixed Canna rhizomes
1 Mother Earth bearded iris rhizome
And if you happen to be a sticker lover like I am, you might like these! All are scrapbooking type.
A cutting from this rose bush that blooms over and over in my garden
And some coral nymph salvia seeds, harvested this year

Box 9 - veeja's
1 small adenium obesum plant
2 named daylilies
4 small orange asiatic lily bulbs
1 red asiatic
6 red glad corms
braided dog toy
foot care kit
seeds
snapdragon
cosmos
cockscomb
zinnia
impatiens
shasta daisy
calendula
previous are 5 for 1.00 seeds
unknown lillum
dianthus nevark
sweet pea supreme
opal basil
snow queen iris
unknown daylily
purple hyacinth bean vine
datura tatula
candy lily
sweet autum clematis
candle
japanese iris bulbs
3 tulip bulbs
1 suprise

Box 10 - poisondartfrog's
3 Daylilies
Beloved Ballerina
Awesome Blossom
Wisest of Wizards
2 Hostas
Patriot
Allan P McConnell
2 Tall Bearded Iris
Spiced Tiger
Heavenly Halo
1 Shasta Daisy
Becky
1 Japanese Painted Fern
Athyrium niponicum, Pictum
1 Hardy Geranium, Johnson's Blue
Any 5 packs of seeds from my exchange list, winner's choice.
1 new book, "Flower Gardening" by Julie Bawden-Davis.
This is a beautiful book, very colorful and a good comprehensive guide. 288 pages

Box 11 - ilovefarac's
DAYLILIES- ONE fAN OF THESE
Two part Harmony
Darius
Maybe So
Eastern Gate
Gordon Biggs
IRIS- ONE RHIZOME OF THESE
Divine
Silverado
Helleborus orientalis-2 plants
Geranium- Karmina
Lamium-Miss Nancy Pink- variegated leaves and pink flowers
Bath set of Tuscan Gardens-sage and lavender- lotion, soap, bath gel, etc. in basket
Perennial book from Sunset. 128 pages nice pics and ideas

Box 12 - paya10shn's
*Stella D'ora Daylilly
*Spider Wort
*Russian Sage
*Potentilla (melton fire)
*Veronica (spike speedwell)
*Irish Moss
*Lewisia (sunset group)
*Sedum (rupestre variegated)
*Sedum (old man bones)
*Poppy red
*Scabiosa, Butterfly Blue
*Walking Onion (winter onion)
*Pink Plumeria (My Zone this is a house plant, very fragrant. The smell of Hawaii inside.
*********SEEDS
Grandpa Ott morning glory
4-Oclocks-- yellow and purple
Purple Majesty Millet
Zinna's
Cosmos
Purple Sunfowers
***Surprise Seeds*** I have so many, I will send ID with package.
*******MISC Fun Stuff
Daisy Trivit with Yellow Hand Towel
New Garden Trowel
Candle
Suet cake Berry
Suet Feeder

Box 13 - rockyridge's
Affluence
Supreme Sultan
Add those to the original list:
2 - Weigela florida ‘Minuet’ --each in a 6 inch pot and at least 12 inches tall. NOT a cutting.
Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’
Tropicanna Gold Canna ‘Mactro’
I R I S:
Beautiful No-Name Iris
‘Batik’
‘Immortality’
'Affluence'
'Supreme Sultan'
D A Y L I L I E S:
'Barbara Mitchell'
'Siloam Royalty'
'Tears of Love'
'Destined to See'
91G - Un-named daylily seedling you can name yourself!!! You will receive all there is of this seedling.
I always send good sized clumps.

Box 14 - takingroot's
1 Banana Pup (Northern zones may want to take it in for the winter)
1 Crinium
Mirabilis Seeds
2 Named Canna's
2 Named Brug Cuttings
Unknown but pretty Iris (4-5)
2 Named Daylily's
2 Named Sedums
2 Named Hosta's
1 Green EE/ small tuber(which grows very large)
Scented Candles
And a few sur-PRIZES! (always fun to add these)

Box 15 - hermitonthehill
Seeds - selection of herbs, veggies, melons, & pretties - most of these will be heirloom varieties. If there's anything the 'winner' doesn't want, like say peppers due an allergy or something, just let me know! OR, if there is something specific that the recipient sees on my trade list that they would like just ask, OR, if there is something not seen on my trade list but the recipient has a wish for, also JUST ASK - my trade list is not up to date, some things I am out of, other things aren't even listed at this point in the year. I might just be able to help the 'winner' in meeting something from their wish-list. I will make an effort when the final recipient for my box is discerned, to check their zone/climate or they can just email me or post to the thread to discuss it, so that perhaps the selection of seeds can be finetuned even more, or helpful info can be included that could help to make the most of growing these things in their specific area.
pencil & plant "stakes" for labeling - I want to note that these are "hand-made". That is to say, I am also a recycler and combined with trial and tribulations with commercial plant stakes, I am now one of those people who swears by a #2 pencil and old mini-blind 'slats' being written on and the labeling actually weathering through all sorts of weather/climate conditions and lasting a looooong time. And I'm picky about the pencils too! Not all #2 (or any other #) pencils are made the same. The pencil I am sending is of a "lead" (graphite I'm sure since lead pencils are of a bygone day anymore) that has proven itself for labeling on these and lasting. I was trying to find one of my "cute" hole-punchers to also put holes in these stakes/labels incase the recipient wanted to tie them around plants instead, but I seem to have misplaced all of my hole-punchers (or the kids "borrowed" them - geesh, that's a polite euphemism!)
Stationery - suitable for laser printers, typewriters, pens, pencils, etc. How Does Your Garden Grow theme - very light-weight paper, which is helpful in seed trading to keep weight/postage costs down!
an old print of a Garden Tea Room - kitties, bunny, cockatoo, and a touch of Victorian Era theme OR another (smaller) framed print/photo - which one depends upon which box I actually pack things into. Even though the first one is a weathered print, I don't want to fold/crease it to make it fit, so the final physical box dimensions is what will dictate which print goes in.
Assortment of 26 (probably more) Different Teas. My husband makes every effort to keep me out of "gourmet" tea shoppes where loose leaf tea can be purchased, because me in such a tea shoppe is like an addict cut loose in an unlocked pharmacy! Fortunately for him the nearest tea shoppe is more than a hundred miles away, so I have to shop locally. I am denoting my personal favourites with *s. I personally usually prefer a black tea or a nice 'red' such as a Ceylon type of tea or a provoking "Gunpowder" when I can con my way to a tea shoppe with lots of cash! Flavoured teas and non-tea-containing infusions are a "mood thing" for me, but each of these have found their place even with my tastes. Assortment including at least the following:
Vanilla Caramel
Vanilla Hazelnut
Red Raspberry (blend) - a good "female" tea
Green Tea - Cranberry Pomegranate - another good "female" tea
Thai Coconut (blend) - very good with Thai cuisine or other Asian dishes/foods
Tension Tamer Extra (blend - ingredients listed with these with a hand-note)
"Calm" (blend - ingredients listed with tea)
*Green Tea - Orange-Passionfruit-Jasmine (I have to confess, I do not usually care for jasmine or passionfruit in any infusion, but THIS ONE is an exception to the rule. As picky as I am about my infusions, I really enjoy this one - the blend is VERY WELL DONE!)
Black Pearl - despite being marketed/made by Lipton, this tea exceeded my expectations and has become a staple in my tea stash.
French Vanilla
Cozy Chamomile - chamomile flowers (dried obviously), can be drank, used in the bath, for a refreshing rinse in the hair or on the skin, used dry in sachets or sleep/dream pillows, etc. Multipurpose "tea". :)
*Tetley "British Blend" - this one likewise exceeded expectations. These have more tea per "bag" than standard tea bags - either make a larger cup or brew darker. Good flavour and good with either milk or lemon (never mix milk and lemon in your tea though, you'll end up with a curdled cup and that's just nasty!) I would choose this one over Black Pearl.
Green Tea - Mixed Berry (good served cooler or outright iced. I'm out of "Tastes of Summer" unfortunately, but this is a nice runner-up)
Green Tea - Jasmine (just a hint of Jasmine, a nice after-meal tea at midday or if you have a nervous stomach, etc.)
Black Tea flavoured Vanilla (served sweetened with white sugar is a treat, with Demerara is almost like having an after-meal 'sweet' as the Demerara has the flavour remind one of caramel. Also good with milk when sweetened. I drink almost all of my tea with milk though - it neutralizes the tannins and makes tea smoother and also easier on the stomach, which is why the British have less cases of stomach cancer than those in Middle Eastern countries where they do not use milk with their tea as a general rule.)
Lemon Lift - blend
"Awake" blend of black teas, marketed/intended to be a morning tea, like some folks have "their morning coffee" (bleah! I can't stand coffee!!)
I Love Lemon (blend)
Orange Spice (blend)
Apple Spice (blend)
Sweet Dreams (blend)
Honey Lotus Oolong (blend)
White Tea w/ Island Mango, Peach, Orange Leaves, Lemongrass, Green Tea, Rosehips, Licorice Root, etc. - a blend obviously!
***Prince of Wales - Twinings - this one gets multiple stars :) This is a tea to savour especially during quiet times or relaxing amidst one's plants.
***Irish Breakfast - Twinings - darker than Prince of Wales but a different flavour while still being just as good, but for me, a different time to drink this one...a caffeine 'kick' without stomping the palate or being abrasive to the senses...
***English Breakfast - Twinings - same class as the above two, but unique still in flavour, not just for breakfast that's for sure. A tea that for many years was the standard for the Midnight Tea Parties a close group of us use to have/share together.

A tea-note of note - If you don't like milk in your tea, or choose lemon but want to neutralize the tannins, simply add a pinch of baking soda (just a pinch!) when pouring hot water over/into the tea before steeping, and stir once done brewing your tea. The tannins are what "eat at" our stomach lining just for starters. Also, if making iced tea - the same applies, add a pinch of baking soda. This will remove the unpleasant "bite" in iced tea, which is especially noticable (noticeable?) when tea has 'sat' for awhile in the fridge or otherwise isn't fresh-fresh. It doesn't change the flavour, it improves the brew tremendously.

Demerara sugar - "raw" with a caramel colour and larger grains. When it comes to sweetening tea, the choice of sweetener can make the difference in how the brew tastes. Some teas are better with Demerara rather than white sugar, and it's always a good choice for soothing sore throats (and for lots of baked items :)

Organic Pure Cane Sugar - Whether in tea or for baking, organic pure cane sugar is sure to delight. If you've never had it and are accustomed to most commonly available "white sugar", you're in for a sweet surprise! If you like vanilla flavouring, an enjoyable trick - and treat - is to take a whole vanilla bean pod and bury it in a full sugar bowl and put the lid on. Let the vanilla bean pod infuse the sugar for a week or more - the longer you leave it, the better the infusion. Use the sugar as you would normally and enjoy the little bit of heaven with each teaspoon you use. :) (if they get the vanilla beans in stock before time for mailing, I'll hook the recipient up with this!) One of the little somethin'-somethins that we initiated new Midnight Tea Party participants with was a china sugar bowl with pure cane sugar with a vanilla bean pod that had a pink ribbon tied in a bow around it tucked into the sugar and sugar bowl, as a token of love and friendship. You do need a low humidity in-house for this, or the sugar will try to harden, so sometimes it is easier to avoid the humidity issue by simply using an airtight GLASS container to keep your sugar and vanilla bean in. You can just add more sugar as you begin to deplete the supply. The vanilla bean (dang I really hope they get them in before mailing time!) will infuse the sugar indefinitely. - unrelated to the tea and sugar, if you have a vanilla bean, you can make your own vanilla extract by dropping a vanilla bean into a bottle of high proof vodka and letting it infuse over a period of time (out of direct light) until it reaches the vanilla-potency level that you like.

Stevia Plus packets - an all-natural sweetener from the Stevia plant. Some people love Stevia as a sugar alternative. It's a good way to curb calories if you sweeten your drinks, it's safe for diabetics as well if memory serves, and those who have had different types of stomach surgeries.

Mother-of-Thousands seedlings - Kalanchoe sp. - succulent plant(s). I will try to get a photo of the mama plant, though I don't know that there are any guarantees that the seedlings will grow up to look just like "her".

Messenger(R) - if you're not familiar with Messenger, I'll happily include info. I use Messenger on ALL of my plants! Harpin proteins. If you want more info "now", check it out at http://edenbio.com - I LOVE this stuff. Thanks to Messenger, last year I was a winner of Eden BioScience's All-Star Garden competition. *BIG GRIN*

"Velma's Cactus" pups - heirloom cactus of a "barrel type". Pups are small, but the largest specimen I have had of this variety was about a foot and a half tall. It blooms a beautiful (corrected!)gradient pink in colour (I previously cited magenta-fuchsia but I was thinking of the wrong cactus, sorry), isn't terribly "vicious" where its prickles are concerned - a rather mild-mannered cactus compared to others. Unlike prickly-pear cactus, you won't have to worry about "invisible" sticklers in your skin causing pain.

Their bloom colour is more intense in the wee morning hours following the previous day's blooming...

I received my original "Velma's Cactus" from a friend and his elderly mother. His mother was one of identical twins. She received hers from her twin, hence it was dubbed "Velma's Cactus", as they didn't know if it was a named hybrid or what exactly. This cactus has been around for a very long time, or at least its line has been. I'm not sure where it originated, but I believe "Velma" was/is in MS and from there some of the pups traveled to AL and grew and I was blessed to receive some and have them come to TN. Once of some size, this cactus is frost-hardy, but won't bode so well if exposed to ongoing freezing temperatures. Initially I recommend growing the pups in containers (with good drainage, but enough depth for a substantial taproot), and I mist them from the top (very fine mist) usually daily - misting, not outright watering mind you. I use Messenger on these as well, since it is a foliar spray. While pups are growing roots, I keep them in bright to diffused light, but out of direct/full sun IN MY AREA - your area may vary. Once established, they handle full-sun, water thoroughly when completely dry or mist as the whim takes you. Nature does have them designed that they will capture water in the very top (of a specimen that has grown up to be more than just a "button") and direct it down between the spines to the base of the plant. Like with any cacti, don't over-water or allow them to have "wet feet". When they are large enough to bloom, remove developing pups (they usually grow along the spines, sometimes offshoots from the bottom - but don't confuse pups with flower "buds" - they do look similar at first) from the plant as they will not bloom while they have pups attached. I thought that was BS when I was first told, but it turned out to be true. I had deer try tasting the blooms, and after biting them off, decided they didn't like them and left them alone the rest of the year as new blooms proceeded.

Rooting Hormone - to go with the pups and other cuttings :)

Obedient Plant - this one blooms light purple in colour. Very pretty perennial.

Heirloom Irises - These are an anybody's-guess on colours and form. They were grown by the now-deceased elderly couple that used to live on this property. They were what those of us in the south call "good people". Some of these irises might very well date back to their parents' or grandparents' gardening. I didn't have the heart to get rid of them, but they don't get the love here that they should so I'd like to share them with another iris-lover. I will include as many as I can get in the box.

Themed stickers - either for scrapbooking or for fun to include with correspondence/parcels, etc. Garden related on one level or another. :)

Night Blooming Cereus cuttings - I'm still iffy on the exact Latin name for the variety that I have, but here is a slideshow of blooms from last year. A very easy to grow and low-maintenance succulent. I keep mine in diffused light, not so unlike one would have a Ficus benjamina. They will sunburn in my experience in this area. I direct water them myself, but also mist the "blades" and wipe them down (it gets really dusty here since I live off of a gravel road). A larger specimen, IMO, looks best when grown in an elevated container or pedestal pot. I haven't found a hanging pot/suspended planter yet that I feel is really large enough to provide space for a good root system. You can start them out in small containers though and just re-pot as they become rootbound. But even rootbound they do well. I find they do well with a balanced fertilizer like Peter's 20-20-20/the same as I use on my Brugmansia. There's a tradition with Night Blooming Cereus I was told about, and now do myself. Since each bloom only blooms for one night and only at night, when you see that your NBC bloom is readying itself (and it's pretty easy to observe and learn how long it will take as the bud develops and know which night it will bloom on) to burst open in all its magnificence, you invite family, friends, fellow gardeners, whoever you want, to come and celebrate with you in watching it bloom. Maybe it's just a cheap excuse for a party, but it's fun and the blooms really are lovely. I wish my camera had captured the details better. I will forewarn though that ambient artificial light WILL affect the blooming on these. For the longest time I thought that mine weren't opening until it was full-on night, like close to midnight - I didn't realize that a small fluorescent light that I had hanging in the general area and turned on at night was having a direct affect on the blooms. I started leaving the light off unless I really needed it and when I did that, the blooms began opening when the sun began to set. But party on until dawn and enjoy the blooms for as long as they last, because as soon as the sun begins to rise, the bloom will begin to wither and fade.

Wild Virginia Mountain Mint - Many, many years ago when I was walkabout in the mountains of Virginia, I found myself introduced to this wild strain of mint - and I brought some home with me and continued to bring rhizomes with me each time I moved since then because this is an outstanding, non-hybridized variety with a true mint scent and flavour. Very hardy, it will grow in full sun to full shade and everything in between. It can be contained or allowed to run amok. It smells great when allowed to intermingle with a lawn and get cut when the grass is mowed or trimmed. It's great for between stepping stones or along any pathway where it will be brushed against and the scent released. It blooms white to the faintest pink/purple tint and you can collect seed or allow it to self-sow. It propagates best by rhizomes IMO. It is an excellent culinary and/or medicinal variety, dries well, works well in oils, butters or other fats, vinegar, alcohol, etc. depending upon your choice of use. It also is GREAT for mint jelly. It can be allowed to grow "tall" (up to about 2 feet) or readily adapts to being kept trimmed. When used in between stepping stones or right on a path, it adapts to foot traffic with ease. I've also used it to hasten the deterioration of tree stumps by tucking rhizomes into holes in the trunk with just a handful of soil and watering (the roots work their way into the dead/decaying wood and help to break it down faster) until established. Will send with foliage and stems intact, but generally transplants have the foliar and stem growth die back and the plant concentrates on its root system getting settled in and then sends up new shoots. And, as per this strains collection providence, it does seem to do best in dappled shade in a woodland setting. I've also used it for erosion control and in rocky soils that nothing else, not even Datura, would grow in. If you have a spot where icky weeds are a problem, this mint will happily choke them out if given the go-ahead and provide you with a lush and fragrant replacement. Great also for tea - fresh or dried, as a base or just as an accent. Sorbet, poultices, etc. The uses are virtually limitless. Why else would I insist on insuring that this strain travel everywhere I have for the last 15 years?!

Brugmansia cutting(s) - named variety/ies (as feasible to take at this point from my plants)

And anything else I can get in the box - ranging from bath/body items to cuttings of succulents and stuff.

Ready, set goooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay...My FINAL decision is......I would like.....I think....

Rockyridge/Roxanne 's box.

OhMyGosh...THAT was difficult. :O) But SOOOOOO much fun!!!

Now, I've gotta hurry and hit "submit" before I change my mind again. lol

I would have had to do the same thing Bunny (put names in a hat) LOL! I don't know how you all are going to choose!

(Oh, and you don't have to misspell "will" like I did...LOL!!!!)

Everyone seeing how round one will go?

It's already getting fun!! Weeeelllll....no matter WHICH box I end up with, I'm gonna be a happy bunny, that's for certain. :O) I guess the second round will be even more fun, cuz then I have someone make my mind up FOR me....!!! lol

Deb

I just got caught up with the thread tonight... Monday morning was met with the passing of our oldest canine and so the rest of the day was/has been (after midnight but haven't gotten to bed/sleep yet) rather downhill from there. Thankfully he passed peacefully in the dreaming of a deep sleep - that was all I wished for as we began anticipating his journey. We're all just wiped out tonight... emotionally I mean, well, and digging a grave in very hard, dry, compact and rocky soil in the heat. He's been laid to rest beside his "mate" though and now the mourning begins to manifest. Glad there's this swap to have as a diversion from the less pleasant grieving.

Kernunnos Herne Hun-Tyr
April 5, 1997 - August 6, 2007
Until we meet again, Our Loyal Lifelong Friend

Since I can't make up my mind I'm going to go with the 'surprise' box.

I love a surprise!!!

I pick box #7 Klickitat's box

Rox

Roxanne

rockyridge... thanks for picking my box. The actual contents will be more than what's listed. I just wanted to put together a mystery that will very much be a surprise when opened. It'll be worth it!

Who's next to pick?

Firegurl is next. There is a master list of the turn order and all of the boxes in a post above. :-)

Firegurl ~ please pick your box..... I am ready to pick mine LOL :)

Shot at 2007-08-07

Thanks to all on condolences and sympathies for Kernunnos. He was a GOOD dog, loyal as they day is long... though never the sharpest tool in the shed. :) But he was a good sire, a good herder, and a heck of a puller! (dead-weight pulling - not sure if any of you are familiar with it) and with carting in his younger years. The only thing that makes it "easy" that he fortunately didn't suffer or otherwise have a prolonged demise. All evidence indicates that his heart simply stopped in his sleep... I wish it were that easy for all of us when the time comes! He sure was a great draft-blocker at doors in the winter... going to miss his big, soft fur-covered "heating element" self when things get real cold in the winter...

On a positive note though, his passing has had more added to the box with some truly self-indulgent goodies... did I mention the WHITE chocolate hot cocoa mix? Yum....

Hermit

I also noticed firegurl's listing of "glassine envies" and my first thought was, "Ahhh... is she a scrapbooker, into decoupage, or another craft? Or does she have those for seeds?"

It's just been tonight that I've begun really looking at the lists/boxes, and looking up things I wasn't familiar with. I'm a third of the way through as I write this snippet... and I think I've fallen in love with one box over others out of the first 2/3rds of those listed. I'm too nervous to say which one though... still having to do the first "real go-through" of the final third of the boxes and look things up, and a wee bit afraid that if I comment specifically and out of turn, I'll jinx myself!
What I will say though that is after getting through those that I have so far, no matter which box I end up with, I suspect I will be making some private contacts to inquire about some trades - such diversity with the compilation of the boxes - very cool!

I've "formally" compiled my wish-list-order for the numbered boxes.... really tough!!!

If someone KNOWS that they will be out of town, or unable to get to the computer at around the time it will be their turn, they should email Vela with their choices for a box. That way, she can post their choice, and it won't hold everyone else up. I know I don't have access to a computer on the weekends, so I am going to email Vela when the next round starts, and give her my choice for a box. That way, if my turn comes up on Saturday, for instance, she can post my choice, and the next in line can claim theirs as well. :O)

Vela,

I emailed you. I will be out of my office today and if Firegurl makes her pick, I don't want anyone to have to wait one me:) I have made my choice atleast 5/6 times and keep changing it! LOL I sent you my 1st & 2nd choices, if you would be so kind as to post for me?

Thanks,
Marie

You better watch that bunny......you don't wanna make bunny M A D !!!!

Unfortunately all of my 'Destined to See' is spoken for. I can put your name on it for next year if you like. It is a good multiplier and I should have plenty next year. I know.......NEXT YEAR.....seems like forever. Sorry!

Roxanne

Melissa
(V)
( ..)
c( ")(")

Never got your e-mail. I'll e-mail you directly.

Rox

*Smile* :O)
Melissa

I tried to put my "box" together with a mix of unquestionably garden/plant related & non-plant/gardening stuff. I wondered though, especially when the kids caught wind of this swap, if maybe I just should have put together two entirely different boxes (and have the most interested kid/daughter on the swap list, albeit via my account since I'm the only one with a GW account to keep things simpler within the household).

I also wondered if anyone thought that a box-contents-totally-unknown swap would be of interest? And maybe like putting a "cap" on it, like limited to a flat-rate box (two sizes that I know of with USPS, or at least varying dimensions) or even a flat-rate priority mail envelope to have people limited to the same amount paid for postage, and at the same time possibly have to get creative in what they put into a box because of the size limit or dimensions.

I had an idea for a different sort of swap the other day, but never ironed out any details because things got funky with Kern's passing. I'm not sure if it would be of interest to ANYONE on GW or not in the RR forum... I should probably check other forums to see if there is any trace of a similar or same idea already around or done in the past.

So many of you so hyped about that Destined To See... and at first I thought to myself "well no worries from me, I'm just now 'getting into' daylilies thanks to my grandmother"... and then later I realized that THAT daylily was one on my cruising-the-web-wish-list...and to make matters worse, the others in that box aren't anything to snuff at and I'd love to have them in my garden. I guess that makes me a potential "threat" now LOL Though, in all honesty, that box isn't actually my first or second "preference"... On the daylily front, I only bought one this year that caught my eye, it's called "Strawberry Candy". I wish it were big enough to already divide from so that I could have offered it up in this swap. I can easily see why (from the web-cruising I've done) why and how so many of you are so taken or otherwise 'into' daylilies. :)

I keep having to remind myself that in the second round, if a box is "stolen" from us, we get the box that the "thief" is 'holding'... that hasn't really sunk into my head yet.

Geesh, after 11 PM here and it's still in the 80s... anyone else involved in this white elephant swap that is contending with a "heat advisory" status in their area?

I'm in the microwave with ya! This morning at 5 a.m. when I got up it was still 80 degrees. Predicting 105 today actual temperature; and should get about 115, 120 with the heat index figured in.

Note to self......go to post office E A R L Y!!!

I live in North Carolina 80 miles east of Charlotte and about 30 miles from the South Carolina border. They say it is supposed to 'cool down' to a mere 90 by Sunday. I never thought 90 would sound so good!!!

Roxanne

So where are we at with the swap? I can't wait to see how it turns out!

I'll be semi-silently bummed that Firegurl didn't get to choose for herself, but not over the top dramatic about it, for all I know she might have been so hard pressed to choose she may have resorted to numbers in a hat too! But the other part of me says Yeah! One participant's choice away from being my turn in round 1! Woohoo! Now, the trick is to NOT look at my list of choices like I jotted them down, so that I don't get myself all tied up in knots second, third, and fourth guessing my decisions *again*!

Trying to distract myself... I have to unload some stuff from my 'van tonight - in the dark, but certainly cooler than how it was today (again, well over 100F and then some)... the humidity is indeed stifling, yet not enough humidity to actually brew up even a light (rain) shower for us... I HAVE to unload stuff from the 'van though because, provided everything goes according to plan, we have a "new" rescue being picked up tomorrow morning and joining us. Not a canine - it would be a really bad time for another canine after Kernunnos' passing earlier this week, but rather, a ball python. It's been a long time since we had a keepable snake in Sanctuary. By keepable I mean not one of the many varieties of wild snakes that we've taken in, injured or sick, nursed back to health and then released back into the wild. The ball python was vetted by the lady who is relinquishing her and supposed to be mite and otherwise parasite-free and healthy and the vet cited a female on gender, so I'm pretty psyched up about having her join us. I/we haven't had any constrictors since before the kids were born, so it will be a new experience for them, though they have had experience with venomous snakes - so we'll just have to transfer their understanding of the potential "danger" from venomous to constriction... well, being bitten by even a non-venomous snake can result in a nasty infection, but as long as one is on top of things, rarely fatal. I hope this snake-talk isn't making anyone cringe? There's method to my madness really. Aside from liking snakes (and other herps) in general, actually having one that cannot (should not, illegal, morally wrong, etc.) be released provides me with the Joy (and I mean that, I'm not being sarcastic) of customizing a habitat for her - that means I get to re-research her species, native habitat (neither the current owner nor I know if she was bred in captivity or wild-caught originally) and PLANTS... wooooohoooo! She's been kept in glass containment, so I have plenty of time to double-check all of my research (amazing how much stuff you forget when you haven't had a species for such a long time) and "start from scratch" on her customized habitat. And, as an added bonus, since our winters get too cold during at least some length of time, for her to be outside, that also means her habitat will be created indoors and I get to have (as they are acquired anyway) new plants to fuss over. :) While it will take years, if started from seed, there's also the prospect of pinning down types of trees for her to (eventually - will have to grow up a bit before they can support her weight) to lounge around on/in. It's always fun to be able to have a "good reason" to add a tree or three to the collection for container-growing. This will also give me the chance to build a mock "Reptarium" (registered or trademarked brand name) - which are much healthier for herps. I've been waiting "a long time" to have an "excuse" to build one. The only reason I didn't while not having any keepable herps was because I didn't know what size to aim for - it varies from species to species and I could have built one too big or too small... now I know what to aim for! Anyone else on this swap have any types of herps?

Okay, I managed to distract myself from the boxes and my turn coming up for a little while in writing here. :)

Hermit

Bunny ~ LOVED the wolf/bunny pictures LOL!!

Hermit ~ OMG! A Ball Python! Lucky, lucky you! My husband is really freaked out by any snake or lizard (he says they are snakes with out legs - rolling my eyes!) Before I met him, me & my kids had snakes, lizard, frogs & any other creepy crawly they couldn't live without. But my favorite was a Diamond Back Rattler named Clyde. Clyde was 3+ feet long and a great 'guard dog' :) After people found out that we had him, I didn't even have to lock my doors! We found him in our yard and after 3 different times of moving him to different locations and him coming back, the kids convinced me to keep him for awhile. He was a great experience for us and became like one of the family. Although my sons hamsters learned to not take their balls anywhere near his cage! LOL

Here is my pick ~

#15 ~ Hermitonthehill ~ love the "Velma's Cactus" and the tea's!

Next......

WYNative, thank you also for choosing "my" box... if you still have it after round 2, *do* hook up with me via email and we'll see about finetuning it even more for your area and see if I've got anything else to include that you'd like to have or have been wanting. "Velma's Cactus" will include plenty of pups. I have intentionally been letting the pups "pile up" on 'her' with the heat we've got going on. I like blooms and all, but this year I really wanted to see to what extreme 'she' would go on being prolific... I'll also (if you're inclined), talk to you about a possible "fluke"/variation from the original VC that I have growing, that also has pups (again, I've been letting that one produce-away without as yet removing the pups - oh, that's something else, with VC, if you let the pups go long enough on the "mother" cactus, they will send out a couple of hardy roots - remind me of spiderplant offshoots' "air" roots - and if allowed to go on, will eventually fall off with those roots already ready to dig into the soil). As I suspect that VC is a hybrid, new plants from it can potentially show new traits themselves.

PoisonDartFrog - Do you or your son still have the ball python that he got from his friend??? And I can imagine hiding a snake for two months - or longer - been there, done that, got the t-shirt! LOL I was in my senior year and had the good fortune (well, I thought it was good fortune at the time) of getting my hands on an Emerald Tree Boa constrictor - I named him Beau of course. :) He was lovely - well under a year old. Unfortunately Beau and all of his shipment-mates were all infected with something that went well beyond mites or other parasites. One by one they were all reported back to the retailer/pet shop owner (he wasn't even 10 years old, but his folks had money and he wanted to run a pet shop - so they set him up - unless he's closed up shop recently rather than changed buildings, he's still around and now an adult - but to this day I refuse to do any business with him - info I later found out too late) as having died. Beau was the last to pass on. I was devastated. But I did manage to keep his presence a secret in two different households for several months - the latter was the toughest, my now-MIL, who is unreasonably scared of all snakes... even garter snakes. But I've got to talk frogs with you! I've only had native north american varieties in rescue/rehab and "African Water Frogs" in my youth as pets (and they were so cool!), so my pet-keeping experience with frogs and the different types is very, very limited. Shoot me an email? I'd love to hear about your experiences, what you've had and/or have, and LEARN more!!! I moved some presumably bullfrog tadpoles and either tree frog or common toad tadpoles from two standing water sources here into a 30g tank on a desk/table on the deck. I read how few survive to actually develop to maturity and that bummed me out, so now when I come across tadpoles here on the hill, I try to gather up at least a few and transfer to a tank outside where there is less chance of them being preyed upon. There is the exception with some of these that I have fed some to the "dinosaur eels" that came into Sanctuary. They gobbled them up. Last night I provided them with a common cricket, which one snatched up quickly, so I caught another cricket and put it in and the second one got that one. Definitely carnivores. I wish they were big enough to eat the larger (2-5 inches body length) grasshoppers, but one of the crickets was pushing it on size. I'm not sure if they'd go for grasshoppers if I cut them into smaller bits. They thrill with the chase of their meal, that much I've learned. But anyhoo, do email me? I had wondered by your S/N if you were just an admirer or if you might actually have some of the more "exotic" frogs in your care.

And my turn, my turn, my turn! LOL See Vela, I was getting to it! I wanted to respond to other things before my "picking" because I knew as soon as I went to double-check/make sure I remembered the box number correctly, I was going to start second-guessing....for me, I had "a tie" with either five or six different boxes to be my "first pick", and it was incredibly hard trying to put them in any particular order. It was tough on all of the boxes! But I "managed" by nixing those already chosen, trying really hard not to be greedy (is it greedy when you are so awe-struck by all of the boxes?), and thinking that if I kept it nice and tidy with some that I have only got a few types of but want to GRADUALLY expand my collection of that I might be blessed by the garden guardians. :) And it is sheer coincidence that after all I wrote above, that I had notated PoisonDartFrog's

There, I said/wrote it!

BTW, PoisonDartFrog - was looking at your trade page... your wish list... I can send you seeds for Mina Lobata/Spanish Flag, Papaver somniferum 'Persian White', and Valerian. "Lyre-leaf Sage" I think is aka Salvia lyrata, and grows wild here... the Latin one you have listed has a cultivar name so I'm not sure if it is the same or a hybrid, or if I have my Latin messed up on the native Lyre-leaf Sage here. But I can check the acreage and see if it's too late to collect seeds from any of those that have already bloomed this year. And I got today... it's supposedly to have "dark pinkish red flowers with contrasting dark green leaves", not sure if it would be of interest to you? It's Hydrangea 'Preziosa'.

Hermit - who is now waiting indefinitely to actually post because DSL has gone totally hokey because our only option in a provider sucks rocks and they continue to ignore the wisdom of my husband (who has tried getting the contract with them) that would solve ALL of their internet issues (not limited to DSL).

Deb

Becki

I have it narrowed down to three boxes and I am drawing a number now from those three-drawing a number-number 12, Paya's box.

Thank you , Thank you !!!

Yay! 4 more left before the next round! Whoo-Hoo! This is gonna get good!

.... choose......

Box #1

Next?

Bunny hunting? Well, if it makes you feel any better HNB, the ball python isn't big enough to prey upon rabbits - not unless it's kits anyway. :)

Ooooo a "Neptune" being added is so cool! It sounds a lot like "Sterling Silver" - a rose I *used* to have for my son Sterling. Unfortunately it didn't survive its first winter here and I haven't seen another one available locally since. What a bummer. "Neptune" sounds a lot like it though!

Enjoyed the "garden party" yesterday with a small local group, but things have otherwise gone down hill over the weekend. The twins are "out" of their babysitting job and still no job prospects for us grown-ups here either. Things are bound to get worse before they get better at this rate. I may end up resorting to having to do my email and stuff from my parents' if we end up having to disconnect phone and electric and farm the kids out. At least I've got a couple of swaps to look forward to if nothing else!

When round 1 is done, will a list be posted and updated of everyone in the swap and what boxes they are "holding" so I don't get all confused? (which is really easy for me to do here lately - too much on my mind)

Think I'm going to have some flavoured cocoa - comfort foods!

Hermit

Oh Carol, you are too funny! Not rooting.....more like melting....way to Hot!
I'm having too much fun reading all the post....
You all are just crackin' me up, so....

Rabbit hunting it is.....LOL!

I PICK BOX #11.

Takingroot/Jaye

On to round 2!!

Great picture, Root!!!
Oohhh....FINALLY!!! The bunny wins!!! :O)

Deb