MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

Thank you for being great friends, hope you have a blessed day.

Grandson Dillon, 9, left a note for Santa to sign, decided with a friend to both do the same and compare notes afterwards, to see if it's one same signature, clever and funny. Won't be long before the doubts are tested, ah the age of innocence!!!

GB, Bea

Aloha Everyone, and Merry Christmas!

If you are one of the numerous GardenWebbers who sent me a Get-well card, seeds, or a Christmas card, you have my thanks! :)

It has been a joy getting all these lovely cards and gifts of seeds, and I am sure the positive energy is helping me feel better.

I am doing a bit better in regards to my health. Resumed seed trading and other gardening activities. :)

I am still waiting for one more surgery but because this issue is not life threatening I could be waiting several months. I have been learning some pain management skills to help me get by until I can be scheduled for surgery. Continued prayers for my complete recovery would be a blessing.

Apparently the folks in the dozen dozen tomato swap got my address. TY to whoever passed it on. :)

Thanks very much to EVERYONE in this Secret Santa forum, especially all you cool peoplez that sent me cards and well wishes, occasionally containing the seeds I was most interested in!! Very kind of you.

Your seeds and cards made me smile really big every single day they arrived. Apparently, joy is great medicine! :D

Happy Holidays,
Iris (grovespirit)

Came home from an out of town trip on Dec 23, and had 2 smore Christmas cards and seed gifts. Thank you and Merry Christmas to Huong/hmle2217 for the Black Beauty eggplant seeds and cosmos. Thanks and Merry Christmas to lhmkc of New York for the tons of seeds: wildflower mix, stocks, Tennessee coneflower, mugwort, hyssop, cilantro, wormwood, poppies, and calendula. Wow!
Laurie

Intelkid;
The seedlings are Eastern Red Cedars. According to the two sites that I had checked out, they can be trained as bonsai trees. I hope they will work for you:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bonsai Trees and Basic Care

Grovesprirt, you MADE my Christmas, I am soo thrilled to hear that you are on the mend. I shall keep you in my prayers, and I am so glad you enjoyed all the cards!!

I just wanted to come and say Merry Christmas to you ALL, and thanks so much for making this a wonderful Christmas, thru the swap, and your giving to make this a special holiday for my family.

My kids have had a wonderful day !! I am off to have dinner with them, and then play some games.

I hope your day has been special.

Kym

Hope everyone is having a wonderful and safe Christmas!!

Crisann

Merry Christmas everyone! ( I can't smell anything but turkey and rubbd sage) lol

I hope that everyone had a wonderful day, filled with the people, places and things that make the holidays special for you!

Iris, I am so happy to hear you are on the mend!

Personally I will be starting to sow all of my perennials tomorrow and thinking of all of you as I do it. I think I might create a special GW Christmas flower bed just for you

thanks again for all of the wonderful seeds and cheer, when I really needed it.

Happy New Year too

Frances

daffodillady, Oh ok Thank You. :) I wasn't sure what kind these were, except evergreens. Yes.. info. about how to train these just right would need to be looked for. Thanks for letting me know.

Merry Christmas :)

-David

Iris (grovespirit)
Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Gald you are feeling some what better. There's alot of great people here!
I know they made this a great Christamas for me. Loved all the cards and the seeds were a bonus!
((HUGS))
Dorothy

David,

Eastern red cedar is a great bonsai trees. They are primary succession plant. They thrive on harsh, almost uninhabitable locations. Cracks of rocks on the edges of mountains, desert condition areas, gravel lots, even growing in the cracks of asphalt.

Training a bonsai tree is not hard. The web sites daffodillayd sent you are great. Have some fun researching them. Bonsai trees can be addictive! I have several I have grown. One of mine is over 30 years old and is only 2 feet tall!

David,

Eastern red cedar is a great bonsai trees. They are primary succession plant. They thrive on harsh, almost uninhabitable locations. Cracks of rocks on the edges of mountains, desert condition areas, gravel lots, even growing in the cracks of asphalt.

Training a bonsai tree is not hard. The web sites daffodillayd sent you are great. Have some fun researching them. Bonsai trees can be addictive! I have several I have grown. One of mine is over 30 years old and is only 2 feet tall!

here is one that will give you a guide to grow from.

{{gwi:1318252}}

Bingo words.......we should have a winner....

cards
holiday
stockings
tradition
sleigh

BINGO

I got BINGO LOL I to hurry!!! LOL
Dorothy

way to go Dorothy !!!!

I will get your prize in the mail asap...

that was fast..you must have been waiting..LOL

Great Job Dorothy!

Hey Kym, where's my prize for getting the first card! I know it was chocolate, so Dan probably ate it! LOL!

Congratulation Dorothy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan

Congratulations Dorothy. Let us jnow what you're prize is when you get it. Here are my thank yous for the Christmas cards and seeds. Sorry, it has taken me so long to post them. A very merry thanks to:

sheri
penny2638
louisianagal
margarita10
crisann
ptp813
isanae
kiddo
morguegirl
mommyto2
carol57078
shareflowers
daffodillady
riley17
ilovefarace
proudgm_03
maria
lisa 831
lisaM 627_Ohio_Z6
sybil
play in the yard
sandlapper rose
kerai
paula
tesgrov
quilting fox
taz 56
micy rey
ellen

Amy

Just wanted to thank you for making our Christmas soo special this season !! This is Krystal and Kevin, and they want to say THANKS !!

Mark, Didnt you read where Dan came and ate all my chocolate ??

Congrats on Bingo Dorothy!!! Way to go!

I recieved my prize (word scramble)...an adorable Christmas star with jingle bells on it. The boys decided we should hang it on the door so we can hear it chime when someone comes in/out. Thank you Kym for such a wonderful swap..and for the games/prizes.

I hope everyone's Christmas Day was as wonderful as ours, and I wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

Off to start my wintersowing!
Chell

Congrats on winning Bingo Dorothy!!!

Kym you have 2 gorgeous kids there!

:) Fran

Thanks everyone
Thanks Susan for the headsup. I had been watching since last night.
Waiting for the words, DH was on the computer and I had to run him off.
The kids were all showing up for a paint ball war. Everything going on at once!LOL
Thanks Kym for the game it was alot of FUN
Dorothy

Congrats!

I was only off by two for bingo.

Thanks for the info on the bonsai. I have read a lot about bonsais many times over. Info on the specific kind is good guidance. Thanks :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

-David

Wanted you all to know I'll be getting to the rate and review to post in a few days. Christmas winding down finally thank you all
Annette-playintheyard

Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and now relaxing more.
Yesterday, I've gotten nice card and seeds-2 pkts of Joe Pye Weed and Sweet Basil from Wendy-Wenders67, took 6 days to arrive but it made it, good wishes always appreciated, thank you Wendy.

Grandson's grace should've been: Bless and protect us dear Lord and thank you for the pasta and the cupcakes. lol

Much more left to be said,
All the best to all,
Bea

I received a wonderful surprise card full of seeds from Kym, flwrs4ever. She completed my wish list and even some she knew I wanted but didnÂt list. So I can now say I got everything on my wish list!
THANK YOU KYM first for being such a wonderful friend, second for inviting me to join this swap and third for all the wonderful seeds I received from you and the other generous gardeners here. ItÂs been a fantastic experience that will continue to delight for many years to come.
ItÂs a wonder the card made it here and a good thing she taped the seeds to the card. The envelope was barely holding together by two opposite corners and a note from Krystal and the bubble wrap were sticking half way out.
Kym sent me:
Queen AnneÂs Lace (IÂve wanted these for a loooong time and look forward to pressing them and using them on my greeting cards.)
Anemone, White Wood & Pink Japanese
Phlox Dwarf Beauty
Toad lily
Lillium, White/Pinkish Throat
Brug seeds

IÂd like to thank everyone for making the holidays all that much more fun then it usually is. I hope youÂve all had a wonderful Christmas and 2009 will bring you all good health and much joy.
Happy New Year!
Bernie

HI everyone. I had given up on getting any more cards then today the mailman brought one from Just1morehosta! What a lovely little felt envelope the seeds came in! She sent lupine (which I love and did want more seeds for) and bluestem grass seeds.
I had been out earlier today removing agastache and the tall yellow primrose stems from the garden as well as adding more rocks under my draba and getting this card just made my day.
Again, thank you to everyone and I hope more of the cards I sent have arrived. I know this is a busy time of year so I am hoping the receiptants just have not had time to post.

Wishing everyone a happy new year!
Sheri

I must tell you my grandson 9, agreed to say the prayer, simple player I told him, decided to ask us to hold the hands at the table, that was the highlight of the season for me, he wanted to bless us all, our food, which for him included spaghetti with cheese, then later some cupcakes, after all the food he could've had, which was after all, secondary.

Kym and everyone, thank you for making this season extra special.

Lucky New Year 2009.
Bea

I thought I was through receiving cards and today I got a wonderful card from dirtduchess with moonflower bush, Texas star hibiscus and birdhouse gourd seeds. I love them all. Thank you so much. This has been a wonderful swap.

I recd the most wonderful box of crackers....oh, ok...the gifts were IN a cracker box...LOL

There was the cutest slipper sox, an ornament, candy, and two tea towels..( I hope I didnt miss anything) What a wonderful surprise, and I had to fight my daugther for the socks...LOL

thank you so much anadarko rose, I am so glad you enjoyed the swap !

Thanks again to you all for the gifts, and seeds...This has been the very best Christmas...and I cannot wait to see all the blooms this spring and summer !

IF YOU HAVENT JOINED THE BDAY SWAP, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME AND CHAT OR POST PICTURES OF YOUR BLOOMS THIS SUMMER, ID LOVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU ALL !!!

yiipeeeee~~
I got another card today!
thank you so much luvgardening2 for the bodacious corn and ground cherry!! and the cute christmas card! XOXOXO

Susan/taz56 can not post pictures with her computer.
So I am posting a note and a picture for her.
She wants to thank everyone for all the wonderful cards and seeds.
Susan

I have a question for you all, I want to host a swap. It will be something like a THANKS! I wanted that swap, it will be a want list swap only and after the What's on my want list swap is finished.
I will give everyone time to update thier list and send things in but I want to get everything mailed back to everyone by the first week of March. Would anyone want to sign-up for a swap like this? I would like for folks to have time to still "Winter Sow" this will give you a chance to get in some last minute wants and maybe share some more of your left overs.

Kym gave me permission to mention this here, IF you would be interested please email me and tell me you would like to join my intended upcoming swap or something like that so I will KNOW you want to join and then let you know when it is posted and you can go sign up....

:) Fran

As anyone heard from Kym lately??? Is she ok???
Just checking.
Dorothy

Dorothy Kym posted yesterday go back five posts and you'll see her last post. I received a sweet e mail from her last night and see seemed fine. I'm sure the holidays have been physically exhausting for her and she is most likely getting some well earned rest. At least I hope she is.
Bernie

When I returned from vacation, I had a card, a gift, and many seeds from Kym. Kym, thanks for
The snowman towel as my prize for being the 100th sign up,
Morning Glory, Chicory, Hardy Hibscus, Cleome, Okra, Blue Barlow, Zinnia, Luttuce, Dill, Carrot, Gypsophila, Marigold, Sweet Corn, and Yellow Butterfly Weed (yes). All of that in one envelope. Thanks Kym

Sounds like many of you have had weather problems. When we left home on the 21st, it was 11 degrees. As we drove south into Texas it was a little warmer, but still not warm. We left Galveston on the 22nd finally started to get some warmer weather. The first day in port was a beautiful sunny day and nice and warm. At the Mayan ruins we got a little rain shower, but we didn't mind being a little wet. By Christmas day we had arrived at Cozumel and enjoyed a day on the beach with the temps in the mid 80s. I can say that it was the most non-traditional Christmas that I have ever spent. My son and DIL that live in Africa have been with us most of the month and her parents also went on the cruise. We came back and visited another son in Texas, then my 97 year old mother in southern Oklahoma, then our daughter in Oklahoma City for a couple of hours.

I have not had time to go to rate and review yet, but I will be doing that soon. My company leaves today. This has been a fun swap and I have enjoyed meeting all of you. I am anxious to start winer sowing. Thanks to all. Carol

Dorothy, I am here, thanks for being concerned..the dr gave me a new med to try and it has really knocked me on my butt...I am also having some computer trouble..but all is well.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas !! Was santa good to you all ?? Wishing you all the BEST New Year !!

Kym

Wow, I got another card today! It totally made my day, so thank you Nancy (luvgardening2 for the corn, beets, and 2 types of carrots! I need to re-plan my garden plots again. :)

Happy new year, everyone!

--Jean

I'm sorry that I haven't posted earlier. I haven't been able to get online for a few weeks. Than you Santa for fixing my computer. AND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SENT ME CARDS !!! I am still so amazed at GW members generosity (but not surprised ... generosity seems to go hand in hand with gardening.

THANK YOU TO:

Lisa(pumpkin1): pony tails, Poppy mix in flower shaped growing medium
Alena H.:Saint JohnÂs Wort, Gompherna
Amy: Roma tomato, Opalha Tomato
Bonnie(HighAlt) Gomphherna, love lies bleeding, Ascleias tuberosa,
penstemon prunifolious
Melanie(Kiddo): Butterfly weed
Cottage Flowers: Penstmon Digitalis, yellow foxglove
Seiko: Love lies bleeding red, Love lies bleeding green
Dirtdiggin: tomatoes...Mortgage Lifter, Caspian pink, Costoluto, Alicante, Amish Paste. (plus a wonderful homemade card)
Kathy Osborn: I was very touched by the angel. Thankyou also for the seeds.

kim

I just wanted to share something that someone sent me in an e-mail and thought maybe some of you would like to donate all the cards you got on this swap to a great cause.
Here is the information:
St. Jude's Ranch
We are accepting used, all-occasion greeting cards from November 15, 2008 thru February 28, 2009. You can mail your donations to:

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Card Recycling Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

here is their website for more information

Here is a link that might be useful: St. Jude's Ranch for Children

Update here with some cards and goodies I've received over the past few days. Hope I don't miss anyone.

I received a thoughtful card from Wenders67. Thanks Wenders!

From quiltingfox/Sandra I got a nice card, and Joe pye Gateway, and Trifolium Incarnatum, 2 things I recently discovered I needed. Thanks Sandra!

Lastly, I received a wonderful card and envy stuffed with goodies from GraanieB/Bea and Mary. They sent me Romaine lettuce, fennel (I hear the butterflies like that too), eggplant (had been meaning to try that sometime so 2009 must be the year for that), Cress, Zucchini, White hyacinth bean vine, zinnia mix, Lantana 'Carlos', and Coral Vine. What wonderful surprises. Thanks Bea and Mary!

Again, thank you all for the wonderful cards, seeds, and spirit of giving that has been shown here in this great swap. I have enjoyed it all so much, and hope I didn't forget to acknowledge anyone here.

Now, if I was just caught up on getting some free seeds or seeds for postage together to be mailed.

Sue...off to catch up a few emails, reviews, and pack some seeds

I love the idea of sending cards to St Jude...Thanks so much for letting us all know.

Is anyone else interested in Joining the Bday seed swap ?? Only one more day to join, and keep the fun of this swap going......

WE WILL BE DOING THE SECRET SANTA SWAP AGAIN NEXT YEAR, SURELY HOPE YOU ALL WILL JOIN AGAIN, AND START MAKING, OR GETTING SOME CHRISTMAS CARDS !!

THANKS AGAIN TO YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS SUCH A WONDERFUL SWAP AND FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIPS, AND SPIRIT...

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND THE BEST GROWING SEASON !!!

Thank you Kym for hosting the Secret Santa Swap and Games!
It was great.
I have Posted Thank Yous to all the Cards and Seeds but I am Still working on the Rate and Reviews.
If I miss someone in the next few days PLEASE email me.
I want to make sure I give everyone a great review.
I am in the In the B-day swap and have already have gotten one card! Thank You also for planning it!
Dorothy

I'm going to send my cards to St Jude's also and sent off an email to see about ordering some Birthday cards as well.

Jordan and I have been having fun wintersowing some more. I'm holding off on some of the cute seeds some of you sent to her until it warms up a bit...I don't want to risk them being too delicate. So far the only things we did were hardy vegetables and perinneal flowers.

Kim

Just wanted to wish every one
A HAPPY NEW YEAR and all the Very Best in 2009!
Bernie

I recieved another Christmas card today!
A beautiful hand made card from Denise!
Thank you so much,
Dorothy

Happy New Year! Good health and good luck.

Best wishes, will have lots more eventually.

GB,Bea

Hey Kym,
I got my prize for the bingo game!
Nice large cup! Love it and the candy! LOL
Thanks
Dorothy

Hi everyone!

I went to wintersow some seeds last night and it dawned on me that I forgot to thank Angelady(Angela) for some seeds she sent me. It was a beautiful hummingbird card with two packs of seeds in it, Delphiniums and Russell Lupines. A very belated THANK YOU! I am sorry it took me soooo long to post!

Rhonda

Oh, Rhonda.... I'm just glad that you posted it! I sure do hope they grow big and beautiful for you.

Blessings,
Angela