SoonerGrandmom -

Now, that's a joke! Paying postage (SASE/SASBE) to get an envelope with 20 varieties of mixed up seeds?!?! As nice as it is to be offered free seeds, that just don't work... KWIM? Noone wants to get that kind of a mess! I'm so sorry that happened to you, especially as it seems you're new to swapping and all. That's certainly not typically the way it's done!

I'm glad you explained more about your home/yard and what you're looking for more. I'm sure you'll get a few things to help you fill in around there!

Also, the reason that the thread rejects like that is to keep you from accidentally posting twice. Sometimes when we hit the submit button, it's basically a double-click, therefore submitting it twice, as what just happened in your case. If you get that message and you did not immediately just post to that thread, then double-check the thread to be sure it didn't just post what you wrote. I don't know why the button here seems more sentitive than other sites, but I have had that issue as well, even though I rarely ever double-submit.

So, the four of us are all in!!!! Wow! That is too cool! There's still a little bit more time if anyone else here in our SFG forum wants to sign up...

Come on, everyone, it will be fun! fun! fun! HO-HO-HO!size>

Blessings,
Angela

WOW -- I just read the seed swap thread and I AM number 100. Thanks for directing me to it. I just followed the link and posted and hit the jackpot. I don't have a lot to offer, but maybe I can help a few. Thanks for making us aware of the swap.

Yea! Congratulations, Carol!!!! I saw your follow up post, too. I didn't know you had metal rods in your back and couldn't bend over. Despite everything, you're still gardening, Wow! I totally commend you!

Blessings,
Angela

i;ll have to tell ya the idea i have about an idea i have for a rr. its sorda like yours.
i want to do one where its seeds, and everyone posts the seeds wants, ya know, the most coveted!! LOL or maybe a certain color of their most wanted. something like that. and then, the people would send the seeds to me along with 3 stamps. with the names of the person on the packet. then i'll put everything together and send it all out, but it'd save on all the stamps instead of like this one, but i absolutely LOVE Kyms idea. ~Medo

I was thinking how much we would all save in postage with Kym's idea if we could send to one person and that person divide it all up and remail, like you said with 3 stamps, or something like that. I think it's wonderful what she's doing, though, as it is kind of personal to get the Christmas card and all, so that will just be loads of fun if everyone gives instead of just hoping to receive.

I do like the idea of it being your favorites, but at the same token, if anyone has anything you want and you have something they want, throw that in, too!

Also, I've considered whether you should commit to send 2 packets for every one you want just so there's plenty to go around on something like your top wants list. Also, I think it's kind of crazy to send seeds to someone who may have five other members sending in the same exact seeds, but I know it's being done that way for simplicity. It's just if you're mailing maybe just one or two kinds to someone, you don't want to waste your postage money if someone else has already sent them those kinds is all. Call me cheap, but I don't like wasting money, but love to bless others.

Blessings,
Angela

Thanks Angela. I bend at the knees and at the hips so I can still do most things. Mostly it is like 2nd nature to deal with it because it has been more than 20 years since I broke my back, but occasionally I forget and reach too far for something and almost land on my face. I hesitate to explain this because sometimes I have really embarassed people (not myself). Once I was talking to this man who had a lot of questions about it. I said, "Except for giving up horseback riding and waterskiing, I can still do almost everything I could do before, but I may do it in a different position." I guess my explanation and his "mental picture" didn't quite match, and he turned as red as a beet. (See, I said "beet" so now it's about gardening).

Don't feel sorry for me tho. They told my husband that I wouldn't walk again, and there was some doubt about my even living through the whole thing because I had bone chips floating in my spinal cord and such. I fooled them. I took 14 days of sick leave and went back to work. I have a steel rod about 9 inches long down both sides of my spine, and I spent 4 months in a body brace, but it turned out OK. I am thankful everyday that I can walk and I have been warned that a serious fall could end that, so I am very careful. I like to garden.

Angela,

There ARE round robin swaps where everyone sends their seeds to a "coordinator" and that person splits everything up according to people's wants lists... check out the "5th annual named/rare/unusual varieties" swap (something like that). That's how that one works. Same with the "Tomato/Pepper" swap that hmacdona is doing on gardenweb canada (check the "tomatoes" forum and I think she has a link to it). I am SOOO addicted to seed trading this year... I am doing THREE round robins! Can't wait to see what comes back in the mail!

Lori

You know, Angela has a point in that when I look at the round robin exchange, I always think, Hey, this would be so fun, but then I see names like "a dozen, dozen tomatoes" and I think, heck, who has 144 varieties of tomato seeds. There's nothing wrong with how they do it, just for me as a fairly new gardener, the amounts of seeds that are traded seems daunting. Now that I've done the santa thing, I'll be looking for more chances to swap, though, lol.

SoonerGrandmom wrote: I can still do almost everything I could do before, but I may do it in a different position." I guess my explanation and his "mental picture" didn't quite match, and he turned as red as a beet. (See, I said "beet" so now it's about gardening).

ROFL!!! Thanks for sharing the funny story! On the more serious side, what a miracle what has happened in your life! Praise God!

Lori - Hey, girlfriend! What'z up??? Wow, 3 round robins must be keeping ya hoppin... I guess you'll have plenty to trade off in the future then if you can't plant them all, huh? ;-) So, what 3 RR's are you currently in?

And, how about you join us with your biggest "wants" for Santa in the Secret Santa Swap? I'm trying to wind down most of my trading, but could definitely still use a few of the ones I really want, you know? Surely, you are in the same boat, right? *wink, wink*

Also, thanks for letting me know that there are some others that are true round robins. That's great! When I can read through nearly a hundred or more posts, I may stop in there. LOL (Just kidding... I think I'm pretty full up on trading until after the first of the year at least when I am still seriously considering hosting my own swap.)

Carolyn - That's one of the reasons I chose the one RR that I'm in, the Theme Garden one. Jeanne said that we could send as little as 10 seeds of any variety that matched someone's list of themes or even less if we were sending it in as a bonus item. Some of my best seeds, I have just a few of them left to share. If I wanted to try that particular kind of seed, I'd be happy getting enough that ensured that I got one healthy plant to grow from it, but that's me.

I didn't see anything posted on the Secret Santa one that said it had to be a certain number of seeds, so I'm going to send my "extras" that match others' wants. I can tell it's going to be an expensive swap for me, though, as I am determined to help make sure that everyone gets something. How sad it would be if someone sends to a few others and noone sends back to them.

I wanted in on that tomato swap, too, but I didn't have anywhere close to 12 seeds of 12 varieties. Way later on down the thread, I saw that it was okay to send in less than 12 varieties, but it was closed to sign ups right before I read that. :-(

Blessings,
Angela

Why am I not in bed yet? I was going to bed an hour ago? Time can fly by reading posts at GW... I'm really going to bed now...

Blessings,
Angela

OT about seed swapping and secret Santas, but in a way, not.

Daughter has been bugging me about what to buy me for Christmas, and I couldn't come up with an answer. Then that light bulb went off in my head, and I went to the Ed Hume Seeds website and filled the shopping cart with all the seeds I want for my spring garden! They have a flat $2 shipping, which is more than reasonable, and my entire wish list came to less than $40, which was right in the ballpark of what she wanted to spend (we keep gifts under $50). I haven't been this excited over a Christmas gift since...I can't remember when!

With the seeds I have left from this year, plus the purchase of a few transplants, my 2009 garden should be bulging for a minimum investment.

Granny

Wow Granny!! That is SO cool. No one would do that for me in my fam, lol, they're trying to wean me off the garden bug. I just spent an hour moving a pile of wet leaves from place to place, so I sort of doubt it's gonna happen this week. I'm on my way to ed hume to start a wish list, too. ROFL, the LAST thing I need is more seeds, but who can resist dreaming?

Ok....I was going through my seed inventory today, and decided I have way too many seeds. So, I have alot to trade, and need only a few new ones for the upcoming year. Here's what I have to trade:

Spaghetti squash
Butternut squash
purple hull peas
cayenne pepper
sugar baby watermelon
cherry tomato
banana pepper
sugar snap peas
bibb lettuce
roma tomato
better boy tomato
big beef tomato
supersweet 100 tomato

What I need:

yellow crookneck squash
watermelon (preferrably 20-25 lbs. variety)
burgundy okra
seven top turnip
cucumber for pickling
honeydew melon
swiss chard

EG

EG, would you care to try the Black Krim tomatoes? How about the yellow straightneck squash? Or the Black mountain watermelon? These guys are all heirlooms from rareseeds and I don't have tons, but heaven knows I can't grow eight watermelon plants.

Carolyn - the blacktail mountain watermelon isn't much bigger than the sugar babies I grew this year. I'm looking for one that gets twice that size. I'd love to try the black krim, but don't have any room for them. Also, the crookneck is better than the straightneck squash for my area, I think. Are there any seeds on my list that you'd like? I got LOTS! Thanks!
Some melons that will be about the right size are:
black diamond
moon and stars
desert king
wilson's sweet

EG

Actually EG, YES, I'd love to try those purple hull peas, but the hubby put the kabash on it, lol. He won't eat em, so though they look REALLY neato, none for us. Like you, I'm low on space already for next year. I have annexed a bit of my front yard for the garden and we'll see if I'm going to be able to grow as much as I want, lol. TY for the offer. You rock. Angela and medo will see your list soon and I'd be willing to bet BIG money one of em can send you some of your seeds.

EG - I think I have Burgandy Okra to share. I will check tomorrow and see how much I have and let you know.

I would trade for any tomato seed, especially heirlooms, but I don't require a trade in exchange for the okra. I am hoping to find longhorn okra and try it this year.

I planted burgandy for two or three years and I like the taste, but most of all I liked the fact that it always made pods at the top of the plant. Then it would grow and still make the pods on the top. It was very easy to pick.

Granny - Awesome! I'd be elated, too! Merry Christmas to you, Merry Christmas to you! Merry Christmas, dear Granny, Merry Christmas to you! Ho - ho - ho!!! :-D

EG - Oh, I'm sick! I had several of those and JUST traded them off. I still have the yellow straightneck (which you said isn't as good there), purple top turnip (not sure, but may how some 2006 7 top turnip), and maybe some of the pickling cucumber left from another season that came in trade (just traded my last 2008 seeds of those, though). If I find any of these and get them together while I'm getting my seeds together for the Secret Santa Swap, I'll send them your way. Wouldn't it be neat if we all grew something from each others' gardens?

As for the Moon & Stars watermelon. I was blessed to get these in trade, but only have 5 seeds. I will have to grow them out and save tons of seeds for everyone. That is one COOL watermelon!

EG, why don't you join us in the Secret Santa RR Swap? You might get some great things from other swappers and be able to give one or two things that you don't need to someone else bringing them holiday cheer. What do you say?

Blessings,
Angela

Soonergrandmom - Now that is interesting about the burgandy okra! I'm growing a few in the spring (if I had more, I would share, but just traded it off, TOO!)

Granny - I forgot to say that you can't be off topic on an off topic post, okay? ;-) LOL *smiles*

Blessings,
Angela

Hmmmm......did i just see that our EG is "trading"????? LOL **big grinn** i'd LOVE some purple pea hulls, i'll check and see what i have on your want list. i'm positive i have something!! LOL
ok did i tell ya, i went for the "barehanded gardener" for the name, i have one blog so far, and tons of seed printables on there, and my fav people's blogs that i like to look at, and some places i order from. and lets see, i have yet to figure out how to put in pics.
my dang pc totally fried, it lasted me a little over a year, its a hp, it lasted longer than i thought it would, even though it was brand spanken new!! LOL i just have something about me that fries things!! LOL
geeze Angela, come on, picking on Granny already!@! man, that is just,, mean!! LOL **grinn**
how do you like that print artist? does it work good? have you gotten to the scrapbook part? i've made some seed packets from the stuff in there, man its fun!! LOL ya know, to keep me out of the house work!! Hee Hee!! **grinn** ~Medo

Okay, Medo, don't go freak out EG... we were edging him in little by little... no whammos all at once, you hear? We can slowly (don't shout it too loud) get him into our sick world... LOL

Sorry to hear about the computer... just a year old? My new laptop is an HP... that is just sick... you shouldn't have told me that... :-(

As for Print Artist, girl, I can't wait to try it, but I bet it's after I get the stuff together and out for the Secret Santa, especially since we're about to leave for Thanksgiving to my dads. When I return, I have to get the seeds all out, then I have to repack for our last trip to Dallas. Wow... I'm starting to feel overwhelmed again... LOL

Blessings,
Angela

soonergrandmom - Thanks! I'd love to try those, and only have 16 squares to plant. My wife actually mentioned this variety a few months ago. I do have some "dagma's perfection" heirloom tomato seeds for trade, if you'll let me know how many seeds you need.

Carolyn - I was doing some more research on the yellow straighneck squash, and decided i'll give it a try. I think I got some bad info on them earlier in the year, or something. There was something that I remember about them that was below par - when compared to crookneck....Maybe taste?

Angela - thanks for the offer on the straightneck. I would take them, but carolyn had offered first. I think i'll pass on the secret santa swap. Thanks anyway!

Medo - I've got plenty of cowpeas (purple hull), let me know.
Barehanded gardener? Is that where you slap all of the plants if they don't perform correctly? Why not "barehanded b%#@h slap gardener"? Ha! You could play that funny "Bill Clinton song" while tending to it. :)

EG

I'll get those out to you right away EG.

now i like that one EG!!! i just am gonna do that one!! Hee Hee!!! ROFL
now how shall i do that one? so it doesn't sound to bad but also funny? hmmmm....ya know, even though i'm very twisted, i'm also christian. Hee Hee!!
i think hubs is finding out how twisted i am now that he's done gone and really ticked me off!! don't ask me what i'm thinking when ya do that!!
**very big grinn**

Ok Carolyn, thanks! ARe you sure there's nothing on my list that you'd like to try?

Anyone else want some of my seeds?

Hey Medo - I changed my mind on the name for your blog....how about "the unfinished greenhouse gardener" Ha!

EG

**blowing raspberries at you** LOL
but that would be true!! LOL **grinning** i'm thinking i can vertical garden in there also, assuming it ever gets done, HA! maybe, shoot i got an idea!! ohhhh ya!! mean idea, seeee.....hubs has guns in pawn, hee hee, he's gonna want them out, i'm wanting labor, (not pains) LOL hmmmm.....i will have the mo, he won't. HAAAAAA sucks to be him, i will just remind him of that!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA evil sinister laugh, while i'm still mad at him, **evil grinn** **smiling** i just might get that green house up after all!! i'm thinking blackmail!! honery that i am!! since i have to stoop low!! **onery look**
hmmm....maybe i can just throw some names together and see what comes out, if its just mumble jumble, well, we all know that would fit me perfectly!! **huge grinn** ~~Medo who's fixing to try to fix that danged vaccum, or try to!! LOL

Umm..yeah....the seed thing. I've got these seeds that are just sitting here, itching to be planted in someone's garden. Any takers?

EG

Ty much for the cool offer eg, but alas, lol, nope. I'd love to see pics of the purple hulls at some point. Are there any on your blog?

Hang on, carolyn...i'll get you a pic..

EG

Here's some photos of them carolyn. They're after the snowpeas.

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: EG's cowpeas

Carolyn, I left a comment on your blog.....

EG

soonergrandmom - I got the seeds, Thanks! Want to try a yellow heirloom tomato?

EG

Sure EG - I will try any tomato but I don't need many. I normally get very good germination on tomato plants. I usually grow a lot of plants each year. After I plant mine, I share with friends and take some to the senior citizens center. Many of them just want a couple of plants to grow in a flower bed. My husband serves on the board of one of the centers near here. I never go there, but they know who I am. Last spring two of the ladies were talking about having a garden. My husband asked them what kind of tomato plants they were planting. Their answer.....whatever Carol is growing. I think they have come to expect it.

Ok! I'll get a few out to ya next week. Thanks again!

EG

are them the purple hull peas everyone is after, i have this one friend who wants them so bad, she say's that her kids know the difference, and they are very different from the regular cow pea's. if they are, i'm very much in, i have regular cow pea.s. but not the purple one,s :'( i have to get onto my seeds this weekend, because i have to get my seeds out, but tomarrow i get to go babysit my neice for 1 hr. WOO HOOO!! she's like 6 mos' old!! and a big ol stinker!! so i never pass up a chance to watch my neice!@! and my brother is so sweet!! he always acts so much like he's putting me in a situation and is so thankful. i'm just so thankful he's letting me watch her, because when i was a first time mom and a second time mom i never shared my children with anyone, and hardly with them even, and now i just feel aweful about that!! ok weirdo done!! LOL **big grinn** ~Medo

medo - the ones I have are "pink eye purple hull" cowpeas.

EG

Hey, soonergrandmom - the seeds are in the mail! They are tiny little things, and I sent you a total of 6. Let me know if they don't get there by Wednesday.

EG

ok, i do want them!! now what are you looking for?? i'm gettin the ss stuff together tonight :')

Medo - Are you gonna plant the peas in the sfg? If so, how many squares are you gonna plant? (I'm trying to determine how many you need). For the record, my recent planting that died was 32 squares, at 4 seeds per square. I would think this would be the perfect amount for 4 people.

What I need, is some watermelon and honeydew melon seeds. The watermelon needs to be about 25 - 30 lbs max.

Email me your address, and i'll get them out to ya, once you tell me how many peas you need.

EG

ok i'm looking for some for my friend kathy and us, LOL i figure i'll plant them on the north end, that will hold 5 sq ft. i'm also going to plant other peas, when i find them, and at the other end i have regular cow peas, and i'll have bush peas, pole peas, beans, i'm going to try all kinds, and i want to plant some lima beans and all kinds of them beans, and black beans, ok, i'm nnot sure how big watermelons get, but i know i have some, i'll post them to ya, and you can tell me if their what your looking for? deal? LOL i'm gonns email ya now! ~Medo

Medo - ok, i'll send you 40 seeds, and that will be twice the amount that you'll need. Place the seeds down the center of each square, at 4 seeds per square.

EG

gotchya!! thank you!! you are the total BOMB!! and thank you so much!! won't kathy be happy when i send her some totally unexpected for the christmas thingi!! Hee Hee!! LOL
i'm watching christmas with the kranks AGAIN!! LOL
i wish all of my neighbors were like that!! i have two that are very great!! one of them, lester, he is awesome, and then caddie corner, is the bayless's, they are awesome too, their little girl is younger than talla, and them two adore each other!! life is great sometimes. the BOOM!! ya wake up and realize you were in a drunken state of dreams!! **onery smile** ~Medo

Hmm... I have fallen WAYYY behind on this thread, I need to catch up! You guys are great, you're keeping me sane through the winter! (I cry when the days get short, seriously, I do... and I am a WAHM now so I go a little nuts without the socialization OR the sun nowadays!)

I am going to catch up and add a more relevant post soon =) but I just wanted you guys to know how much you're appreciated! I feel like I've made some great friends on here already! And I have to say it is really wonderful to meet other Christians too =) I have a great church, but not many people that share my interests there to talk to.

Lori

Angelady,

I AM doing the Secret Santa RR... I tried to send to people that weren't getting much/anything (Kym sent me a list). It was fun to see that I had some exact varieties people were wanting! All my trading is paying off!

I'm also doing a tomato & pepper swap hosted by hmacdona from Gardenweb Canada, and the 5th Annual Unusual/Rare/Named Variety swap that julie_mn is running. I have absolutely drawn the line at doing anymore right now! I am trying to hold off on trading for a little while, too, at least until these swaps finish out, but it's HARD to wait!!

My hubby just rolls his eyes at me. We have a tiny yard, our entire property is under 1/10th of an acre... plus a 20x30 community garden. I have way more seed varieties than I can possibly figure out how to use! But I think that's a GOOD problem to have =)

Oh well, I'm having tons of fun, and it's a cheap hobby (relatively...)

Lori

Boy! This seed thing is pretty fun! Woo Hoo! I got some more today. Medo, i'll get your package out monday, and can't wait til you send the ones we talked about...

OOOOOH! BTW, You've gotta check my blog out tomorrow morning! I used the new camcorder today, and will post the video of "REDNECK EG" !!!!!!! Yay!

EG

ok, this is what i've found, i'm going thru the seeds, OMGAWD!!!!! i'm separtating them into vege's/fruits/spices and flowers/grasses/plants and the pumpkins i've found are just simply amazing, so carol, i have no idea what in the world you want, BUT we have doubles of some, so they will be on their way after i get more stamps if i run out, LOL i did find some jack b little, and some white ones, they're so cute!! LOL
and i found some tall delux snaps mix and i know i have doubles of that one, so the whole package is your guy's, i did find some kntucky old fashioned petunia. and i have some old fashioned petunia, let me tell ya, they smell good only at night!! LOL i like them in the house, hubs said not in MY livingroom, i think i'll stay snuggling w talla till i get himm to "let" me have my plant out in the livingroom, Hee Hee seeee, very non argumentive. **onrey grinn** he say's i'm positively mean and evil at times, i tell him i just get what i want no matter what it takes, **giggle**
na, we like to onrilly joke so much. oh yeah i have congo watermelon, is that a big one?

Medo - i'll try that congo watermelon. It's supposed to get up to 50 lbs., and very sweet....Only thing is, i'll have to support them with the boards across the top. No problem....I want 'em! I only need like 4 to 6 seeds, if you can spare that many.

Make sure you watch my video tomorrow...it's gonna be funny!

EG

ya know i will!! :'))

EG - Received the tomato seeds today. Thanks. Carol

soonergrandmom - ok! Let me know if you need some more. I really didn't know how many you needed.

EG