Lord forgive me but I played hooky from church and got some plants in the ground from the swap. I feel like I'm racing against the clock with the time change looming in 2 weeks. I was glad to see Jeff's worries were in vain! (LOL). The turn out for the swap was great I thought and I think we actually had more food than in the Spring! As always I came away with a few plants I'd never heard of, one that comes mind is the Mexicana rose..excited about that one and many others. I'm always a little sad the day after though...kinda like Dec 26 when I was a kid. Time to make plans for spring though. It'll be here before we know it. My friend Kim wanted to come but it's alot of planning since she is caretaker for her mother who has dementia. Thanks to all who so generously gave me plants so I could give her some too. She plans to attend in spring. Till 2009!

Our numbers were small but the fun, generosity, food, lecture and plants were enormous.

Thanks to all of you that came and always make the MTPS such a wonderful experience.

Let's start planning for May 16th!
We're only 6 months, 26 days, 8 hours and 21 minutes away.

I thought it was an excellent swap. It's always a new source of wonder to me after every swap that I could feel so close to and so much affection for people I mostly only see once a year. :-) But I always feel right at home and come away thinking, yet again, "Wow, what a great bunch of people! I'm so happy to have them as friends."

I'll be seeing you all next Spring, if at all possible. I didn't get my plants in the ground today (was feeling a bit under the weather), but I did make up a list of things I want to bring next spring. I had a few requests from folks, so I wanted to make sure I got those written down before I forget. :-)

Thanks again, Jeff, for keeping us all in line. And thank you to everyone who shared their plants with me or took the time to chat. I wouldn't trade my "swap time" for anything.

Thanks to all for a fantastic plant swap! From one swap to the next, constantly thinking (with what little is up there) and enjoying growing my plants to share with the nicest people. Finally now have the names of two of the plants I brought, Mexicali Rose(Cashmere Bouquet) and the cutting of Erythrina crista-galli (Fireman's Cap). The food was awesome, not weighing for a few days! Alyce gave me great ideas (along with the swappers), and was such a charming, funny speaker. Jeff, you did it again, fine job!

Just wanted to let you guys know that while we were packing up to leave Saturday... Jan's daughter, Sheryl, gave birth at 3:30 to Sarah Mae. She was 8 lb. 5 oz. and Jan's FIRST granddaughter. Sheryl is 39, (her first baby)Âshe has waited 10 years for this child.

Jan said, "When they handed Sarah to me all I could do was cry. A gift right out of heaven. This granddaughter is really important to me. I had 6 brothers, 2 sons, (I daughter) 3 foster sons, and finally another girl!"

So it was a great day all around for the MTPS family! We all rejoice in the birth of this wonderful little girl. I reckon at the Spring swap of 2025 Sarah Mae will be driving to her first MTPS. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see her plenty before then. Congratulations to the happy grandparents.

Most people probably know mexicali rose as clerodendrum or rose glorybowermore, it's most common common-name. Clerodendrum bungei is the scientific name. I looked up "Cashmere Bouquet Mexicali Rose" to see what in the world it was and found out it was something I've had all along.

Jeff -- you mean she didn't name that baby something like "Swap" or "Garden" or at least "Flower"?? I'm SOOOO disappointed!

I hope Sarah Mae isn't too much like Erythrina crista-galli, with the common name of Cry Baby (or Crybabytree). Another common name for this tree is Cockspur Coral Tree.

Columbiastock, where'd you get yours and how do you grow it (outside, grown in a protected area, bring it in, etc.)? How big is yours?

brandon
This is the plant received in Alabama they called a Lobster Plant. After you let me know they do not have thorns (spines), I took a cutting to the swap. Some called it a Coral Bean. Continued investigating and found it to be a Erythrina. 2006 kept it in a 12" pot on the deck (full sun), wintered in the garage. Spring 2007 planted it in the yard, added more mulch for the winter. This year 5' tall and 3' wide, circular pattern. Also the plant had a few long seed pods. Grows in late spring from the ground up after warming, much like my dinner plate Hibiscus. Thanks again for your help!

Now you've done it....got me wanting one. You're not supposed to do this kind of stuff. Flashing new almost-unheard-of plants in front of the addicted is cruel.