It's not easy to find a place that has everything needed, so unless someone has a really great idea pretty soon, I think Buda would be a good alternative. (I didn't even know they had a park.) I know from past looking that there isn't any place in south Austin that's suitable.

Carla

Thanks for organizing this, Charlotte! I'm sending word out from nwAustin. Buda sounds like a good location.

Valerie

I have reserved the space in the Buda City Park for Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. If you want to get driving directions the pavilion is closest to the intersection of San Antonio St. and N. Austin St. in Buda, TX.
How is that for finding somewhere between San Antonio and Austin? I know it's a little further north for the San Antonio folks but I think the location and the closer parking will make for a great swap.
I will try to find the what to bring list and post it here when it gets closer to the swap date.
Also, for those who like to plan field trips on swap days. Marbridge and It's About Thyme are near Buda so plan you full day of gardening fun now!!!
Hope to see you at the swap!
Charlotte

Thanks, Charlotte, for again organizing the swap! I am spreading the word to my friends and looking forward to going.

Diana

Hope everyone is getting ready for the swap.
Here is the info Lindsey posted for the last swap.
The only thing I can add is that the pavilion in Buda does not have any tables inside so please bring your own card tables and chairs. When you know what plants you are bringing or looking for feel free to post on this thread.
The swap usually starts at 9am sharp and we usually do door prizes and a potluck lunch around noon. It's usually all over by 1:30 or 2 depending on weather and how many people come. As for what to bring, the options are wide open. Plants of course, either divisions of your perennials, or cuttings you started or seeds you collected and labeled. Sometimes people bring whole plants they decided they didn't like anymore or didn't have room for. Also, if making new plants is not your thing, you can bring gardening related items, books, terra cotta pots, tools, etc... People are generally very generous and eager to make newbies feel welcome so there are no hard and fast rules about what you can bring. Also, most gardeners just don't want to take any of their own stuff back home so they are often not expecting an "even trade".
There is also a list of things you may find useful to bring:
camp chair or stool
card table (there are a limited number of pavilion tables)
extra plant labels and marker
extra plastic pots - usually someone needs these
plastic bags for transporting goodies
plastic nursery trays for transporting goodies
Drinking water
rain jacket (for some reason our swap usually causes a shower!)

Do you know if there is an electrical outlet available? Also, if anyone has those black greenhouse trays they need to get rid of, let me know. I need the ones without holes in the bottom.

Carla in Leander

I'm bringing lots of rooted brugmansias, many of them already making a "y", also firecracker plant (russellia), succulents, one limelight salvia and one tula salvia.

Sorry for the delayed response Carla. There is an electrical outlet in the pavilion. I checked it out yesterday. The attached restrooms are also nice so we will have water close for washing hands etc. There are concrete picnic tables outside of the pavilion but no tables inside so if anyone has extra tables to bring to put the food on for lunch on let me know. There is plenty of close parking and a nice playscape within view for those who have children.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the swap.

Charlotte

There's a 75% chance I'll make it; I have gallon pots of viguiera stenoloba (golden bush daisy, skelton-leaf goldeneye). I have tons of Madam Galen trumpet vine, purple jew, obedient plant, four o'clocks, and fall aster, but then, who doesn't? I'd bring those on request!

Hey gang!

We are getting ready to move to Blanco Co. (long story, I'll elaborate in person) so this time instead of bringing plants I'm bringing all the items in my potting shed that haven't gotten the use they deserve (and that I don't want to move to the new place). I've got terra cotta pots of all sizes, some birdfeeders, some plant stands, a soil pH tester and who knows what else.

I think I've got a few trays for you Carla.
I'll also bring some tables, ice and drinks for the lunch. Can't wait to see everyone!
Lindsey

RETURN OF THE CHICK!

Hi everybody! Hubby says he'll watch the little sprout, so I'm going to come, even if I don't have a lot to swap. I'll bring the usual crinum -- white and pink -- I have LOTS of that. Also bringing a few smaller Mexican glazed pots, because I don't use them. I have lots of garlic chives, if anybody wants some... Will bring some "ghost plant" graptopetalum succulents and perhaps a few other succulents if i can successfully pot them up. I may also be able to dig up some pretty Cleopatra canna.

Looking for:
-- catching up with you guys!
-- Lantana and other butterfly perennials (now that I'm a mom, suddenly I'm all about easy-care butterfly plants)
-- Mexican feather grass and other perennial grasses
-- Mex bush sage
-- more of those pretty bronze canna, pretty please?

I'll pick up something to share in the potluck as well.

Cheers!

Martha from Austin

I'm glad everyone is getting ready. I have the following plants so far.
Society Garlic
Mexican Mint Marigold
Parrot Feather (Pond Plant)
Pineapple Mint
Blue Mist Flower
and a few others I can't remember right now.
I picked up some plants from John R. this weekend that he wanted to share for the swap. I will try to write a list of them before Saturday.
Also, for you Martha I have a mexican bush sage and umbrella grass.
Does anyone have an outdoor extension cord with multiple outlets we can use for the potluck lunch? Remember it doesn't matter what you bring just bring something.
I think last time we had salad and doughnuts but it was still fun!!!
There is an HEB on I-35 at the Buda exit if you want to pick something up at the last minute like I do!
Charlotte

I hope to attend my first swap this weekend - I can't wait to meet all of you!

I don't have many small things to bring; for some reason they're all big (lucky me, I get to dig/transport them!)
- 2 Washington Hawthorn trees (1-2' tall)
- 2 Poinciana (the yellow one with the red thingys sticking out; these are 4-5' tall)
- I may scrounge around for something else to bring

What I'm looking for: I'll know it when I see it? Definitely black-eyed susans & ruellia. Maybe some very drought-tolerant plants for my church (I may try to beautify the front).

See you there!

oooh, poinciana! Sarah, if i have anything you want, I'd love to have one...

Chicadee - I'll take a look at the plants you have at the swap. If not, I'm sure the pot(s) would work fine!

Have: The golden bush daisy is very drought tolerant, w/fine cut green leaves. Tons of little button daisy flowers will cover it. Gets about 3 feet tall each season. Lives in the no-man's land between sidewalk and street out of reach of the garden hose and never complains :)

Wanted: I am looking for that little red heirloom amaryllis that is blooming right now (Hippeastrum johnsonii?). Please oh please somebody have some to share, trade? I would even part with my new Southern Living Garden Book (all illustrations now in color!) or some huge rain lily bulbs!

Seeds or babies, palms and cyads (other than sago) would be good. Brugs are sounding nice, Sowandsew! Anybody have darker blue ipheion, species tulips, crocus, scilla peruviana, agapanthus, other lesser known bulbs???

I have some garden "fixtures" that I'm not using and need to do something with. One's a firebowl -- the brass-coated bowl itself got dinged pretty badly in a hailstorm, but it works. It's just not super-pretty.

The other's a scrounged sign from an old Mexican restaurant: wrought iron stand with a painted funky metal sign reading "please be seated." It's a lot of fun, just doesn't fit the style of my new garden and I'm tired of moving it around.

I'll bring them if anybody wants them (they take up a good bit of room in the car). Otherwise, they're going to goodwill or something.

It's going to be a beautiful day for a swap!
If anyone has any room in their vehicle to bring an extra ice chest and some drinks it would help. I can't fit anything else in my car! Also, don't forget to bring any garden related items that need new homes for our door prize drawing.
See you tomorrow.
Charlotte

Thank you everyone for a wonderful time at the Buda Swap! Thank you Charlotte for organizing it again.

Although I told myself I would not take too much, I came home with a bunch of great plants. Talking to you all also gave me inspiration and refreshed my love for plants which is not the same thing as landscaping. (I was really down on myself for my yard that had a clutter of plants!)

Marla - I had already forgotten the name of the plant that I had gotten from you. You had several big pots of them. Can you please refresh my memory?

Diana

Beautiful day for our swap and I really did like the Buda park location, although I miss seeing the river in San Marcos. It was fun meeting some new swappers and I love all my new plants. I am sorry that John is moving to NM but I will take good care of his salvia karwinskii and hope I can share some of it next spring. Brarygirl, your cacti violacae is doing well at my house (traded 2 yrs. back) and I heard others talking about the same plant they had gotten from you. That's so neat---sort of like plant geneology. ha. Thank you, Charlotte, for organizing us again. Everyone, the food was great, especially Carla's sausage and rice.
Marjie
PS: If your meant me, Diana. The big plant was a brugmansia Desiree.

Thanks everyone for pitching in and helping with another great swap! We had a total of 24 people including the sweet kids. (Really 25 counting John R because he sent so many plants!)
The food was really good and we had plenty.
The new location worked out even if it was windy and chilly!
I hope everyone is already looking forward to the next swap like I am. Let me know if you have any preferences for October.
Happy Planting!
Charlotte

Thanks to everybody from me, too! I missed both swaps last year, and it was a real disappointment. So glad to see my garden buddies again and foist more of my crinum lillies off on everybody -- I mean, share and enjoy!

;-)
Martha

bummer ... just found this link ....sounds like you guys had fun. I helped an elderly friend cut down grape vines from her trellis that had grown up in the trees, on the roof. Although she appreciated it, I think I would have prefered a drive to Buda!

Robyn

It was great to meet all of you - you are very generous & knowledgeable! I can't wait for the next swap!

Hey thanks y'all for that great swap and for taking all my gardening supplies and not giving me too much stuff to move to the new house, lol!
Really, I'm glad y'all got my fun pots and stuff - it at least makes me FEEL better knowing y'all will enjoy and appreciate it, instead of who knows where it winds up when you drop it at the Goodwill bin.

Esther, I was out at the new house this evening, planning where to put your varigated agaves - I absolutely LOVE them so thank you!

Ciao till October!

Thanks so much to all of you for the wonderful reception we received at the plant swap. We had stopped to buy some plants, and instead, got to meet some wonderful people.

We just wanted to thank all of you for your kindness, generosity and all of the terrific plants we got!!!!! We are already enjoying them, and have most in the ground or in pots.

We will definitely be keeping up with this forum and look forward to the next swap where we can bring some plants too.

If there's a different place where most people post other than here, please send us an e-mail.

Jerrie and Terry from Austin