I don't have Greek Sage, but I do have some seeds for a standard Green Culinary Sage if you want; similarly, I don't have Cicilian Parsley but I do have Giant from Italy Parsley. I noticed you also have Purple Dragon Carrots on your "want" list, and I have some of those too- all my seeds are left over from packets I bought. I would love to trade for some of your cauliflower, radish, or any other cool season crops you feel like trading. Any of your squash would also be welcome. Send me a message if you are interested!

Yes: Solomon's Seal and a violet. Solomon's Seal is a woodland wildflower which many grow for its beauty. They are happy in shade (I don't know how happy they are in sun, as mine are all growing in deep shade). Mine spread faster than I'd expected, but that isn't a problem yet, and would never cause me to get rid of them all. The violets could be Viola sororia, aka the Common Blue Violet -- or another similar wild or cultivated Viola. Here, they are happy in shade, happy in sun, happy in the lawn, happy anywhere. In shade, they will grow taller stems. They tolerate dry conditions well once the roots are well-established, and in drought conditions will lose leaves but survive. Yes: they will seed and come up everywhere.

Penny - if your package contained native seeds, it was likely seized because a lot of those plants are listed on various noxious weed lists and are therefore prohibited. A number of native plants are also listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) lists, and would have required both import and export permits. Generally it is fine for seeds to cross the border as long as they're not on any list, and they must be labeled with botanical names, and common names, where known. To ship plants within the borders of your own country is easy. You should always use a box. An envelope gets too crushed. The plant should have as much soil removed as is possible without doing any damage to the roots (this makes it lighter and less expensive to ship). The roots should be wrapped in damp newspaper or paper towels, and then the roots and wrapping can be placed in a plastic bag that is loosely tied on. Poke a few small holes in the bag. Line the box with crushed newspaper, place the plant in, and place more crushed up newspaper on top. Mail the box immeadiatly using priority or express mail. Regular mail can take up to two weeks - the plant would almost certainly arrive dead if it has to wait that long. If the plant is really small, or doesn't have much of a root system, or it's too fragile, I've found that shipping plants in their pots is best. Make sure the soil is damp, but not wet. I find it best to give the pot some sort of lid. A fitted plactic one with a hole cut in it for the plant to poke through, or cling/saran wrap one held on with a rubber band (also with a hole poked in the top). This keeps the soil from drying out, and falling out. I like to secure the container to the botton of the box with large quantities of packing tape, and use no padding - it can come loose and bang around, injuring the plants. Just make sure the pots are *securely* attached to the box. If you want or need to use padding to protect the leaves or stems, then make sure it won't shift around. Put lots of this end up markings on the outside of the box - sometimes you can get stickers at the post office. BP

Pardon the typo, which I was unable to edit after posting. The Japanese calamus has white stripes. The pink and yellow lilies have maroon pads.