Oh, man, the sand trade might be enough to get me there; I have enough clay to set you up, stage_rat! ;)

I marked it on my calendar, just in case and I'll keep an eye on the threads, ya never know!

Lime

I think that I will bump this back to the first page to try to catch a few more of us. Please sign in so we know how large of a table to reserve

Susan:)

P.S. It looks like we are going to have spring this week...YEA!!!!!finally

How are we expecting to do any swap- trading? In the parking lot?
I probably will know more what I can bring close to May 1- I am planning to start planting out next week, weather permitting.
I think it is a great idea to post info of what is available- would certainly be happy to bring seedlings someone has been looking for. I have a shady garden so majority of my plants are either shade loving or shade tolerant.

I'm in Mone's neighborhood and am interested in a swap! Is Lindalana nearby, too? I'm open to a car-pooling situation.

I'll watch this space for updates!

Here's the scoop:
Last year we brought things right into the restaurant!! Of course most of us brought our seed stash, Mone broght some bare root things in containers with water. I brought a ton of cottatge cheese containers. Can't remember what everyone else brought. But if we list what we have here, then bring what you want to trade & we can always do it in the parking lot after the pizza!:)

I really don't need any more plants but will be happy to dig up many perennials for you guys.

I promised Cheryl all the Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' I can dig up. Too bad it's on Thursday. I will have to dig up stuffs on the weekend. They'll have to be out of the ground until Thursday.

- regular green & white hosta
-Solidago Fireworks'
-Alchelea ptarmica 'Angel's Breath'
-Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
-Coreopsis vericillata
-Nepata moussini
-NOID Primula
-Aster novi-belgii - lost the names
-Eryngium 'Sapphire Blue'
-Knautia 'Melton's Pastel'
-Salvia foerkahole
-Lamium maculatum - a few different kinds - very easy to grow from cuttings
-Salix alba 'Britzensis' cuttings - Coral Embers Willow
-Salix masudana 'Tortuosa' - green curly willow

I can't remember them all. lol. You need to come by if you live close enough. I have a lot of daffodils & Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' that need thinning out....and a whole lot more. If any of you specify what you want, I'll try to dig them up and bring them over.

:-D

Mone,
I will take anything and everything...with 2 empty acres, I could fill my whole truck up and not make a dent in my landscape!!
I just got a job at a nursery, so I am hoping to have some good things to bring!
Sissy

Sissy,

I have daylilies up the wazoo- would you like me to dig you up some? I would be glad to,just let me know before the 10th. Susan

Mone, I'll take some of your 'Fireworks' Goldenrod and another cutting of 'Annabelle' if I may?! I won't have much as my gardens are still establishing after having split everything when I moved. I have a few Mountain Bluets (Centaurea montana) that I plan to bring and that's about it. Even my 'White Swan' coneflowers haven't started spreading yet. I think everything will start spreading this year as this will be sumer #4. I do have seed left over, though you probably have everything I have!

Hi Guys!!!!! I have been avoiding gardenweb, as I spent all of my time reading and not getting anything done. I wish I could join you but I will be out of town May 10, if you pick another date, PLEASE let me know...... I have sown 200 containers and am still addicted.... Hi Mone, Susan, and Cheryl!!!!! Darn, this sounds like tons of fun........

Hi Ellen,
Really nice to hear from you, glad to hear that all is well in your corner of the world. We will miss you lots, but as of now we think there will be about 10 of us. So I don't think we will be changing the date. If anything happens to your plans, please let us know, we would love to have you join us & catch up with you.

Mone,I would like to have eryngium sapphire blue and leucojum.

At this point available couple of each
iris pseudacorus- yellow flag for pond
nepeta walkers low
hardy geranium yoshinoi
hardy geranium thunbergii pink
columbine vulgaris mix- have couple of Nora Barlow, Green apple- lost labels to rest of them
gentian dahurica
gentian cruciata
gentian semptefida lagodechiana
digitalis foxy and camelot
gas plant- color unknown grown as mix
carex nigra
carex glauca
macleya cordata
bleeding heart - am not sure which white or pink
corydalis unknown- has leaves like fern, reseeds, up to 2 feet, grown from seed though to be cheiliantoides but that one is small and mine is big.

May is right around the corner- are you joining us?

Adding to my list
I have lots of various primulas if anyone interested, perennial asters- aster alpinus of several varieties I belive among them Goliath, Dark beauty- tufted foliage, blooms mid summer for the front bed, sun.
also it seems I will have few clematis lake baikal species- it is similar to integrifolia, non vining but blooms later and few clematis stans, also non vining.

Hi Linda,
Those dark asters sound good- I will take some of them off your hands!

O.K. you all, our dinner meeting is one week from tonight, don't know about you .....but I'm so excited to finally met and exchange. Really looking forward to the evening at the California Pizza Kitchen at 6:30. How many do you think we will be?????

I know my schedule better now, and I can make it! !!!

These are some plants that I could bring for trading: in general, if a seed is on my wish list, I'd be interested in trading for the plant, too. Otherwise, if a person posts their plant trade list, I'll probably find something i want on it!

I have:
1. Heirloom/OP tomato seedlings. About 50 varieties, and you can read the list at: http://geocities.com/millermaters (I sell them in my town, so I made a web site)

2: Yellow flag iris--mature guys, will or probably will bloom this year

3: Hosta: medium sized leaves, green with white edges. Clumps are 3-5 "eyes"

4: Oregano--it did really well in Illinois' clay soil. 1 pot is about 3x3"

5: White Obedient plant. Some people find it invasive, I just find that it spreads. Each pot is 2 stalks.

6: False solomon's seal--2 stalks per pot

7: Perennial geranium Johnson's Blue (which is purple) One 3-4inch plant per pot

8: German Chamomile--one 5" plant per pot (I have 2 plants)

9: Walking onions 3-4 stalks per pot

10: Soapwort -- 2 plants per pot

11: True lavender (pretty small plants, one year old. About 2-3 inches tall) 1 plant per pot

12: Rudbeckia (black-eyed susan), unknown cultivar: one 3" seedling per pot

13: green and white wandering jew houseplant cuttings (Tradescantia albiflora 'Albovittata' (Variegata)

14: sedum "Autumn Joy" 2 little stalks per pot

15: Garlic chives -- 2-3" clump per pot, regular chives will probably ride with it

and check out my seed list for any seed trades!

If anyone is dividing hostas that are fragrant, have yellow variegation or are big and blue, I'd love some--names are not important.
----------------------------

Lindalana:

I'd like to trade with you for:

1. nepeta walkers low

2. macleya cordata

3. hardy geranium thunbergii pink

4. hardy geranium yoshinoi

5. Aster "dark beauty"
please let me know if I have anything you'd like to trade for.
------------------------
Pitimpinai:

I looked up the list you posted here, and I would love to get almost everything on it! Yet, I know that you have, or don't want/need, anything on my list--except maybe tomatoes? I can offer my home-made soap, or shovel-sharpening, or a few bags of mostly-composted horse manure (does not smell) or a little bit of worm compost, or baked goods (but not baked worms! Blech)...that's about all I can think of. I could easily come by your place for the plants and could help you do the work.

This is my wish list, beginning with the ones I'd most like:
-Salvia foerkahole
-Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
-Salix alba 'Britzensis' cuttings - Coral Embers Willow
-Solidago Fireworks
-Achillea ptarmica 'Angel's Breath'
-Knautia 'Melton's Pastel'
-daffodils & Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'
-Nepeta moussini
-Eryngium 'Sapphire Blue'
-Salix masudana 'Tortuosa' - green curly willow (--maybe, if it grows shrubby/stalky)

and, when I googled Salix masudana 'Tortuosa'-green curly willow, it came up as a pretty big tree. Is that how it grows for you, or does it also make the stalks the way I saw in photos of the Coral Embers Willow?

Please let me know!

Susan
I will get you asters.
Stage rat
I will get you things you requested, no problem. Would love solomon seal, it is such a lovely plant for shade.
It is a great idea to look for wants/ trade lists, thank you for suggesting it.

Sissy Z - would you like me to dig up some day lilies for you? IF so let me know. I would gladly bring them on Thursday Susan

Well guys, I am still filling in my 1 acre of gardens so I don't have much in the way of plants but I plan to bring everyone some Centaurea montana (Mountain Bluet). I also have seeds leftover as well (many natives and things like strawflowers, etc.) I am also thinking of splitting my primroses and bringing some of them. They have grown in my gardens for many years so they, hopefully, will survive winter for everyone.
Anyone have any Jacob's ladder for me? All of my plants (some 10 - 15 years old) kicked the bucket in the cold this winter. The only ones to survive were the native reptans ones. I am sooooo disappointed! Same for my lavender :( (sniff). Can't wait to meet all of you and get to see my friends Mone and Susan again!

Yesterday, I was just thinking of skipping the thing. lol. I am so swamped with work and my family stuffs that I have no time to dig up things this weekend. Then, I remembered how much fun it was last year, oh, well, I think I'll take Thursday off and start digging in the morning. Let's hope it doesn't rain that day.

I dug up something last week and by Wednesday they didn't look very good. These are established plants in my garden that need thinning out. I'll bring bare roots plants, so you guys bring buckets and/or trays with some water, OK?

Willows are trees. No matter how much you cut them, they still grow very tall. I cut mine down each you, they still grow substantially each season.

I don't really need anymore plants, but will be tempted with dark purple aster from Linda and manure/compost from stage rat or anybody, the more manure the happier I am. (A friend promised me a truck load of manure for my BD but he reneged on that , bummer).

If you have nothing I want, don't worry. Just bring empty containers with water, boxes, bags, etc.

Hey, anybody has a Washington state quarter? My exchange student is collecting quarters and we still don't have WA. Dunknow if Utah, Idaho & Wyoming came out yet. Got Montana et all others already.

Sorry, guys, my Salvia disappeared with out a trace. They were at the temple but I could not find a single one when I went to check last week.

See you on Thursday.

had wonderful surprise yesterday- my pulmonaria Mrs Moon has reseeded!!! never did before or any other pulmonarias and I have a few of them here. Anyway, I will keep few seedlings for myself but can bring couple for those who wants.
Also have very cute spurge- leaves like asparagus abour 12- 18 in tall, yellow bloom now. As all euphorbias this one spreads and I let it bloom, later in June I pull out what I do not want and leave the rest for next year. It is very easy to control and right now it is making great show for me.

Susan, an update on the numbers: my BF should be coming, too, unless something dumb at work interferes. He's a first-year wintersower, too, and may bring some of his mystery seeds for us all to identify--he has some containers marked x, y and z.

Does anyone have spare seedlings of hollyhock? This the third year for them in my yard, and they FINALLY stopped looking like bonsai. I did w-sow some, and have just 3 sprouts :( . If you don't have seedlings, I'd like to trade for more seeds, now that I know they eventually do grow in my yard.

ccoupkir, I don't have any Jacob's Ladder plants, but if you need seeds, I have some. I will bring you one of my little lavender plants (I have owed you an email forever, so I'll make up for it with a plant!). Was this the first winter for your lavender? I think they need really good drainage, which I doubt you have with your clay soil. I can bring you enough sand for this little guy, at least!

Sissyz: are you planning to come? I can give you a few Obedient plants, and some of the seeds on your wants list, if that list is correct. I'm interested in trading for some of your seeds, too--let me know if you're coming, and if you want to trade, too!

Pitimpinai, I will bring a few bags of manure for you. I may be in Norwood Park earlier in the day on Thursday, to get some soil, and I really will help you dig things up, if you want.

Lindalana: I'd love a couple of little seedlings of the Pulmonaria, if you don't mind...I'll bring more False Solomon's Seal, or just name something else I have listed.

I'm really looking forward to meeting all of you!

Yea, So glad you all are responding - I will try to bring some nametags that we can wear untill we figure out who is who. :)

Susan

Really, Stage-_rat? I can use a helping hand digging. I am not far from Norwood Park. My house is in Poratage Pk, the temple is in Jefferson Pk.

If you can come by in the afternoon after your errands, that will help me a great deal. I think I'll start with my house then move on to the temple. :-D The temple is only minutes from Norwood Park. PLMK. Thanks a bunch.

I don't know if I'll have anything to bring, other than assorted leftover old seeds. *sigh*
It might not matter- I don't know if I can make it! *cries* It'll all end up depending on my husband and the weather. :P
And maybe a sitter, depends on how brave we are. :/

But I'm trying! *sigh*

Just bring an empty car, boxes & bags and yourself if you have nothing to trade. Don't worry. I have plenty to share. :-)

Pitimpinai:

I'm waiting to hear from the soil guy so I'll know the exact timing, and I'll let you know as soon as I find out!

stage_rat: thanks for the lavender. Actually my lavender plants were about 15 years old!!! Survived the last really bad, below 0F winter and made the move to my new house!! I guess my lack of mulch this winter did them in!! I would love some Jacob's Ladder seeds and I have tons of Hollyhock seeds harvested last fall, pink carnation type and a beautiful single champagne colored one. I may even have some leftover seed for the deep purple/almost black ones. I'm just getting around to wsing them so no sprouts :(

I will be bringing some well-established primroses, Mountain bluets (Centaurea montana) (if the weather cooperates Thurs. afternoon!!) and lots of leftover seed to share.

Anyone want/need green and white hostas?? I have 100's!!! I am slowly swapping them out for different varieties. I can also dig up pachysandra for anyone wanting a good shade ground cover. I even have many, many lilies of the valley!
I will be very busy till Thurs. afternoon (studying for a BioChem exam) so if I have anything you might like, please e-mail me from my page so I don't forget anything!

Hope to meet you all on Thurs night!! Can't wait!! DH has been gone for 6 days, came back last night and is gone again until Sat. night. He'll be home to sleep on Thurs. but I told him that this get-together was too important to miss!!!

Pitimpinai: Would early afternoon be ok for you? Around 1 or 1:30pm? Once we're done I will drive to Lombard and clean up for CPK.

I'm emailing you directly, too.

Clean up? Are we supposed to clean up before the get-together?

lol. I am hoping that I will have enough time to swing by the stable in Palatine and scoop up some manure before coming to CPK. roflol.

1:30 will be perfect. I already emailed you my response. :-) Thanks.

You guys may be the only people who wouldn't see my gardening "look" and assume I'm homeless, but as I understand it, the guards at the city gates of Schaumburg are pretty strict about the dress code! I'm a little worried about not even being able to get my van inside. ;)

stage_rat, know what ya mean! I call myself the "farm woman". We actually spend a significant amount of time in the city and I am always telling my friends that it's the only time I don't feel like I live on a farm. Most of them are so surprised to see me in dress cloths and makeup!! I am definitely a woman of "two worlds"!

Ok, just to double-check: we're going to meet inside the restaurant at 6:30? Will we mill about in the entryway, or should the first person to get there grab a table? (And how can I tell if I'm the first person?)

I don't plan to carry in every plant I'm bringing, but I'll definitely carry in one plant, so you guys will know I belong with your group! Maybe we all SHOULD dress in our gardening clothes--we'll find one another more easily :)

Ha Ha Ha.... good question, but some of us have met before, so we will be o.k. or we can come with a flower tucked behind one ear:)

I've come at this thing from the Midwest forum. I'm in Evanston, and I want to come (and Susan was so kind as to email me the specifics), but I'm swamped with work and am still on the fence. Lindalana, if it's not too late for requests, and I make it, can you spare me a gentian? Maybe an aster?

I doubt I'll have time to do any dividing at this point, but if I do show up, I'll have some seedlings of phlomis russelanica (sp.? soft yellow flowers), maybe red shield hibiscus, maybe salvia thyroisoides if I didn't let them all drown, McKana's Giant mix columbine, a variegated tomato or two, dianthus plumarius and/or 'Microchips Select,' and assorted other little things, probably a salvia argentea.

If I do get a chance to dig, I'd likely bring spare smilacena, maybe some ferns (ostrich, I think) and pink turtlehead/chelone.

Hope to meet you all. If not, have fun!

Ok, so now my showing up is entirely dependent on my husband. :) We'll see how he feels after work, I suppose.

However, and possibly more importantly, I have no sitter, and doubt I'll find one for tonight now. :/
Anyone think it'll be a problem if we bring the midgets?
If it might be, I don't think I have to worry about my husband deciding. ;)

They're usually fairly decent, but it's starting to look a little crowded in here. :D

Somebody wanted carex miskgumensis,palmleaf sedge, I have some.
If any has seeds of spagetti squash, will be happy if you could spare.
ccoupkir, I got some wintersown seedlings of Jacob's ladder, just transplanted them into cells- will get you some.
I will bring my plants in plastic bags since I reuse pots immediately.

Dirtdiver, I hope you do come!

If you actually are going to be bringing some extra plants, I'd love a Phlomis and an ostrich fern or two! You didn't name anything from my list, though, and I'm leaving very soon. If there are things of mine that you'd like to swap for, we could instead arrange to meet up another time for plant-swapping.

Hi Everyone, Being the efficient one that I am:

I Made a reservation for 6:30 for 10 people, so bring the BF and the short people with you - just join us.... it should be so much fun.... SUSAN

Had great fun yesterday, was so nice meeting all of you.
I was thinking how hilarious we must have been looking in the parking lot of CPK and all those people that stopped by to question our activities...

Oh, I can only imagine. :) I'm really glad we made it out. Thank you all - it was a wonderful time, and it was great to meet everyone and talk (when I could. ;) ).

(I'm sorry if I seemed off- I'm a random mixed bag in anything social, and I wound up all nervy last night. ^_^; Thanks for dealing with me! ;)

-Bethy

Yes,
Very nice meeting you all, future child gardeners included. Glad I decided to come. I was sort of struck by how many of us had garden-enabling vehicles. And I'm sure most of those CPK diners thought we were a little nuts. But that's ok. We have hydrangeas (etc.), and they (probably) don't.

It was so much fun meeting all of you. I love hearing about other people's gardens and gardening experiences, and it's so nice to do that in real-life sometimes! I really do hope to see you all again, maybe during the summer or for a fall swap.

An idea for a future get-together is to maybe go to the CBG during the day, then do a picnic dinner at Ravinia, which is just down the road from there? Just a thought. Cantigny does evening concerts, too. That's if we want to wander a garden together AND sit and socialize--we don't have to do both!

Silverwind, you didn't seem off, you just seemed busy with the kids! I'll be telling my friend about the Minstrels music soon. I think my boyfriend did seem off--he was very quiet, because of too little sleep. He did enjoy meeting you all, even thugh he wandered off at some point.

Yup, the plant-trade in the dark parking lot was really funny. Maybe we should print out little G-web and W-sow recruitment cards to pass out to future curious folk. I was happy--I managed to give away a couple of the Obedient Plants I'd brought for Sissy (sorry you didn't make it, sissy)

I will start posting photos for id-ing all these plants in the next few days. (I don't have the hardware to get photos on the Lombard computer, or I'd do it today)

Yup. It was great fun. I enjoyed meeting all of you, the budding gardeners included. Thank you so very much for the company and seeds & plants. I'll plant them out or repot them asap.

I have photos but I am not sure you guys will mind me posting them here.

Stage_rat, that's a very good idea about posting photos to IDing those plants. I am sorry it got too dark & too late to tag those plants. I'll get my camera out this evening and try to capture everything. I'll post them on the gallery maybe this weekend.

All of you who got plants from me, if you haven't planted them yet, please keep them in the shade & water them often so they won't wilt. Please also shade them after planting. I normally shade them with pots or tented up sheets of newspaper for at least 7 days so that the won't suffer so much from the sun. Please also keep the soil moist for at least 7 days. It's a good idea to pinch off those tall ones too. Good luck with them all.

Hi Guys,
Yes, it was a fun evening and the topper was the swap in the parking lot at the California Pizza Kitchen, what a hoot!!!!!I did get a charge out of the people walking by wondering what we were doing. We could have a great sale with all our stuff, oh well someday. Bethy, I'm so glad that you were able to join us, and those kids so cute, look like future gardeners to me. Glad that you brought the whole crew. So another get together is in our future...yup...I like that idea. My niece is here for the weekend to help me plant out yea!! That is it for now. It was truly a fun experience meeting all of you & hearing about your gardens. SUSAN

Hi all, what I great night out!!! I had so much fun and what a perfect end to a wonderful day. I can't thank all of you enough for the plants. I hope everyone got a chance to pilfer from my seed box!! Since I didn't have a chance to dig the "promised" plants, I will be happy to mail things out to anyone interested. Here's what I have:

primroses - your average, everyday kind but have been growing in my gardens for at least 10 years so they're really hardy to this area.

columbine - on Thurs. I noticed probably 50 babies under one plant that happens to be a native columbine. These could be very interesteing crosses since there is a hyrid plant just behind this one.

Campanula punctata 'Cherry Bells' - this plant seems to act as a biennial and reseed for me. I had no blooms or growth last year but a 3' wide area of small plants. They are back this year and I am assuming they will be blooming since they are already taller than last year.

Cenetaurea montana - in full bloom right now! I have multiple large plants that need spliting plus some random babies. These grow large in full sun or can be kept smaller in part shade.

Also, since I am in the process of moving my herb garden I have a few extras of: Lemon Balm, oregano, strawberries and possibly some tarragon.

I have 2 very large ground clematis ('Mrs Rober Brydon') that I will be moving soon to their permanent home in the woodlands edge beds. At that time I will be doing some cuttings so let me know if you're interested in these as well.

So e-mail me from my page with your address and I'll be most happy to send you plants. Since we all live fairly close it shouldn't be a problem.

Many thanks to all of you for your plants!!! I also have some that I have no idea what they are so I'll be looking forward to the picture post!

Till we meet again, Cheryl ::]

I have been replanting my tiny ws seedlings into cell trays and thinking to myself- it was a great idea to meet in the late summer/ fall again. I sure will have more different plants to swap.
Cheryl, I would be happy to be placed on the list for your clematis, don't have that one in my collection. And primulas- can't ever have enough primulas.

Ellen,
What a great idea, however we must do it in the daylight so we can see what we are doing:)

Susan

P.S. Do you think we are going to get some frost tonight?

I already planted out peppers, eggplants and toms and I am not mentioning all annuals. Suppose to go to 42 here.