Garden Friends 5th Annual Bulb Swap We have been holding this fun event for several years now and it just gets bigger and better. Last year over 1000 bulbs were divided up among the participants. This year should be even bigger and better as word gets out about it. Sept 1st-Oct.15th are the dates to send your bulbs, rhizomes, corms, etc. Please remember that the box you send your bulbs in is most likely the box you will be getting back, only filled with a variety of fun bulbs. You need to include postage in the same amount as it costs you to send to me. No postage is due if you drop off and pick up your bulb swap. Here is how it works: You send me a box of bulbs/rhizomes/corms etc along with postage amount that's the same as it costs you to send to me. Make sure bulbs are sent between Sept. 1st and Oct. 15th. Please mark the bulbs you are sending. The bulbs you receive will have the name of the bulbs plus the person that sent them name attached. Bulbs will be sent out no later than Oct. 22nd. You can also include a list of bulbs you would like to receive. Please NO common orange daylilies or ditch lilies, NO common purple iris please. Hardy and tender bulbs accepted. Theresa Wecker 241 S. Second St. Marine City, MI 48039-1701

All right, here they are - my best pictures: Alyssum, which seems to be the only result from throwing a "mixed wildflower" bag The ridiculous petunias, happily crowding the dusty miller and carnations (they already ate a pansy plant): A pink and white daffodil: Snapdragons i thought were done for, came out of nowhere: Lavender Lady. Almost ready to take the supports off!: "Peppermint Twist" geraniums: Surprise! Daffodils in the herb garden: Trailing verbena. LOVE the bright red: My favorite, the perfect calla lily:

The fifth Middle Tennessee Tennessee Swap is scheduled for May 22, the Saturday BEFORE Memorial Day Weekend at Jan Hobb's Buffalo Canoeing and Campground. Go to www.buffalocanoeing.com for driving directions. Trudi from the Winter Sowing forum came to the fall 2003 swap, and Captain Compost is coming up from Birmingham to this one to give a talk on organic gardening and composting. These swaps just keep getting bigger and better. Don't miss out! For information check out the Tennessee Gardening Forum. Spike has moved swap threads to the Exchanges page linked from the main TN page, but there may be info on the main page too if Spike hasn't found it yet! For info, write Mona White or Jan Hobbs. SEE YOU AT THE RIVER!

Jeremiath is a Seventh Day Adventist, with Friday evening thru Sat. being their time of worship. The "Offbeat" timew for the festivals doesn't seem to bother the fans of Heirloom gardening, nor tourists or customers. We vendors who have set up over the years have noticed a lot of couples who have came to the festival on Sunday, with the husband [usually] telling the wife, "You don't need to buy that plant!" and then the wife showing up early on Monday morning[ presumably when the husband has gone to work.] with the checkbook and saying "Yes, I did need to buy that plant!" Strong.