Has everyone noticed that their GardenWeb member page has been dramatically altered? I posted the Green Elephant and a day later my member page was obliterated. I am relocating the Green Elephant to the church's website.

In case the Gardenweb goes away I will have the email: GreenElephant@holycrossredmond.org

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Elephant Plant Swap Home Page

I panicked a bit. I was able to restore my GW member page a few days later. (I don't understand why I got my old GW name "FireVicar") Still I will post the green elephant to both the GW member page and the church to be safe.

This year I am setting up a 20 foot potting bench with pots and soil. It will be under a covered area. So you can divide and repot things on site.

Please bring extra pots. I'll supply what I have, plus dirt.

Cheers, Jim

The forum is undergoing some changes, Jim. I have to log in every single time I chose to post, and all my member page info is gone. I'm hoping this will be resolved, and it's not a permanent feature.

Doris
Me, too! But I thought it was my computer, because even when I do click the box to save it on the computer, it doesn't work.
And the message about the info being sent to a non-secure site is a bit disconcerting!
It's getting to be a real drag.
Lots of folks have gone missing, too. Haven't even seen Ron post in a long time.

We had better save and collect all our email addresses and get a reserve way to stay in touch.
Judy

Ron's here but with a new name - I assume it's due to being hassled.

According to Tamara of iVillage, they switched everything from GW over to the iV system and there were the inevitable botchups that occur whenever IT is altered. They're hard at work straightening things up and you can write to them by clicking on Letters and Comments at the bottom of the page if your problems with sign-in and member page data don't resolve.

I lost my SeattleSuze name in the shift as well as all of my member trade list info. They say they had to remove all the caps from our member names and that caused some of the log-in problems. They're working to save the member trade lists and other data but weren't really definite about their ability to do so.

Hope this helps. Can't wait for the Spring Exchange!

Sue

"Bring some homemade cookies; gardeners are a pushover for food."

I just have this image of myself pulling up, opening my trunk and putting up a sign that says-
HAVE
Coffee
Biscotti
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Scones
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

and another that says-
WANTED
Plants

Vertigoat, I'm headed straight for your trunk! What kind of plants do you want?

Laughing,
Sue

I can see me standing in the parking lot with a cardboard sign:
"Will Trade for Food!"

By the time noon rolls around we'd give away half of our garden for something to eat. A vigorous plant exchange in the cold and rain does wonders for the appetite.

Cheers,

Jim

I am actually laughing out loud. In a room. By myself. Laughing out loud as I read the screen.

Sounded like so much fun to show up to but since I'm a total plant newbie I felt like it'd be scandulous to show up empty handed and wander around pathetically at a trade only event. Now I know I can bring baked goods as a handy entrance pass to the world of gardening.

I'm glad to see that there is some activity on this forum. Vertigoat, if you have a chance and the forum co-operates, make a want list. If you have a want list and I have extra I'll be glad to bring it.
Teresa

I have to ask. Isn't there something.. I don't know.. almost gauche or something about making a want list when you don't have anything green to give in return? I guess you wouldn't ask me to do something rude though so I'm just going to smile really big, write a Want List, practice my cookie baking and cheerfully eat the results.

I do have to ask though, is a LONG plant wish list just uncouth? Because I am way new to gardening in general and every time I look at something I gasp and think of how very much I want it. I'm kind of dazzled by all the plants. OK. I'm going to have to do some more reading and planning first. The last two springs now my desire for plants has ended in disaster and ruin very rapidly. Going to plan and schedule better this year.

Just having this community here at GardenWeb makes it so encouraging.

Hi vertigoat, if just starting, pick some that are easy to grow until you are better at gardening. If you start with orchids and things of that nature, you may end up discouraged.
Just come. This is the nicest group of people I have met. Everyone has extras they are looking to get rid of. I specifically bring give away plants. Someone needs to be there to give them to!
Michele

I will be there, will get a list going as soon as the rain stops and I can inventory (in June lol)

Hello Vertigoat,
I also try to bring extra for those that don't have anything to trade. The wonderful people here did the same for me when I was starting out. It just makes it easier when you have a list, so I can did up something I know you want. Of course, part of the fun is seeing all the new plants that you've never wanted before, because you didn't know they existed!
Teresa

Vertigoat.....if it's gauche than I am the Queen of Tacky. The gardeners you will meet at the trade are very generous and would love to know the kinds of things you are interested in, so list away. They will also offer you things you may not have even thought about or have a clue about....take those too!! If you really get into gardening, soon you will have something to share with others as well. Within one year of establishing my garden...mainly from the bounty of others, I was able to begin sharing myself. Its more fun than you could imagine! And don't think Jim is kidding about being hungry. I once shoved a whole pan of black-eyed pea cornbread on him and he scarfed it down in one bite *wink wink*. See you there!

How could I find one of these sorts of things in my area (Boise, ID)? I am also VERY, VERY new to gardening, and this sounds like loads of fun...

Dear Papillonviolacea,

The easy part is providing a space for gardeners to meet. The difficult thing is contacting gardeners to attend. The first swap I attended was hosted by the city park staff at Swan Lake Iris Gardens in Sumter South Carolina. They had the means to advertize at the park bulletin board. About a dozen people attended and I came home with a trunkload of plants for my new southern garden. I was hooked.

In Boise, I think the way to go might be to affiliate with (i.e. join) the local garden club. Garden clubs share plant materials among their members. Take your time, pay your dues, get to know people, expect to be a newcomer for about a year. But once you're in, you can then become a mover and a shaker for the garden club to host a plant exchange. Then you will have at your disposal the reputation of the garden club, a network of people to gossip the news, and likely one of the members will offer a home for the event: a sort of garden party which shows off the hosts gardens, with super-duper party favors in the form of shared plant materials.

We have had wonderful swaps in people's yards on Saturdays during the spring and summer. It's just a great way to spend time with gardeners. Not only do they share plants, they share inspiring ideas and advice.

All the best. And if you get impatient it's only 506 miles from Boise to Redmond.

Cheers, Jim

I have just transplanted 16 seedlings of the white-flowered japanese skunk cabbage for the swap. If you have a swamp and would like one, I'll bring a few to the Green Elephant.

Regards,

Jim

I can make this one I have a ride a friend is going to bring me I am so pleased,and looking forward to meeting
everyone

Blueangel

Blueangel is clearly wins the prize for longest commute to the Green Elephant. I suggest we all take a look at his wants list and offer him a freebie.

Jim

Gladly!

Ok...I thought I was going to be away on vacation during the Swap, but I think the vacation is being shifted a couple of weeks later.

I definitely want to park next to Vertigoat! Pass the oatmeal-raisin cookies, please! Seriously, I agree you should post a list, however long, of plants you're interested in...many times one of us will have something you want but not think to bring it along if we don't know you're looking for it. A long list doesn't necessarily mean you expect to get everything that's on it...it's assumed you'll appreciate any of the plants on the list.

Blueangel, I believe I have a passiflora for you, as well as a daylily or two.

I started my spring cleanup yesterday - pruning & such. Think I may be potting up some young rugosa roses before they fully break dormancy (they're certainly ready to). I'm rather amazed at how far along some of the new spring growth is...such as 8"-10" growth on daylilies!

I forsee major overhauling happening in some of my flower beds...should have some excess plant material come out of that! Gotta make some room for brugmansias this year!

Patrick

I'm not going to be able to make this trade. I will have too much planting to do that weekend from the King and Snohomish conservation district sales. I'll see you all at the next one.
Teresa

Looks like changing my vacation dates isn't going to work. I'll have to take a rain check on this Green Elephant...but will think of y'all from sunny Costa Rica!

Patrick

I can come, but probably can't bring any plants this time; I had a total knee replacement January 17th and can't kneel down to do any digging and/or gardening yet. I am walking with a cane, but not veery fast. I had the surgery in the winter as I figured I'd miss less this way.

Papillonviolacea, my daughter's mother-in-law from Boise accompanied me to the Fall swap and was entranced. She was hoping the same thing as you are...that there must be some way to get a Boise swap organized. Her name is Norma Halter (turned out her family knows Patrick's family-it's a small world); maybe you could figure out how to get in touch with her..

Christine

Wonderful! Hey I have tons of stuff but need to know what types of things go well here, so I can try to bring things that people will like, and not already have. And honestly, the main reason I would like to get this on my calender is because I'm new to gardenweb this past month, and would really like to meet&greet.--Is that OK to be a bit social also, or do people mainly like to wheel,deal,& be on with their new found treasures? ccckoball

Dear ccckoball,

Everything on your "have" list would be of interest at the exchange. I have seen tree peonies and they went like hotcakes.

Meeting and Greeting is reason enough to attend. There will be others at the swap who will be hosting exchanges later in the spring and summer at private homes. These are really nice events.
As for plants, the less common it is the more likely you will have takers. Trade ediquett is very subjective. Some attend with a coveted rare plant and will settle for nothing less than an equal trade. What's precious to some is common to others.
For example, one new trader attended with a double daisy which a close friend has passed along to her. The sentimental value of the plant exceeded the horticultural value. In my mind, there is some personal attatchment with every plant I trade, so I really liked the thought of that daisy in my garden and I gladly made an exchange. It's subjective. And it's really fun.
I always bring divisions of things I just want to give away and if it results in a trade, so much the better. I never come home with less than 20 new things for my garden. In fact, there are trades where I wished I had come home with less :)
You will see well over 100 different cultivars/plants among the traders.
In the end it's less about savvy trading, and more about the getting together and sharing stories and plants from our gardens.
Hope to see you there Saturday,
Regards,
Jim Eichner

It looks like I'll finally be able to come again. It's been about a year and a half, I'm really looking forward to it. :)
Depending on how much digging time I get, I hope to bring some or most of these:
Cape fuschia (phygelius)
photinia
butterfly weed (asclepia)
fuschia 'Firecracker'
cannas (not sure which ones yet)
persian laurel
maybe an orchid or two
red flowered epiphylum (orchid cactus)
brugmansia

If anyone requests them I can do cuttings of these:
evergreen clematis
variegated euonymus
pink & purple hydrangeas
butterfly bush purple & yellow
pink & yellow christmas cactus
purple easter cactus
purple wandering jew

And if someone wants to do larger or special trades:
5' Pink Korean Dogwood
Elephant ears
Kentia palms

I'd love to find passiflora or peonies or anything from my list, especially tropicals. Thanks!

Oh, also I'll bring some good size clumps of Red Hot Pokers (kniphofia).
If someone requests it I can bring some Rosemary too.

Is anyone interested in Crocosmias? I also have some iris that my friend Ellen grew in her garden. She passed away a few months ago and we are hoping to pass these along to gardeners as a memorial to our dear friend and wonderful gardener. I won't have too many plants to share this soon after our move from northern CA, but will bake some dynamite chocolate chip cookies!

I am not sure what I need for the new house, but we do have a lot of shade in the forest in our back yard.
I hope to have some interesting plants for the May swap at our Shoreline house.

Looking forward to meeting everyone.
sps

Hi Ccckoball,

I have the regular Crocosmia (orange flowers). I don't have the variety you need.

Sangeeta