Hi, this is Ying. I will be happy to host the swap if Sandy cannot. I live in Woodbury's Stonemill Farm community and they have a community center we can use. The center right now have 6/7, 6/21 open noon - 6pm. or 6/14 open noon-2pm. That is if we need to use the inside of the building. If we just want to sit on the deck or the outside picnic table, then we can use it any time. So if we want to start like 11am, we can put our plants on the outside lawn and food on the outside picnic table, then move in to eat at noon. I am open to all 3 days. Please let me know which day is best so I can go reserve the center, it books up fast. The community center looks like this, with outside picnic tables that do not require reservation. Inside has bathrooms that do not require reservation. If we are just going to use the outside of the building then any day is good.

A couple of notes because the rest is going to be rather long and involved: Lynda, I have the Vitex marked for you and in your baggie! And thank you for the marigolds! They will be very interesting with my others! Dessie I would be more than happy to receive your little helper's seed packets! I think it's great! Wendy Try some Chai Spice tea, it works wonders in helping clear up colds and flu. I always add a dollop of honey to help sooth the throat. It's a staple in our house and really does help. Alright, here is my take on this.. I can understand how many were hoping that the two swaps would not coincide, but, we all knew there was a fair chance of that happening. For myself, I know that I continued to update my list, even well after Patty's swap's mailing deadline. I did my updates using the same method we did for Patty's swap- using an updated date. Even had I not, I knew there was a good chance the two swaps would overlap. I joined this one knowing full well- according to the guidelines posted for it- that I may NOT receive as many as I sent in. That I would receive as many as were sent in FOR me, up to five packets of the SAME item. I recall there being some issue with this and a member who became very rude in their comments about this fact. Yes, my package from the What's Left swap is in the second batch to go out. No, I did not keep strict record of what I sent to those who were in the What's Left swap. I did keep better records of what I'm sending for this swap. I also know that a lot of people will be sending in baggies of seeds marked as extras- not dedicated for anyone, but to add in when it's seen those items are on someone's list. No, these may not be some of the rarer or more exclusively wanted items on someone's list. But if someone has some of those rarer or more specific items to share, I'm sure they would have put them into your baggie before they mailed. So, I don't see that anyone would be missing out on anything. The only way I could see having updated one's list further as complicating Patty's swap would be if someone had removed things from their list. Updating and adding items would not have conflicted. Because if there were any extras of what you were wanting, Patty would have included them. So, I guess I'm not really understanding how there is such a need to update the lists just because one is in both swaps. If I receive duplicates, wonderful! Because the things on my list are things I want! If I don't receive something on my list, then no one had it to share. If I receive so many of something that I can't plant it all, then I can bless someone else by offering it up for a trade. So, perhaps I'm being dense here, but how would one not receive something sent in specifically for them (up to FIVE packets of the same item!) that was on their wants list in this swap? Everyone has the chance to see your wants as posted and you have had the option to add to that list, as many including myself have this whole time. The only thing I could really see the two swaps happening almost simultaneously possibly affecting would be one's have's list. I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset or offend anyone. I'm just honestly trying to understand why this is such an issue. So please don't take this as meaning to offend or as pointed to anyone in particular. This is just me trying to understand why so many are upset about this. If you prefer to email me privately and help me understand it, I would be pleased with that and please do! Perhaps there are aspects and issues with this that I'm not readily seeing and should consider. I don't want to keep the thread off track by my question becoming a debate here. Perhaps there can be some adjustments of dates if this swap happens in the late summer or again next winter, but for this year it is as it is and personally, I'm really enjoying it! Nancy, I hope you don't decide to drop out, because I know that I should have at least a couple of things from your list, perhaps more. But I'll respect your choice and be your Garden Buddy either way :) Fran, you have a real job ahead of you and I don't know how those like you and Patty do it! Leave me hosting my "pair em up and let em go" or true RR type swaps! I think those of you that host this kind of swap are awesome! Angela, you have been a wonderful help to Fran and all of us in this swap! I know the time it can take to code pages like that, though updates are easier once the initial work is done, and I want to say THANK YOU for the time and work you are putting in on this swap for everyone's benefit! Kathy~ heading off to stuff more little baggies and envelopes.

OFFERS TODAY: Tuesday Feb 10, 09 1 offer Bi-color Mixed varieties? 1 offer Watermelon Sugar Baby 1 offer Melon: Honey Dew 4 offers Maltese Cross 1 offer Watermelon Jubilee 1 offer Large Pear Shaped Tomato 1 offer Passion Flower Passiflora caerulea yr unknown Comm. pk 1 offer Lavatera Mont Blanc Annual yr unknown Comm. pk Full Sun 1 offer Euphorbe Summer Icicle Annual yr unknown Comm. Pk Sun to Part Shade 1 offer Thyme (Organics Biologique) Comm.pk yr unknown 1 offer Lettuce Mesclun Bon Vivant yr hand written on it 2008 1 offer Dill Chia Brand Herbs Comm year unknown 1 offer Morning Glory Heavenly Blue Comm yr unknown 1 offer Tomato Brandywine (Oragnic Biologique) yr marked out 1 offer Castor Bean feels like 4 seeds comm. pk unknown yr 1 offer Tomato could be black no other info 1 offer Heirloom Tomato Basinga 2006 1 offer Isis Yellow Flag 2 offer Asclepias Soulmate Pink zone 3-9 Please note I have NO clue what the first one might even remotely be, your guess is as good as mine! Also remember anything you are requesting could be on your list and if I have put one pack in your bag already and you request these extras too, then you have 2 I will not pull the first pack or the requested. It would be too confusing to try to keep up wiith I think so you will just have 2 lol. :) Fran

Here is my list of items I'm bringing tomorrow: 1. I have six fairy roses in 4" pots: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkindroses/cultivars/the-fairy/ My fairy rose is in a place I do not water, and has spread, and bloomed prolifically. When I trimmed it in February, I found it had air layered and I potted up the baby plants then. drought tolerant, earthkind rose, pink blooms, that bloomed all year for me this last year. Dwarf rose that gets 4' and 4'wide, eventually. Mine took five years to reach this size. 2. I also have two large Texas Primrose Jasmine plants. (My original plant came from a SAPSwap back in 2005!) I was in Countryside Nursery this week, and they wanted $25 for a smaller plant than these I potted up a couple of months ago. http://www.countrysideaustin.com/2010/05/primrose-jasmine/ drought tolerant, sun or part shade, but blooms better with more sun. Will grow to 8' if you don't keep it trimmed. I keep mine 3' tall, and let them spread along fenceline. 3. Next I have about a dozen John Fanick Phlox. http://www.plantdelights.com/Phlox-paniculata-John-Fanick-John-Fanick-Garden-Phlox/productinfo/7383/#.UWgryZPEqxU They get about a foot or so tall, drought tolerant, and are perrenial and return each spring. Once they reach full height and start blooming, they keep blooming through fall. Great plant! I love 'em, and plant 'em everywhere I can in my yard. Again, they need full sun to bloom best. My lil yard only has a few places with full sun. Otherwise it would be covered in this phlox! 4. I also have several 4" pots of silver ponyfoot, Dichondra argentea: http://austinnativelandscaping.com/dichondra-argentea-silver-pony-foot-dichondra-kidneyweed/ Another drought tolerant, does well in sun or shade, spreads well, and is a great ground cover. I love the silver color. 5. I have three cuttings, only potted up last week, of Black Spanish Grape vines. http://www.willisorchards.com/product/Black+Spanish+Bunch+Grape+Vine#.UWgtV5PEqxU My husband fell in love with the wine Dry Comal Creek vineyard makes with Black Spanish grapes, and dreams of making his own. One day. 6. I also have Apple mint. My British mother-in-law swears Apple Mint is the correct mint to use for mint sauce with lamb or pork. 7. I have Greek Oregano. Yum. 8. I also have a metal bird bath, that I'll pass onto a new home. 9. And I have a variety of bottles, and packages of organic garden solutions that I bought to solve a specific problem and have never cleared out. Due to husband's wanting his garage to be garden goods free, I am clearing out the excess! I have orange oil (multiple bottles), vinegar, thuricide, fox urine [bought to put on eaves to discourage squirrels chewing wood], etc. And that is what I noticed just glancing in the first box. I have four boxes and baskets like that. My husband may have a point about my garden hoarding! :) Also a few nonorganic things like miracle grow. Maybe unused because I try to be organic. 10. And more plants galore. I am so sorry I couldn't make it to our SAPS swap last weekend. I am really looking forward to talking plants with my fellow gardeners tomorrow. Also, I will give a tour of our community garden, if anyone would like to check it out. I can hardly wait for tomorrow! TexanGal aka Heather