Connie, Sorry to be so slow posting. I have not had a chance to be on the computer for very long. I received my seeds on Wednesday. Thank you for the great selection and for hosting this swap. Thanks also to everyone that participated. I can't wait to get the seeds planted. Ginger

I have swapped for most anything, common or unusual to me. Sometimes I need some of the plant that "everyone has" as those plants do not always survive my care. Or someone may have a different variety that I would like to try. I went to a swap last fall and brought back lots of different iris varieties for an iris display bed. This fall I divided a couple of fairly common irises and they were taken quickly. Yes, I would be interested in a wide range of hosta as I have just started adding new ones to the one or two varieties that were left by the previous owners. Was fortunate to get several mini hostas at our spring swap. The ones at the fall swap went quickly. My trees have grown increasing my shaded areas so even common shade plants are welcome. With winter sowing I usually have a few unusual plants to share or different varieties than what is available in the area. I took seedlings of two different clematis to swaps this year and may take clematis (waiting to see if one blooms pink--from your stans/speciosa seed mix, Ellen. Got two blue out of five and the other three haven't yet bloomed) again next year. Perennials that I see as popular are astilbe, columbine, daylilies, dianthus, echinacea, ferns, grasses, herbs, heuchera, hosta, iris, phlox, roses, rudbeckias, salvia, shrubs, most any perennial that isn't invasive. Annuals: coleus, dahlias, impatiens, marigolds, morning glory, nasturtiums, petunias, rudbeckia, salvia, sunflowers, zinnias, Vegetables: tomatoes, peppers I didn't see many annuals or vegetables at the swaps that I have attended.

Part one I have a friend whose parents were among the founding members of the botanical society here, her name is Martina and she loves all growing things. Her mother passed away in 1996 and the botanical names of many of the plants she inherited are unknown to her although she grew up with them. Her parents are Austrian and called their plants by their Austrian names, sometimes translating the Austrian to English. When I first met her 4 years ago when she was dating my friend Charles. He brought her over one late afternoon for a visit, she'd brought a staggeringly beautiful plant with her that had been on my want list for a long time. Charles had it with him, he took her to the backyard and came to the door with one of it's flowers in his hand. I couldn't believe it when I saw him standing there, and tried to take the bloom, he was holding it out. He pulled it back and asked me what it was in a kind of challenging way. I thought he knew what it was and was testing me, lol, I said "It's a Gloriosa "Rothschildiana" of course!" Welllll, it wasn't a test, Martina really wanted to know and was such a warm, adorable, lovely person that we bonded almost instantly. Down through the years we've just gotten closer and closer. I love her to pieces. I wish I'd known her mother, she sounds like a rather wonderful humanbeing. I did meet their mutual friend, Nell, who is another wonderful and unique individual. Martina's a hero for introducing us. Her plants are amazing and she is passionate about them, and about life in general. She's 73 years young and can outwork most men I know. She's tough and knowledgeable and compassionate all at the same time. I think the world of this lady. Part two About the same time I met Nell I found Gardenweb and hooked up with a member in Mobile. We hit it off instantly, we had a lot in common and each was doing things that complimented the other. She's so wonderful, I don't know how to tell you how much I think of her. She's beautiful and smart, frank and earnest, honorable and ingenious. Our first meeting was at the botanical gardens' fall sale, we had a great time because we were kind of kept busy answering the questions of the other shoppers there, we didn't get much shopping done, lol. She went back on the last day of the sale, she knew the left-over plants would be marked down. One of the plants that hadn't sold, marked at $8 a gallon, was a bunch of Clivia miniata, it was marked at $2. a gallon. Ginny already had plenty of clivias, including some nice yellows, but she was knowledgeable enough to know that she shouldn't pass up an opportunity like that so she bought a couple to give as gifts, one was for an old friend, the other was for me! I couldn't believe it, I had wanted one for sooooo long, it was such a sweet, thoughtful thing to do and I hope she knows how much she means to me. I've had this clivia ever since, it's such a nice plant, such lovely long, orchid-like foliage. The whole growth...

I will be bringing: 4 or 5 black feather grass plants (most are blooming or seeding or whatever you want to call it) One large miscanthus sinensis and two babies Two white coneflowers A gomphrena baby Numerous cuttings (some rooted, some not) of my wax begonias, and two or three splits off of the big plants -- they were too big to overwinter at their warm-weather size; these are quite nice! I have bronze-leaf (double pink blooms), variegated (very free-blooming), an angelwing (also very free-blooming, but in orange -- lovely plant), as well as a plain leafed one with pink blooms that pretty much blooms continously. All are very vigorous and have over-wintered very well for several years. A double-pink Impatien (I had two, but I only want to have to overwinter one) A stem of a pink and white blooming geranium; lovely, but looks pretty sad at the moment! Needs a Geranium guru! Cuttings from rose scented and gray lady pelargoniums - May give one of the big ones away entirely. Some seeds - barnyard red hollyhock, maybe some white cleome, white penstemon (digitalis foxglove), and a really nice black-stemmed, Black Eyed susan. Jeff, I have your Rasberry Delight salvia -- looks a bit sulky at the moment (too much rain and the pot doesn't have enough drainage), but it bloomed all summer after I rooted it. See y'all soon. I'm bringing Broccoli Casserole (per usual) for lunch.