I live in North Carolina - in a place that I call Rocky Somewhere because there is certainly no Mount hereabouts. I was born in Kentucky and lived most of my young adulthood in Nashville, and later in Franklin just outside of Nashville, Tennessee I came here in April of 1999, just in time for Floyd and my old lady foursquare house is the only one that we looked at that did not flood - except for the basement which did fill with water right up to the landing of the stairs - but not a drop in the house. We just finished painting her this year and for her age - built ca.1905 - she is looking pretty spiffy. That was an interesting year with lots of tropical storms and a couple of small hurricanes that only blew and blew culminating with Floyd who gave us 22 inches of rain on top of the 18 or so we had from the two weeks previous. All this was preceded by a drought during the spring and early summer and punishing heat from early May on that kept me from seeing some of the glories that are part of my bounty here - so my introduction to the garden that was already started here was not idyllic. For some years I cared for what another had planted and not always as well as I might have as I was homesick for my hill, but then as time and my sometimes less than optimal care took their toll I began to add more touches of my own many of which were not successful as I am a zone too far south for some of my old friends - but the old roses which I have always loved but never had much space to grow when living on the back side of a hill in Tennessee do manage to grow and in some years even do very well. This year it was dry for weeks and then the rains came and came and since this is black spot territory even in the best of times I have had a lot of that. I also had mildew which I had never seen here before but this was on a couple of younger plants so I am hoping they will outgrow the tendency. Still most of my roses managed to put on an adequate show. I miss my hill and my family back in Tennessee and will never get used to the noise associated with living right on the edge of downtown, but I have come to feel at home here. Home is where you put down your roots and the Tulip Poplar who stowed away in a pot from Tennessee is now a tall tree providing more unneeded shade in my too shady back yard - but he is a part of the hill that lives here with me and will have a home until a high wind takes him out. I am a relatively old lady although I don't like thinking about that, but feel that I am still a very young gardener and luckily I have a young husband who labors long and hard to enable my somewhat inchoate dreams. As I get older it seems that the garden is the only place where nothing hurts and so I spend more and more time there - when the weather permits. After June it is usually too hot here most days to do much except provide water for droopy heads, but from September until the end of June there are many fine days for working - or just pottering about feeling as though one is being useful even if one is not.

Tracy, If I had to choose between the two, I would go to Biltmore. You can fill up a day or more at Biltmore and on the scenic mountain drives on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Monticello (in my opinion) is more like a 3 hour visit. If you are coming down I-77, I think you can find an easy way over to the Blue Ridge Parkway...maybe at the Fancy Gap, VA exit. Not far down the Parkway near the New River is Shatley Springs. The restaurant is great for lunch or breakfast (7am to 10am). Very old-fashioned and down to earth home cooking, family style. Take a look at the menus on the website. There are some very quaint cabins there, but I've never stayed. http://www.shatleysprings.com/ From there, West Jefferson, Blowing Rock, Grandfather Mountain (great views from up there as it is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge range), Linville, are all on the way to Asheville. If you go to Blowing Rock, try to save time to go see Moses Cone Memorial Park. http://www.blueridgeheritage.com/HistoricBlueRidge/HistoricSites/MosesConeManor.html www.grandfather.com is the website for Grandfather Mountain. It is 70 miles from Asheville. http://ncnatural.com/Resources/Adventure/Gorge/Linville-Gorge.html is the website for Linville Gorge Another high peak...Mount Mitchell is the highest peak west of the Mississippi. They are working on a new observation tower that should be completed this summer. It used to be a bit of a strenuous hike up, so I don't know if that is changing or not. http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/momi/main.php If you were going in June, Craggy Gardens would be great -- rhodies bloom in mid to late June. Otherwise, just a place to stretch your legs. There is a Folk Arts Center at milepost 382 on the Parkway. If you have any questions about these, I can probably get the answer from my husband (degree in forestry and wildlife). He has hiked the Appalachian Trail sections in NC and knows a lot about the area. Here is a link that might be useful: Biltmore

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.

John - - - >In the PNW, spring, summer, and fall are the main >gardening seasons, but winter isn't shabby either. Summer gardening in the Northwest??? The only thing summer is good for is hiding inside with air conditioning and a cold drink. In the last few weeks, I've been busy planting Highbush Cranberry, Oregon Grape, Yellow-eyed grass, Evergreen huckleberry, Oceanspray, Douglas Meadowfoam, and Currants. I'd much rather plant stuff in the rain than on a warm day. In another thread, Trudi said: "As long as the ground isn't frozen and I can muck around in it I will. It makes up for summer here when fifteen minutes outside in 90+ degrees instantly wilts me." Ditto here. Only make that 75+ degrees. Maybe I should move further north. :) -Carla