WooHoo! Nicole - so glad to have you getting the ball rolling for the fall swap. Ajax sounds great. Last year CherylnPickering got us swapping in the parking lot of St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Pickering, and in the past years fall swaps we've been around the Oshawa area, but how about you connect with your easterly GTA newbies and maybe they can come up with a good location and then we can figure out a date. In 2005 we had it on October 1st; last year the date was September 24th - so our options are plenty with respect to an east GTA location and a good date for us all. Feel free to create a new thread on the Fall 2007 GTA East Tailgater where we can iron out the date and location - and I'll start ground layering plants that don't take to root division so I can brings some new things that are already rooted. I can't believe how well the rose of sharon twigs I got last year rooted and now are ready to come out of pots and into gardens - I'll leave them be until the fall in pots to bring them and a good supply of other rooted plants to bring for this fall swap. Cheers! Sydseeds

Hi Gina...it's NOT in bad taste to see if folks will be bringing certain plants they are looking for. It certainly isn't a secret. I think folks are anxious for people to get things they are looking for at a swap. In fact, some folks set up trades via email beforehand that are separate from the group swap - and put those plants in their cars before the actual big swap begins. (I think Hostalavista and Michigan Betty do that with certain hostas since they are both collectors) I will be bringing some pots of hardy crainsbill geraniums to the swap. Time (spring) will tell me which ones...later on. In fact, I am hoping someone has Achillea Taygeta. I would LOVE a division of that plant. Sounds like there will be quite a few folks bringing their left over winter sown plants for swapping!! Fun! Think sunshine!.......Beverly

We could not have had better weather for the 2005 Spring Perennial Swap and Pot Luck that was held on 21 May in Byron Center Michigan. The sky was a brilliant blue and the temperature was in the mid 70s. People came from near and far, bearing lots of plants and great food to share. Many thanks to Bev for hosting the swap - I know she put in a lot of hard work in the time previous to the date (I will have to come back and check out that well-scrubbed kitchen floor!) and was relieved to see that I wasnÃt going to be asked to do any weeding - she had that already done! It was a pleasure to relax in such a beautiful yard with all those lovely flowers and plants - a feast for the eyes for sure. Thanks also to those who brought along paper bags, knives, forks, spoons, napkins and paper plates and helped unload cars and carry plants. Your generosity of spirit was noticed and very much appreciated. I was checking on some things and came up with the following: Total Swappers = 25 Total People = 39 Total Plants = 686 A lot of people came quite a distance to help make the day a success - here are some of the approximate miles traveled: South Bend IM = 112 miles Manton MI = 121 miles Columbiaville MI = 148 miles Traverse City MI = 155 miles Washington MI = 163 miles Marine City MI = 196 miles Belvidere IL = 259 miles St. Paul IN = 317 miles Three cheers to one and all and thanks for making the swap a success. 2005 FALL SWAP & POTLUCK will be held in the park in Wayland Michigan - check your calendar and plan to join us there the last Saturday of Sept - 24 September. Hope to see you there! Kiwi

Not long now til we meet in Wayland. Hope to see you there! Cheers - Kiwi in Kalamazoo