I can't agree, depending on what it is you're asking...... All of my friends, above, have recommended KBG, because you have insisted that you want a lawn. You don't. A lawn is something (for the purposes of this discussion) that one of the ladies of the church might walk on, if she steps off of the sidewalk, on her way to the front door. Oh, my! You want something else entirely. You want something that will withstand kids. Thank you for not saying 'active kids', because if it were active kids, geeze, it would be an even worse situation. Then you mention a dog. That makes it worse. Actually, you mention 'dogs', plural, which makes it even worse than that. Thank you, for not saying 'and by the way, the kids interact with the dogs', because then you'd have about the worst situation possible. Unless you were to add "and after that, the dogs interact with the kids, and then the kids do their best to get even, and before you know it, everybody's chasing each other, and things can get a little crazy around here...." Geeze, thanks for not adding all of that. You are going to want to look up 'athletic field', or look up 'golf course', but you are surely not going to want to look up 'lawn'. (Church lady. Steps off of sidewalk. Forget it). When a two hundred pound guy grabs another two hundred pound guy, and drags him around in the dirt, on Sundays, in front of a crowd, and somebody applauds, and all these guys are running up and down the field, and they're knocking each other over, it's a little tough on the groundskeeper, and he's got to get it all repaired, by six days from today. Or a golf course, where these guys are swiping those clubs, and a little patch (called a 'divot' gets whooshed out of there, and there's a bare spot, two hundred times a day, and the groundskeeper has to make that bare spot repair itself, quickly, it's a little difficult. But one can change the line of approach to the fairway, and while the left side is repairing, we'll all play on the right side. But yes, it's a little difficult, to make it work. Those patches of grass (on both 'athletic fields' and 'golf courses'), difficult as they are, can repair themselves, because those patches get a little rest. A little break. A little down time. But not your place, babe. Nope. Is it three dogs and two kids, or is it three kids, and two dogs? No down time. No rest. Your magic word for today is "fertilizer". You might toss in 'water'. But the point is, you can't just add KBG to the yard, and figure you've got it knocked. You don't, and never will. KBG will repair itself, grow, spread out, rejuvenate, if it has a lot of fertilizer, and that does not mean a little bit of fertilizer. You could go over there, and ask the athletic field guys, or ask the golf course guys, for advice, but after you say 'three dogs and two kids', they're liable to be asking YOU for advice. Your place will have much more wear and tear than theirs will. They will be very interested in how you solve your problems, and theirs will be rather small, in comparison. You get the point: after some wear, the lawn needs the gumption to recuperate. It needs to have the energy, the FERTILIZER, to make that happen, and happen quickly, because more wear and tear is going to happen, coming right up, thank you, and even MORE is going to happen, right after that. So yes, you need KBG: it will repair itself, it will spread out, it's durable. But you need even more, FERTILIZER, to keep all of that happening, non-stop. Just like a sod farm: those guys take bare ground, every year, and from seed manage to fertilize, and the shoots grow into a dark green carpet of healthy lawn. It's the fertilizer, it's not the choice of seed. Lots of fertilizer. Light doses, fairly frequently applied. Grow, baby, grow. Non stop. You need three parts fertilizer, to one part Kentucky Blue Grass. Maybe four parts fertilizer, to one part Kentucky Blue Grass. Keep it growing, non stop, because that patch of ground is not going to get any rest. And go ahead, go over there to the golf course....you can say, with admiration, 'two hundred golfers, with a thousand spectators, and a week later, it looks this good?'.....I got news for you: that guy is going to look at you, with admiration, and he's going to say "Did you say three dogs, and two kids, or did you say three kids, and two dogs?" Good luck with it.

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

I am getting things potted up for the swap. I am focusing on bringing a smaller number of larger trades this year. I stopped by a nursery to find some cheap pots and talked them into selling me some of their 6" square pots (probably about 1/2 gallon ones) for $.20 each. Last year Oakland Park had nice 4" ones for $.09 each, but they didn't carry them this year. So far I have rhubarb, chocolate mint, lemon balm, spiderwort, lamb's ear, evening primrose, Golden Tiara hosta, misc. var. hosta, and Michaelinsis daisy potted up into 1/2 gallon or larger pots. I also have quite a few small starts of Penny's Worth daylily, a nice little daylily with yellow flowers. It kind of looks like a miniature version of Happy Returns. I also have plenty of tomatoes. I have about 60 varieties started this year. Some I only have a few of, but many of them I will have extras of to bring to the swap. We will be potting up some other things to bring as well. We usually bring the dogs into Columbus with us when we visit. But I don't see how they will fit in the van with all of the plants. It looks like we will have to leave them with friends for the weekend. We are looking forward to seeing everyone on the 15th. James

Hi Everyone, Sorry I didn't make it to the swap today.With everything that's been happening and going on with the weather,I totally forgot today is the day.I really was looking forward to seeing you all.We're really trying to clean up everythng and waiting for help getting things back on the house.We have lots of missing shingles to get back on and the back down spout is laying in the back yard still yet,Not to mention pieces of siding blown off are in the far back yard.And of course a very large tree limb thats too heavy for either of us to move plus all the broken tree limbs and trash that comes along with the ride.But we'll get it done.We were without electric and water from Sunday to Wed.I'm very thankful it wasn't any longer then that and no one was hurt.I'm sorry to hear some of you are still in the dark,But know it won't be long now.I'm very grateful to all the workers who gave up time being with their families and loved ones to bring our power back on. I had so many plants to bring today,But like I said"Totally slipped my mind". I guess I will save them for the Spring Swap.I hope to see you all then.I will miss you all so very much!!Hope you had a good one!! I know you did!! I'll be reading when I can get on line to see what you all swapped for and had to eat. Granny57x