Although I have been on GW for a couple of years now, I am new to this forum. I have chronic illness, and it is forcing me to change my ways of gardening. I used to grow (annual) vegetables each year with great gusto. Sadly, now I cannot. I do wish to continue growing my own food, so last year I ordered some plants and my 17 yr. old son helped me put them in-great boy! We planted usa-urvi, salal, lingonberry and others from a nursery. My brother works at a cranberry growing company, so I got vines from him. A friend had wintergreen growing, and shared her plants. My sister had Partridge Berry, and I was thrilled to get it. I do not mind sharing with the birds. I have had blueberries here for a few years already. I intend to put in more this year, and have ordered Damsons, more of stuff I already have, filberts, and more. I hope to grow masses of certain plants. I am ordering a few hundred blueberry plants this year. For the most part, I need to start from seed. Do you seed swap edibles here, or do you do it at the seed swap forum? At this point I am looking for rare things, and things to start from seed. I have been looking for Rubus chamaemorus (cloudberry/bakeapple)for 2 years and haven't gotten it yet. I am looking for any edibles I can. So, if any of you folks have seed for edibles, maybe we can trade! Since most of my fruit-bearing plants were set in last year, I do not have seeds right now. I am more than willing to swap seed next year, trade seed of what I have on my list, swap flower or veggie seed, I even have beads to swap. Thank you so much, and I hope to meet others with this same interest. Robin Here is a link that might be useful: My Trade Page

Tom, I will bring you aster plants - the mom plant sends out lots of shoots after she is done blooming. And then, when the young pups are done blooming, they too send out pups - so the population grows rather well :) I have QW vine, but unfortunately, this year, due to the nasty weather, it froze to the ground :( It is finally starting to coming back from the roots and has a long way to go. Anna is , I think, a bit more south of us, so her vine did much better through the winter.... Does anyone know the name of this plant? I forgot! And does anyone have it in other colors? I particularly have been looking for blue, not sure if I will ever find it :) From Backyard Summer 2008

I haven't commented on the swap yet because I've been assuming that I'll have to work on Saturday but it appears as though there is some hope that I'll get the day off now. I started a couple cuttings each of a number of plants when this was first discussed. I've also picked up a couple more plants for swap along the way. I'm always willing to dig up extras or take cuttings of just about anything in my yard if I get requests. Plants in Pots: A couple of each of three firespikes Salvia purpurea 'Lavender Lace' Pineapple Sage - Salvia elegans Mexican Bush Sage - Salvia leucantha Bat-faced Cuphea - Cuphes llava - two varieties Cigar flower - Cuphea ignea 'David verity' Schuman's Cuphea - Cuphea schumanii Coral honeysuckle - Lonicera sempervirens Cape Honeysuckle - Tecomaria capensis Mexican Flame Vine Trumpet Vine - Campsis Radicans Mexican Oregano Indian Curry Tree seedlings Flowering Maple - Abutilon pictum I can also dig up many young/small plants including: a red and yellow heliconia Belize sage - Salvia miniata Red or Pink Salvia coccineas Fire Cracker Flowers (Russelia equisitiformis and sarmentosas) Various shrimp plants Lavender Scallops - kalenchoes Chinese Hat I can also bring cuttings of any of the previously mentioned plants. I've got plenty of seeds from the Salvia coccineas as well from cypress vine and coral bean (Erythrina herbacea). I'm looking for: heliconias Angelwing begonias Golden Shrimp Plant bromiliads gingers sages and salvias butterfly nectaring flowers anything tropical looking, preferably winter-blooming, and not too large (?) Steve (Rowdy) in Valrico

Thanks again Tampaart for hosting the swap, we had a great time. Your yard is special, all the plants look so good and boy, do you have some 'carps' in your pond! (thinking BQQ here ;-) ) serious swapping going on: the youngest swapper: click the link below for a few more pictures from the swap. If anyone has questions about the plants they received from me, just let me know :-) After the swap, we followed Ariel home: Thanks Ariel for giving a tour of your garden and sharing your plants. I am especially happy with the sweet almond cuttings, all the way home the car was smelling so good from just the two blooms on the twigs. I hope they will root for me. Ok.. now is time to get ready for the next swap at Kate's, and again, if anyone is interested in visiting my garden, you are certainly welcome to do so, since my garden is just 5 minutes from Kate's place. Evelyn Here is a link that might be useful: more pictures