Hi all,

Since there seen to be lot of new Hosta Froun members who are posting now and might want to know just what to do when they read about the impending secret hosta swap, here are a few pointers.

1. How many? (as many as you want to send but usually 3 to 6 different kinds of hostas.

2. How many eyes do I send? For small I think 3 to 6 is a good number, med. 2 to 4, large 1 to 3.

2. What kinds? Most people have a list somewhere on their "my page" that tells what varieties they have or what they want in a wish list. You can send "your wish list" along when you email Daisy _me personally that you will join the swap. Her personal email address should be on her "my Page" Be kind and don't not ask for expenisive hostas or hard to find ones.

3. How do I send the plants? The FAQ page [frequently asked questions] at the top of the Forum page should have a demo. page on how to do it.

4. Time Frame? Once Daisy_me has sent you the name of the person your are secretly sending hostas to, the plants should be sent in a timely manner. Usually in a week or a little more. If you don't recieve from your secret swap person let Daisy_me know and she will try to contact them and find out what if anything happened to make them late.

5. Costs? U S Postage is usually under $8.00. Don't ship on weekends. Try to send out the plants on Monday or Tuesday.

6. Will my choices be good enough? Personally, most plants that have been around the last few years are wonderful choices. Again you might get a wish list with the name that is sent to you. It is not necessary to follow the list hosta for hosta if you don't have those plants in your garden just to send other hostas that you think they might like. Throwing in a "surpise" is cute idea if you want to.

7. Worried about HVX? If you are really concerned about the virus then don't do the swap. All forum members would not intentally send out unhealthy plants.

Hope this helps and is the deceiding factor that makes you take the chance of joining the secret swap group. I am!

Connie