WANTED: Out of Town Paticipants and Volunteers Winter Blues S.S

17 years ago

Last years mail in version of the Winter Blues Seed Swap was a welcome addition to the swap for many folks- and I look forward to offering this feature again this year with help from willing and wonderful volunteers!

For those of you who frequent our Minnesota Gardening Forum, and can not attend the swap on Sunday January 21st- and still want to participate- this is for you!

You can mail your cleaned, individually packaged seeds in- and a voulenteer "buddy" will offer your seeds to be shared with those at the swap- and re-fill your envelope with your wants as listed in a note you have provided- (if they are there to be had)- and sent back to you in the same envelope with the additional postage you included with your seeds.

There are sure to be some surprises in your returned envelope- as there is no way to tell what will arrive to be shared!

If you are interested in the mail in version- or in volunteering to "adopt" an out of towner at the swap- please post below- or e-mail me through my page here at GW-

Julie

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (15)

zenpotter
17 years ago
Julie, I will be happy to adopt someone. It was fun last year.

Pauline
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
Oh- thanks Pauline! You are sure to make someone very happy!!
Related Discussions
Wanted: Out of Town - MN GW Winter Blues Seed Swap- Participants
Q
Comments (70)
Well- I do believe the out of town seed swap by mail- has been accomplished without a hitch- thanks to the many suggestions and voulenteers to help- and the special folks who buddied up to hand pick and select precious seeds for those trusting enough to participate on this maiden voyage- My thanks to Mary Jo- SandiBluffs buddie, Mary- Dave's sender's buddie, Suzy- Marie's buddie (Rick helped too...), Pauline- Dott's Buddie, Rick- Jan AND Kate's buddie, Cheri too had a sender she buddied up for. I do believe with all the care involved with hand selecting the receivers will have a very pleasant surprise coming to them!! I do think that this is an easily do-able, much appreciated addition to the Winter Blues Seed Swap- I think that whom-ever hosts next years seed swap could easily be the person who the envelopes are sent to- and the one who could easily enlist help to buddie up with someone- I will gladly forward the letter I sent out to those who sent seeds in- (it lists instructions that help make the buddies job easier) to the host of the next MN WBSS, or- I can do again next year what I did this year. I feel it is too valuable of a service to not continue. I am sure the buddies will be sending out soon- if they havn't already! It is a good idea to post here or send an e-mail when you send the envelope on- and it is polite to respond in turn when you receive the envelope- That way, neither is left wondering about the package. Thank you senders- for the wonderful seeds you sent- Thank you Buddies for picking out the very best for your buddies! And Thank you Cheri for having us all- once again for the MN GW SS! Thanks to all who participated! Julie
...See More
Winter Squash and Pumpkins
Q
Comments (42)
George, I bet you're right, but I hate going out on a limb like that. Merton, I thought maybe I could find a comparison of the cucurbita seeds that would help you, so I checked my copy of Suzanne Ashworth's book SEED TO SEED: SEED SAVING AND GROWING TECHNIQUES FOR VEGETABLE GARDENERS and here is how she describes them: Cucurbita maxima: Thick seeds that are white or tan or brown with cream colored margins and thin cellophane coatings. (As George pointed out, your Lakota is a maxima so should fit this description.) C. moschata seeds are small, oblong and beige with a dark beige margin. (Your butternut is a moschata so one of your two solid tan types of seed ought to match this description.) C. pepo seeds are cream-colored and each has a white margin. Your acorn squash is a pepo so its seed should match this description. The problem is that your spaghetti squash is a pepo also, so its' seeds ought to match this description too. C. agyrosperma (formerly mixta) seeds would be the easiest to identify because they usually have small cracks in them. (They are described as white or tan with a pale margin and cracks in the skin coat on the flat sides of the skins which are covered with a thin cellophane covering.) None of the squash in your packet are agyrosperma types though. If you have specific variety names for your spaghetti, butternut, acorn and Lakota squashes, you probably could google and find descriptions of each squash, including the approximate size of the mature squash and that size might help you figure out which of your pepo seeds is which. Or, you might e-mail the seed company and see if they can tell you, by description only, which seed is which variety. Dawn
...See More
zone 4 to zone 8; or it's them winter blues again
Q
Comments (27)
Welcome to San Antonio. It's not always this hot. I've been to Minneapolis in January and can say I'd rather live here even with the summer heat. Find things to do inside for a few months and then spend the next eight months outside. You will get lots of help here on this site, so don't hesitate to ask. Our weather in San Antonio isn't as tropical as it seems in the summer, we can get hard freezes in the winter so you have to choose plants that can handle both heat and cold or move your plants around accordingly. The big difference is that the next day it will warm up again. A GW San Antonio plant exchange is planned for Oct. 10 and we would love to see you there. Look for more info as it gets closer. Also on October 17 is the Herb Market and plant sale at Aggie Park. Master Gardeners are there to answer questions. When you get a chance check out Rainbow Gardens for excellent advice on plants that work here. I tried to post the link below in the URL box so you could just open it, but GW rejected it. It's a list of garden events you might enjoy in San Antonio. http://gardeningvolunteers.org/phpweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_printable&PAGE_id=10&lay_quiet=1
...See More
Volunteer plants
Q
Comments (19)
Generally I do not let tomato volunteers stay. I don't have the space to waste on a variety that might not be a good one. I have a real specific list of what I want to grow and 'unknown' varieties aren't on my list. With other veggie varieties, it depends on what they are. Sometimes I let squash plants stay since the SVBs eventually will get them. The volunteers that most interest me are herbs and flowers. I've always got room to pack in a few more herbs and flowers in an out-of-the-way corner here or there. With zinnia volunteers I sometimes get interesting color changes or petals that roll or cup or double flower heads where it looks like one zinnia is wearing a smaller zinnia as a hat. It is an interesting look. I get the same thing with occasional potatoes sprouting here and there, and a couple of times they have popped up in places where I haven't grown potatoes in three years. They're almost never where I can let them stay. I don't know why your basil isn't volunteering, but have a guess or two. One guess is that maybe you're growing a cutting-raised sterile variety like "African Blue" that does not produce viable seed. It seems highly unlikely to me that you are having a lack of pollinators, but that could be another possibility. Perhaps pollinators are in short supply when your basil is flowering. Or, you're deadheading the basil before the seed is mature? I have basil reseed everywhere----front garden, back garden, in raised beds, in pathways, in sandy loam, in clay soil, etc. Often, I get the volunteers around the edges of the compost pile, probably resulting from me throwing basil flowerheads that have gone to seed onto the compost pile when doing garden clean-up.
...See More
sandysgardens
17 years ago
Jul - Put me down as an adopter. Will be fun to fill an envy full of seeds and such for someone that can't make it.

Later
Sandy
maidofshade
17 years ago
Julie
I would love to participate from afar. Please check your email
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi there Sandy and Maid of Shade!
So good to see you both posted here!
Thanks Sandy for volunteering- again!
Maid of Shade- I have sent you a note as well-

Julie
joyfulsnowflake
17 years ago
Julie:

I'd like to sign up for the out-of-towner exchange. Thanks.

Ying
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi there Ying-
Welcome to the swap!
You shold have a letter in your inbox!
Julie
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
I have received Ying's envelope! The swap is surely getting close!!
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
OrDella has asked to participate from afar as well- I have sent her the info needed to participate by mail as well-
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
We have SandiBluffs returning again from last year's mail in, as well as Maide of shade and Orknish who have all sent in their envelopes for the swap- we have 4 envelopes received and room for more....
mantorvillain
17 years ago
Well phooey. It lookes like we have about 3" of new snow so far and more to come. Idon't believe I'll make the trek today but know everyone who can make it will have a grand time. Oh well, guess there's no reason not do get dome of those ignored chores done now.
Have fun everyone,
Will
Julie
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi there to my mail in friends!
The seed swap was wonder-full! We had many helpers to stuff envelopes- and many seeds to choose from- even though many folks did not come do to the snow and driving conditions.
I have envelopes for SandiBluffs who I picked for- and JoyfullSnowflake- who Selkie picked for- I do hope to get these sent home to you before the weeks end. I will drop you each an e-mail when I post them.
Lazyweeder picked for MaideofShade- and will be sending from his post office- and SandysGardens picked for Oknish who will be sending from her post office.
Much thought and hunting of folks wishes were put into each envelope- I do hope you all are pleased with what was found for you!

Julie
oknish
17 years ago
Julie, Sandy and everyone else that contributed seeds to the seed swap, I want to thank everyone for them. I was truly surprised when I opened my envlope with all of the little seed packets in there. I will truly enjoy all of your pretty blooms in Spring and this Summer.
I am going to do a few w.s. in a few weeks, when ever it warms up a little. I would be afraid to put them out there now being so cold. Have a great day - THANKS AGAIN !!! OrDella Knish
joyfulsnowflake
17 years ago
Hi, Selkie and Julie:

I got my evenlop yesterday - boy, was I thrilled to see so many little packets of seeds! I got 79 packets in all! I had a long list and almost all of them are filled! Thank you Selkie for picking and packing them. You are great! Thanks everyone who has sent in seeds. I am so looking forward to summer. I hope next winter I'd be able to contribute more varieties of seeds.

Ying
selkie_b
17 years ago
Glad you enjoyed them, Ying! I remembered you and it was a lot of fun going through everything and hunting them all down. Have fun getting them all sprouting :)

-Marie

WANTED: Out of Town Paticipants and Volunteers Winter Blues S.S

Comments (15)

zenpotter

Julie
Original Author

Related Discussions

sandysgardens

maidofshade

Julie
Original Author

joyfulsnowflake

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

mantorvillain

Julie
Original Author

oknish

joyfulsnowflake

selkie_b

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

WANTED: Out of Town Paticipants and Volunteers Winter Blues S.S

Comments (15)

JulieOriginal Author

Related Discussions

JulieOriginal Author

JulieOriginal Author

JulieOriginal Author

JulieOriginal Author

JulieOriginal Author

JulieOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author

Julie
Original Author