THANK YOU TO EVERYONE! This year we had 112 people sign in and...well... way to many plants to count! :-) Also a GIANT thank you for helping us go green. We really appreciate it. We saw many "newbies" and many "old" friends a combination that made a highly successful swap with less then 10, yes 10 left over plants! We sincerely hope all of you had as good of time as we did. If there are any suggestions for improvements or constructive criticism please let us know either by PM or here. Thank you again to Beverly Nelson Comer and Mimi Ninde the two ladies who started it all and then graciously passed the "shovel" to us.

Hi folks! Granny!!!!! Of course you count!!!!! I'll take pictures of the Mail Pouch "barn" and other stuff so Lee can show you on his computer. Beverly hasn't even seen them yet! I broke my little finger and am waiting to see the hand specialist to be sure I didn't damage any tendons or ligaments. I hope not. This nine fingered typing is for the birds! I keep trying to use the splinted finger and typing really weird stuff! I also pulled the muscles of my chest badly enough that they thought that I might have a broken rib. Sheesh! I'm still going to find a way to pot up those last few plants! There is NO WAY I'll let if spoil my once in a lifetime trip with the boys. We're going snorkeling, para sailing, catamaran sailing, swimming with the dolphins and even some time for just laying on the beach! No heavy lifting for me until after the cruise! I'm overwhelmed with all the stuff I need to do in the next two weeks so I'd better go make another list and start checking things off! Barbi, was that you who wanted the baby arborvitae? I'll save them for you. I did dig up the campion that seeded itself in my stone path before I hurt myself. (*again*) They are a nice biennial. Mine are white but Beverly has some rose ones so who knows what color the seeds the bees made! I have Solomon's seal that needs dividing and some salvia that seeded into my stone path too. The candy tuft jumped the path but it might have to wait 'til fall. I can't wait to see Betty and Ron all the way from Michigan. I keep killing my forget-me-nots! Wonder what I'm doing to them? I hope everyone is doing well and my penchant for injuring myself is not "catching"! ~~Mimi

What a wonderful afternoon! We had a very nice turnout -- 14 people and over 200 plants, everything from orchids and peonies to coneflowers and ajuga -- and some plants I'd never seen before! I picked up some lovely things; Attar of Roses peony, brunnera, purple daylilies and a boatload of lambs ear that I really needed! Plus a lovely thistle feeder that will be perfect for luring the finches to my bedroom window. We had some great door prizes -- and plenty of peonies for all! The food was great -- as always. The sausage/rotini casserole, the broccoli salad and the orange cake were special standouts. But it was all good! And as always, the people were wonderful. Some folks I know well, like Jeanne and Mary, and some I've met before, like Jenny and Sarah. Some folks were new to the fall swap, like Elizabeth and Deb. And some people I haven't met before, like Sessa, Denise, Linda and Judy! I know I'm forgetting people, but I won't forget what a great time we had. A lbunch of us lingered around the firepit long after the official 'swapping' was over, swapping stories. As always, a huge thanks to Terri D -- one of the most gracious hostesses I know!

I sure hope I can come next year. I tore a rotator cup in my shoulder and could not dig all the daylilies I wanted to dig/divide to bring. I emailed someone in the group who said they were starting a daylily collection, a nice young lady named Kim, (I also emailed Granny but did not hear back from her - the email probably did not get through) and Kim came to my house and dug for hours with 2 friends the Saturday before the swap. I know she brought a lot of divisions to the swap since I could not bring them myself. They dug a HUGE clump of BUTTERED POPCORN. I am not sure if you got some of mine, or some of Trish's but if it was some of mine, I am SO happy to hear some of it will be enjoyed by some children. This is what gardening is all about. My elderly Mom who lives with me thought I was NUTS to have invited someone I have never met to come to my house to dig plants for a swap of people I had never met. But, I had a wonderful time, and I think Kim, Winnie, and Antonio did too. I was able to give away some really wonderful daylilies, and make some new friends, and some people at the swap will have some really cool daylilies from someone they never knew! Daylilies like BEYOND THUNDERDOME, SWALLOWTAIL KITE, and ALL AMERICAN CHIEF may never make it to the Walmarts but boy they are nice ones to grow. They also dug quite a few hosta and things that were struggling in the sun because the trees that used to shade them were destroyed by last year's ice storm. I'll be there in the spring!!!!! Jules in Licking County