RSVPing for Ginny Barone 5/19. Originally RSVD 4/08. E-Mail: vl4725shisler@yahoo.com. Looking this year for 1 more plant of the Tall Purple w/ Violet Topped Bearded Iris (last year's is in bloom and beautiful right now). Bringing: Paper Plates Paper Napkins Cream Cheese & Choc. Cake Bars

So glad to see so many familiar faces and new ones too! (Glen how could we forget you with your awesome grasses???) So I've just sent an email to everyone who's RSVP'd with the plant swap information. I also sent directions to everyone who emailed me or posted to say what they'd bring to the pot luck. If you haven't recieved directions today, it means I'm waiting to hear what you are bringing for the pot luck before I send directions. You probably recieved an email requesting that info! :) Also, so far no one has RSVP'd for the Chinese swap, so if you want to participate in it, please let me know, otherwise we'll have to cancel it for this year. As far as our house situation, we are still moving. In three weeks it seems. But after looking for nearly 3 months, we were unable to find a house we liked on the east side of Rochester, so we ended up moving just a few towns over from where we are now to Hamlin, NY (MaryB, now you know why I emailed you!!). So if people don't mind the drive, (it's a bit further for the Buffalo folks, but still do-able I think and it's closer for the Rochester folks), looks like I can continue to host if you'll all have me! :) Yay!! OK, so here's the details for the swap: Following are the details regarding this year's swap, please be sure to email me back to tell me what you are bringing to the pot luck and if you'll be participating in the Chinese Swap. Details: DATE: JUNE 3, 2006 TIME: 11am WHERE: Gaines/Albion NY, my house. Directions will be emailed when I receive confirmation of what you are bringing for the pot luck. WHAT TO EXPECT: The swap will be pretty much the same as years past...we'll have prearranged swaps and the plant swap first, then a pot luck and a Chinese swap. PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP FOR THE CHINESE SWAP AS WELL AS WHAT YOU WILL BE BRINGING TO THE POTLUCK!! THE SWAP WILL CONSIST OF: PREARRANGED TRADES/GIFTS: I encourage people who are looking for specific plants, to work out prearranged trades with other attendees. Hopefully most of us have trade lists up on Garden web. This is a great way to find plants that you are looking for and/or find homes for plants that you have. I'll start a thread about what people are bringing, so that may be a good spot to post about possible trades. Also this is the time for anyone who may have brought a plant with someone specific in mind without wishing anything in return to give their plant to that person. GENERAL PLANT SWAP: The method of swapping in past years seemed to work well for the general swap so I think I will use that same plan this year. (Unless of course there are any strong objections) As people arrive, they will be given a number (I may do this consecutively or have people draw from a hat, I'm not sure yet.) Once the swap begins, the person with number one will select one plant. Then the person with number two will select a plant, then number three, and so on. Once we are all the way through, we will start over again. If you reach a point that you no longer want anything, you may opt out of the trade at that point. Any extras/leftovers will be up for grabs for anyone. OPTIONAL CHINESE SWAP: There will also be an optional Chinese swap. I will explain this again for those of you who do not know what it is. In a Chinese swap, everyone brings a wrapped gift of a set value. Every one participating draws a number out of a hat. Once all the numbers are drawn, number one picks and unwraps a gift. Number two can then either pick a new gift or take number one's gift. If #2 chooses #1's gift, number one gets to pick a new wrapped gift from the table. Next, number three can pick a wrapped gift from the table or #1 or #2's gift, if #3 takes one of the unwrapped gifts, then whoever she took it from takes another wrapped gift and opens it. This continues until the last person goes...who either picks anyone of the unwrapped gifts or the last remaining wrapped gift. The basic rule is if someone takes your gift, you can only pick from the wrapped gifts, not from the other unwrapped gifts. I know this sounds confusing, but it is a lot of fun, and very funny!!! If you would like to participate in this, please bring with you a wrapped garden-related gift with a value of $10-$15. (Again, if people think the price limitation is off, please let me know). If you are still confused, let me know, and I will try to explain it better. Also, when you RSVP, let me know if you are going to participate in this so I can be sure we will have enough people for it. POTLUCK: There will also be a potluck meal at the swap. I am asking everyone to bring one dish to pass. If you do not like to cook, there are many acceptable alternatives (i.e. soda, chips/dip, plates/napkins, etc.), please feel free to ask me for suggestions if you can not decide what to bring or can't think of anything. Please also include what you will bring to the potluck with your RSVP , so that I can be sure that we have all areas accounted for and not 20 pasta salads but no drinks or anything else! Here's what people have signed up to bring thus far: Gottagarden - Dessert Hammerl - Dessert virgiebaby165 - Pasta Salad and Dessert Penny - Veggie Platter Lucy925 - Mac Salad Glen - Plates/cups/napkins MagicMan2u - Potato Salad Me (garden_frog) - Hot dogs/hamburgers TIME TO GET TO KNOW OTHER GARDENERS IN THE AREA: The best part of the swap is that it gives us all a chance to get to know other garden "nuts" in the area. There will be plenty of time for people to chat and visit. RSVP: If you are planning on attending the swap, you must let me know as I will not be posting directions to my home over the internet. If you have received this via email, you are on my list. However, if you are reading this on Garden Web, and have not received an email from me, you are not on the list. Please contact me so I can ensure you are not left out!!! IMPORTANT: For those of you I do have on the list...please be sure to email me about what you are bringing to the pot luck and let me know if you wish to participate in the Chinese swap (both of which are explained previously). MORE DETAILS AND MISC. INFORMATION: What to bring to the swap: Please feel free to bring any plants you would like, of any size. Trees and shrubs are also acceptable. Other garden related items are also welcome including garden tools, books, seeds, bird feeders, etc. How to package your plants: I ask that all plants come in a LABELED container of some kind. It does not have to be a pot, but it should be something that contains the plant and will allow the plant to stay healthy despite exposure to sun. Bareroot plants will not survive the day in the sun at my house! Also, please be sure to label your plants with AS MUCH information as possible. Some things to list: Common name, scientific name, sun/shade exposure, color, care instructions, your name or email (so that people can contact you with questions), etc. Please be sure that your plants are watered before they get here! What else should I bring? I ask that every person attending bring (and wear) their own name tag listing BOTH their gardenweb name and what they would like to be called by. I'll have plenty of blanks on hand for anyone who needs them. If you can, please bring a folding chair or lawn chair of some sort...I have some, but I'm sure I don't have enough! Anyone with extra folding tables, please bring them along. I have a few, but I am sure I don't have enough. Also, it's a good idea to bring boxes or plastic sheets of some sort to transport you plants home in! Parking: When you arrive, feel free to come down the driveway and unload your plants. Once you have unloaded your plants, please drive back down the driveway and down the street to the grass driveway on our side yard. I will have flags or cones or something else marking the spot so you will know where to go. Please do not drive across the lawn from the driveway to the parking area on our side yard as there is a low spot where the cars sink in. If you are unsure where to park or how to get there, just ask me when you arrive. Just an FYI: We're in the process of moving so excuse the mess and general disorder! And, just to let you all know, I have three dogs. They are extremely friendly dogs, but they do love to greet new visitors. If you are very afraid of or allergic to dogs, please let me know in advance so that I can anticipate your needs. Tara

Hello again everyone! Soooooo sorry that it has taken so long to post and send my swap! My computer monitor died, the washing machine broke, and the expensive and hard to replace tension spring on my garage door broke as well! Not to mention 2 of my best friends in life just both split from thier husbands due to very sad and unfortunate reasons. And then received word that another dear friend has stage 3 bone cancer and is suddenly taking very serious radiation! Oh..... and sadly my 18 year old son who we have been having problems with has been living on his own for a few months and now has went from 2 jobs to none, he's down to 113 pounds, took up smoking among other things, is being evicted, stuck me with a car to pay for since it is in my name and has not been making payments for 2 months unannounced to me, and now it has been brought to my attention he married the girl he's been living with who coincidently enables him to be just how he is being. And I was not supposed to know about the marriage. Life has been very trying lately! So if any of you have the time and think of it please drop a prayer to the Good Lord on my behalf. Kay -aka- kbugs405- sent me a great box with quite a few different iris I have been wanting but I don't have the list with me as I am not at all organized with everything going on. But I assure you it was a wonderful box of iris and I loved them so much! Thank you so much Kay! I sent out Sherry's -msbernard's- box on Friday the 15th. The confirmation number is 0307 1790 0004 7471 2259 . Sorry it was sent right on the last day but, well, life has been hectic for me to say the least. It is on the way and I do apologize dearly for my lateness! God bless!

Hi Tom! I see you have a page and a wish list started. Good job. Now if I sound bossy or start to sound like an IRS agent spitting out rules--that's not what I'm trying to do. Can you do a couple things? 1. Set up your messaging. When you click on our usernames (such as canyonwind (9) above, it will take you to her page. In the top right corner is a rectangle marked "Message". You can email her directly, ask her a question, propose a seed trade, give the other person your address to send you seeds--and it's not on the public thread with the weirdos and stalkers. As long as you're setting things up go to your username and add a number behind your name. Once again using canyonwind (9) as an example. That means she lives in USDA hardiness zone 9. I live in zone 4/5. That makes it easier for us to know if the seeds we have will do well in your area. The larger the number the warmer the climate. You can google your USDA hardiness zone. Now that you know your zone...you can work on your wishlist. If you are in zone 4/5 like myself you will know that anything tropical dies in the fall. If I want tropical seeds I know I'll have to grow it indoors or plant it as an annual. What kind of Want List? There's no right or wrong. Why make a Wish List? Because it gives the rest of us information. If you have 3 kinds of marigolds on your list we might offer you another variety. If you have annuals on your list we might offer you some of those. Also include what you DON'T want. Example: No prairie grasses or daylilies, please. Now...FOTESS is a group. It stands for Friends of the Earth Simple Swaps. We swap just about every month. If you are back here at this place find 2018 January Fotess thread. Usually next month's post will be put up the end of the earlier month. We love new people...but as with everything there's a process. You can post on the thread that you're interested in this month's swap or you can click on sandlapper or sjc's username and email them through Houzz. We just don't want someone who says they will swap, but doesn't follow through so we make sure there's a back up plan so nobody's left out. Just like second grade--everybody wins. Keep asking questions! Heidi