Hi Jleek! You don't have to be part of the swap to come & chat with us! Great to meet new people here!

ggsnail--I thought I was the only one who sneaks off to nurserys every break and chance I get!lol.

gardeningnutinva--We are in the same boat! My 6 year just started t-ball this spring! xr4ergfggggggggggggggggjk,..kytt
(oh, that is what my 2 year old had to say whenever I left my keyboard open for an attack)----Talk to you later!

Checking in also - I'm here - it is so nice to have something to look forward to - I enjoy reading what everyone has received so far. Sounds like there is some good stuff going around. I have just bought a few things to plant and it has been too cold to do it so I'm working on finishing up some projects inside. Tonight it may frost -- but by the weekend it is supposed to be warm again. I love to look at all the plants for sale too. Thanks to Dusty for the plant mailing instructions. The plants I mail from my garden will follow your instructions. That was really helpful!

Susan >^..^

Hi guys put my package in mail today. Like Christmas when
you go to mailbox...and get package...My grandson is starting T ball this year...You guys are young...

Oh I remember T-ball!(long time ago) We're not all that young! :)

~Dusty~

My kids are doing Karate, music, dance and gymnastics. I think that I need to slow down, the years are speeding up on me! lol

Dh and I have decided what we should send to our new Hotiholic-Anonymous young married male pal! Its an avacadoe that our family ate for dinner one night- now 2 years later it has a few leaves on it! There may be other things in the package too, but we may not want to spoil him so soon, when we have an entire year to keep the current of trades alive here.

Cheers- you are all great-
Mr And Mrs Lilyroseviolet ( The Folks :)

Just checking in. The weatherman predicted frost tonight - again - , spring never arrives in MN, yuck!! For the next few days no digging in the dirt.
Claudia

I just wanted to say that the other day I had to turn some more of the lawn into another flower bed today (yeah who needs a lawn anyway!) and all neighborhood Robins have been having a real feast on all the worms that were expossed before I could finsh preparing the bed and today I noticed that all the robins in my yard are very, very round! :)
LOL get it round robin! Hahaha! :)

Now thats' my type of humor! I got a good chuckle out of that one...thank you!

LOL Good one Paula!

My secret pal was very good to me! Went to the PO on my way to the shop and what was waiting for me? A nice box from my secret pal! I couldn't wait to get to the shop to see what was inside! Good thing the shop is close to home! lol
Inside the box was the cutest Toad house! I just love it! I collect these and it will look great in the gardens! Hope the toads like it too! I'm sure they will! I also rec'd a beautiful Plant Marker with roses on it.. It's so pretty! I put it in with the very large Bougavillia(sp?)I bought myself for my anniversary last week! lol Looks great in there! She also sent me some Hens & Chicks which I am in desperate need of! And a pretty succulant for the house! I love succulants and have never seen this type before. She even enclosed a note apologizing for not being able to come paint! lol Love it! Thank you secret pal for a great box! I will have to post a pic of the murals when they are finished. In your next box, please tell me what type of painting you do, both in your free time and at work. I wish I was talented enough to paint.. stick figures is about it for me.
Thank you again secret pal. I absolutely love everything! Now I am off to pot up the succulant and paint a second coat in one of the rooms ready for one.. maybe the smaller of the 2! lol I am a terrible painter!
Hope you all have a wonderful day!!

~Dusty~

That's great, Dusty!

wow that sounds like an excellent box! can't wait till I get mine from my secret pal!!

Mr. and Mrs. Lilyroseviolet:
Are you sure you want to get rid of that avacadoe?

Dusty:
You got a great box today!!! Your gardens sounds very lovely!

I got to play in the dirt today!!! It was 68 degrees again......finally!

Sent out 21 boxes in trades as well...whew! Why didn't anyone tell me how much work goes into these things? LoL
It's all worth it, but the cold weather sure did put me in a pickle for a couple of weeks! Finally caught up...ain't that right Ms. Dawn (who had been waiting since stone age to get her plants from me).

Ok, have to scoot now, just wanted to add my 2% worth tonight. As some know, I don't know when to shut up.....

Blessings to all....and go PLAY IN THE DIRT PEOPLE!!!!

Tina

21 BOXES!!!!! WHOA. What if all your stuff shows up at the same time! Imagine trying to plant all that stuff in a day! Actually, that would be my dream day! lol. Hope that got you caught up!

I don't think I've ever seen a toad house! That sounds sooo cute!

Well I haven't sent my package yet because I am collecting stuff for my person. I am sure it will be well worth the wait! I haven't got my package yet but I have gotten five or six from my favorite mail order nursery. I bought myself the nicest birdhouse for my birthday. I love it when parents send you cash!

Hello, everyone!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I received my secret pal package today!! Thank you so much secret pal!! I got a beautiful (What my husband would call a do-nothin!!) knick knack. It is like a snow globe except with glitter and it is flowers inside and it also is set on a base that is like a garden fence covered with flowers. So Pretty!!! I also got a cute windsock with a hummingbird on it! I love hummingbirds! and two plants ties that are frogs and their arms and legs wrap around and hold the plant! Thank you secret pal! I would write more but I have to go find a place for my new do-nothin!!!

Carly

Good Afternoon all!

I must start out by saying, if my secret partner was here, I would sqeeze them very tight! HUGE (((HUG'S)))

I received such a beautiful box today!!!!
In it was............

a purple iris,
orange mint,
grape hyacinth,
chocolate mint,
apple mint,
a box of Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Tea Spice (caffeine free!!!!!) with 2!! Toll House Candy Bars (yum!!)
and eating one right now!!! :-)
an Aqua Cool reusable Body Cooler!!!
A magnetic Note Box (very, very pretty!!!)
Dr. Scholl's Pedicure Essentials cooling peppermint foot lotion (peppermint and alpha hydroxy) WOW!!!

and last, but not least, a very beautiful card with a beautiful hand written note in it, from a very sweet and wonderful trade partner!

Thank you so very, very much!!! I just can not believe all of the wonderful and beautiful items in this very well and nicely packaged gift box!!!! Thank you one million times!!!!
Sending you big hug's and a kiss on the cheek! muahhhh!
Bless you heart!

Overwhelmed with happiness, Tina

hey everybody! sounds like everybody is getting wonderful gifts!!

Wow!! Everyone is getting very nice packages!! As for me I am still waiting by my mailbox--guess the postal carrier I had got tired of seeing me out there everyday so now I have a new postal carrier!! Well back off to go wait by the mailbox again!! I am taking my blankey with me this time cuz I get cold at night standing out there. Ha!Ha! Talk to all of you guys later!!

Sheena

Look out Secret Pal..I sent my package out today. And hopefully without giving my pal any clues about who they are, I found out something neat today. I took my package to one of those packaging and mailing stores...I won't say which one. I told the nice man that it was a secret package and could I not use my address on it? He said that was no problem and used the store address instead! Of course, you can still see what state but not my exact address and it was in a different town from where I live!

Enjoy!

Hi all glad to see everyone getting great packages...I know
how you feel Sheena...I have been going to the mail box more
or calling my sister. My mailman takes my packages to her
house for me...She thinks I'm nuts, My brother-in-law is glad he is retired now he use to be our mailman...Glad to see someone else from my home state here to,,Welcome...
Debbie

Hi there. Just checking in. Would anyone like to hear about my eventfull weekend. Well, both of my kids have a nausea and vomitting/diarreah thing. Then I got terribly sick with it but only for a few hours (as a mom that is all the "sick time" I'm allowed)lol. Then hubby locked my keys in my truck. Thanks to security system NO key would work! We paid a small fortune for 2 guys from a locksmith to open my door. It took all of 2 seconds! Than to top it off when I tried to start it everything was shut down! It would not start or anything! Automatically I assumed it had to be a security thing and my car shut down totally thinking it was a theft attempt. All night I struggled with this and made a few phone calls (which were never returned) to try to figure out where the reset button is ( if such a thing exists)! Well, come to find out that my battery was just dead. Had we thought of this before hand I could've charged the battery, opened the car door with the remote on the other set of keys and saved about 60.00!
But, on a happier note me and hubby went out and bought 4 huge Thujas to block out the view of my jerky nieghbors junk heap! Hope he likes that! lol. Can't wait to get them planted. For those who don't know the story--my nieghbor has a garage next door to me where he parks his big rig. I just fixed up my backyard so nice and my hubby put in some steps---it was looking awesome! Over comes mr. nieghbor with a chainsaw and hacks out all the weeds/trees/shrubs on his property. Now there is a clearing straight into the pile of garbage he has collected there! Very ugly! He said he plans on planting some shrubs there! Yeah sure buddy! You might want to clean up the garbage first! I feel that he saw me fixing it up and getting rid of the weeds and had to butt his nose into it. Afterall the stuff he all of a sudden cut down had been there for years!Well, at least our property line will look nice when we are done. Now all I need is a bunch of creeping Phlox to fill in the hillside.
Happy moms day!
Hope you all enjoyed reading my novel! lol.

happy mothers day everybody!! debbie i hope you get your package from your secret pal soon! dawn sounds like you had a terrible weekend! mine was ok but today could've been better. me and my brother went to my grandpa's house and he lives with his wife (not our grandmother because she died in '98 and he remarried about 2 or 3 years ago to somebody nobody likes) but whenever we (me and my brother) go there to spend the weekend or something she always accuses us of going in her stuff or stealing her stuff or something...today she accused my brother of going through her filing cabinet and she accused me of going through the boxes with her stuff in them that are in my room!! I don't want that woman's stuff and me and my brother were bought up to not steal and to respect others privacy! sorry about my ranting and raving just had to get this off my chest. hope everybody had a great mothers day!

Hi everyone,
I got an AWESOME package from my secret pal on Friday!!!! First off it had a great card- the kind you "Drool" over. LOL!! A great smelling candle,palm tree motif candle holder,garden gloves, 3 different cannas, Healing Gardens bath soak and an assortment of mini candybars and goodies mmmm!! Everything was wrapped in bright tissue paper and had bows too! Put a smile on my face :0)
Thanks Buddy you are a great gift giver and I like your sense of humor too. Hope I didn't forget anything!
This was such a great idea Dawn. I love making new friends and hearing what all you other "plantaholics" recieved.
Oh by the way everyone.....
I quit my job at the local hospital as a nurse and started Full-Time at a new Garden Center/Greenhouse a few weeks ago.The pay isn't compariable but I LOVE MY JOB!!!!! And oh the possibilities.......
TTFN,
Lisa/wishnforspring

hello all,
Mr lilyroseviolet dug out a pond with the tractor today. I have been wanting a pond for a little while now for my children, ducks and geese. 15x15 feet. We hit solid ledge about 2 1/2 feet down, so the pond is shallow. lol

I have not yet recieved anything from my secret pal, yet. The month of May has only just started and there is still much time left. Besides we havent even sent out our package yet, still working on getting it all packaged and ready.

We havent forgotten you o' buddy o' pal !

luvstogarden, I understand how you feel about the intrusion of another women sharing with someone(grandfather) you love. I guess you just have to be happy that he is happy(?!) and resolve that it will never be as before.

Lilyrose,
You will love your pond! Whatever you do, make sure you put in a bio-filter! I learned that the hard way! I don't let the ducks and geese play in my pond. They're too messy and even the bio-filter I'm afraid wouldn't keep up with them. I am actually in the process of draining my pond. Going to have to store the fish in the lil kids swimming pool and every other water container I can find! lol Had to rescue about 6 of them last night from the west shelf! They wern't too happy about that! When you get it finished, let me know, I have a Hardy Water Lily I can send you for your pond.

Luvs2,
When my Gramma was alive she was always going through peoples things.. a nosey old bitty she was! And she was the first to accuse everyone else of going through her stuff! Granted noone ever did, it was just her guilt/paranoia.. what comes around goes around. Don't let it get to you. as long as you know your truth... that's all that matters. I'm sure Grandpa knows you're not sifting through her things.
M,
Don't neighbors just make you scratch your head and say hmmmm? I'm glad my neighbors are not close enough to me for all that! You're smart to do a living fence!

Well I need to get some work done.. hope you all have a great day!

~Dusty~

WOWIE!!! I received my May giftbox today!!! I almost needed the paper toweling used for cushioning the contents to wipe my tears of joyfulness. I am one lucky gardener! My secret pal sent all kinds of gardening goodies. I love each and every one! Thank you so very much SP! You were way more than generous. I'm very grateful! Here's what my palie sent: a wonderful book : ) , Container Gardening Through the Year, by Malcolm Hillier, 2 fairy plant stakes, which will go into the fairy garden I am making, some Osmocote, garden twine, some rooting hormone, Jiffy peat pellets, several special packets of seeds, some plant markers, and 2 plant pot buddies, a turtle and frog!!! : ) I had soooooooooooo much fun opening this box!!!! hehehe I can't wait until June!!!!!!! ; ) hehehe And...............the frosting on the hortiholic goodies is always the love and sharing expressed in a special note. I sure feel special today!!!! : )
Thank you again, secret pal. Your gifts and sharing are greatly appreciated!!!! : ) God's blessings! Treasa

Wow, Lisa and Treasa (hey that rhymes!),

Y'all got some really neat stuff!

I'm glad that everyone posts here and lets us know what they got. It gives me ideas for future months.

Still waitin' but I'm cool.

ggsnail
Gail

Yippee! I got my box yesterday.

My secret pal is an artist. On the envelope of this cool Secret Pal card (where in the world did you find that?) she drew a neat snail.

I received a rooster kitchen towel (my kids roll their eyes at my rooster collecting), a pretty Welcome plant stake, some pretty garden gloves, a chartreuse green variegated hosta (thank you, thank you; I've really gotten into that color and variegated foliage this year) and a Cypress Euphorbia. I went online to find out where to plant the euphorbia and I feel a new addiction coming on. Don't know whether to thank you for that one, Secret Pal. LOL

My secret pal ROCKS!

ggsnail

wow seems like everybody is getting terrific things!! dusty she isn't my grandmother...granny...God bless her soul...died in '98 :-(. the psycotic woman my grandpa is married to now is T Totally crazy!! lol. I haven't been having very much luck with growing things from seeds today...I have those little jiffy pots and they don't seem to be doing any good so I got me some regular plastic clear drinking cups from walmart yesterday and will try those...I was gonna get out and try them today but it looks like it may rain :-(

Luvs,
Have you ever tried empty yogurt containers? Use the kind with clear lids :). I have had great luck starting seeds this way. Put them on a sunny windowsill and they sprout quick! Hope this helps.
Wishnforspring/Lisa

I received a cute card from my secret pal today. Thank you.

Hello. Well, I feel refreshed as I took a couple days to mentally recooperate lol.

Sparrownest~ I spoke with your pal. Your pal said that the card was mailed seperately from your gift because they forgot to put it in the box! lol. So, if you didn't get the other box yet---it should definately arrive soon. Let me know when it does, ok.

You guys are sending awesome stuff! How nice it is that everyone is happy with their pals and no problems have arose! (knock on wood!)

Thank you everyone for making it so much fun to host this awesome group of people. You guys are the best!

The package to my pal was sent out today!

Hey everyone,

Some of you are receiving great gifts. I still have not received anything from my pal yet:( I am waiting patiently though or at least trying too!!!

Sheena

HI Sheena,
from what I hear it should be coming! Your pal is preparing your box!!!! You'll be able to move back into your house and away from the mailbox shortly! lol!

Hi Dawn

I am so glad that I can move back in. I miss being able to sleep in my bed! Standing up and sleeping is really hard! LOL!! Thanks for the update.

You guys just crack me up.....LoL
Tell your mailman/woman that all of your hortiholic friends say hi. That way, he/she will know you are the ONLY crazy one....ha!
BTW, where does one who lives at a mailbox go potty? Trade partner, send TP!!!!

Hug's, Tina

Hi HotiHolics! :)

~Dusty~

Still cold here in Maine- Coldiholics here! lol

Still no hortiholics swap box here... *peers in mailbox*... Notices cobwebs...

Fell off the wagon today; I had one month hortiholic sobriety (no buying plants for a whole month) but then the local grocery store had some houseplants on sale for .75 each and I bought a cute little thing even though I am not at all sure I have a place in my house for it with adequate light. LOL!

Trying to be patient and while I wait I have a bunch of seeds I need to start, weeds to pull (oodles), perennial beds to mulch, and seedlings I have to keep properly moist but not wet.

Gotta go pull more weeds now! Need the room they are using for my tomatoes, peppers, and basil among other things.

Grovespirit

I received a package from my Secret Pal yesteday (Saturday). It had the cutest Marjolein Bastin note cards and picture with the quote "A garden is a tiny bit of heaven here on earth" both with MB's great illustrations. Very very nice. Thank you so much Pal! I love it. I'm going to put it right here by the computer to look at. Thanks!

Susan (sparrownest)

Hi all. We finally had rain here in the NE. It had been bone dry for weeks. I was thankful not to have to water everything this morning and took advantage of the gentle rain to move a few more things around. The Sea Holly root my SP sent has sprouted and the iris' are coming along. I planted the English Daisy seeds and they too have sprouted. I think this is going to be a great garden year! Have a good day y'all. Barb

Well I got my pacakge today and it was an avacado seedling. Hum....If I didn't figure out who my partner was from being a married male I sure know now...he he! An avacado.....I am sure that I will be the only one growing one of those in Wisconsin! My wife told me that it needs to grow up so we can make guacamole! I am sure she is going to have to wait because it is only a foot tall. I also recieved a bunch of herb seeds. I never buy dill but have always wanted to grow it because I love the smell and now I have the seeds. I also found a pillow stuffed with pine needles or rosemary or somthing that smells really good. I don't know what it is for exactly but I think it will make my socks smell good if I put it in my sock drawer! LOL I also see some copper tags in my box. Did I mention that I LOVE copper! I have been looking to by a shut off valve for my sprinkler hose so I can just shut it off at the hose and not at the house. Thank you gardening buddy ........who ever you may be! I will have a lot of fun watching your avacado grow!

Hi all! My Husband is in the hospital and has been there for 7 days now! :( I have been gone most of the week staying with him, only coming home to get the mail and keep up with the household.
So I forgot to post last week and say that I got a great "thinking of you today" package from my Secret pal! What a great mood lifter! :) I got a big, healthy and strong bunch of chocolate mint and pennyroyal plants! Wow how awesome! I looove mints! I am a huge herbal tea junkie and I can't wait to try the chocolate mint when it gets going good in my garden! :) Oh and secret pal the pennyroyal came just in time! It is sooo wonderful for planting close to roses and other plants to help deter ants!!! Where I live, you know it is spring when the ants arrive! LOL. I hear pennyroyal is good to deter flea beetles and other kinds of pesky bugs but not sure which ones. So I will have to experiement by planting it near different kinds of plants. Thank you so much for making my day and cheering me up dear secret pal! :)

P.S. Julus, That is so cool you got an avacodo tree! Those are really hard to grow from seed.
I have tried to grow one so many times! :)

I got my box today!! Mr Lilyroseviolet handed me the box.

It was very nice smelling right through the box as the flaps were being opened. Wow, handmadesoaps, opened up immediately and one placed in each bathroom and one in the kitchen...Mr Lilyroseviolet said they look like you could eat them! I reminded him that the sticker said homemade 'soap'!

I also got a lovely package of tulip cocktail napkins.
Having been a former waitress in my past life, I remembered the palm down and twist pressure motion which fans the napkin stack out geometrical pleasing to the eye.:)

And of course, the chocolate kisses...a very generous scoup of chocolate. Chocolate is a favorite choice of mine, and I was happy and Mr LRV, he was smiling,too.

I stuck the Mary Engelbrite note pad on my kitchen firedoor. Mary Englebrite is one of my top ten illustrator favorites! Thank you pal, you were really awesome to be so kind.

Cheers all- and thank you again secret Pal

That is an awesome idea to send some handmade soap. What a great idea. I may have to use that in a future box! The good thing is we have 11 more to go!!!! Now I'm always looking for neat stuff to pick up to send. Right now I have a few things in a box waiting patiently. I don't know what is funner to give or to get!

Susan

I haven't gotten anything yet :( Anyone else still waiting?

Yes plcandlez I too am still waiting. I havent received anything from my pal. I hope he or she is okay.

Sheena

Paula, I'm sorry you husband is in the hospital, I hope he will be all right. Stacy