Welcome Heartzlink,
here's a link before my right clicker forgets http://www.wintersown.org/. Met Trudi Davidhoff at the last Magtag tomato tasting in Baltimore and she is a very knowledgeable and supportive person. Look up trudi d for her posts. Plant/seed swaps are here and there. Please post if you hear of any. Hank

Thanks Hank, I actually found Trudi's sight before I realized GW had a winter sowing forum.... now I am so intrigued.... I am just afraid I will sow all the wrong things, lol..... it would be totally disappointing to have nothing green in these little jugs come Spring :(... it seems like the folks in my area are not so into swaps....except livestock.... we have two big swaps of livestock a year .....and they are not true swaps, but a large field full of folks selling everything that goes in a barn.....I love them... I just think it would be great if someone at an extension office or local coop would have a winter sowing instruction session or something..... have a plant swap.... maybe I am just out of the loop? lol..... I am kinda reclusive and stay pretty busy right here on the farm ... not that I do not like people, lol....it is just I never had time for 'friends' and my husband is best friend and he ,too, is most happy here so we do not get out much unless it is together ..... so I have to find out all my info here or from web research...... so you guys are my closest friends !! lol..... get ready for me to be a pest!!

Thanks for the reply... good luck in your gardening endeavors

Heartzlink,welcome. I tried wintersowing for the first time last year. Before that I barely knew how to get a plant from the store and transplant it. Since then I became obsessed and read every book, every site, every piece of advice I could get my hands on. I had spent a few years trying to amend my soil. Decided last year that it was now or never. (still on my first cup of coffee. Bear with me) The wintersowing is basically foolproof. I use milk jugs, two liters, 20oz. bottles, anything that will hold dirt. Can't believe my homeowners association didn't complain last winter.I had 1/2 of my tiny plot of land covered with jugs which probably looked like trash to them. But come spring, I had the prettiest garden in the neighborhood.

As for seeds swaps you might want to look into meetup.com. They have people from your area ( well, all area's but it goes by city) that that sign up for things that they are interested in and gardening is usually an option. I joined one here that was organized by "spencersmom" who sometimes posts here. Transportation is an issue for me so I haven't been able to go as much as I would have liked but the one I did go to was so much fun. A ton of great people.

I just got back from the Richmond area a few days ago. Henirco County.Not sure if I spelled that right. We found a beautiful house for sale with 3/4 of an acre, which is huge compared to what I have now. And I mean HUGE! We are in the process of getting it and if all goes well, we will be moving there by next year. If all doesn't go well we will be looking into the Highland Springs area. That's where my mom is and she is getting older and I would like to be close. But the economy is in such a state that moving right now is not an option. Don't want to give up hubbie's job and our health insurance til I know we have something lined up and more in our savings.

So, in closing, wintersowing is great, meetup.com to find people that enjoy gardening in your area and most importantly, spring will be here soon!

Welcome heartzlink !! I'm also a newbie on here, more or less, at first searching for answers but ultimately making some great e-friends !! WS (wintersowing) is something I'm about to dive into this year. Personally, I was inspired by this post (see link at bottom). You'll find some beautiful pics and the guy who started it, Token, is always MOST helpful as well as all the others who keep the thread going on his site.

You'll find me asking many questions JUST on that one post before I realized there WAS a WS forum (duhhhh :)

I haven't found my way to it yet, but there IS a seed swap forum on here, too. Seems simple enough.

Went to your "MY PAGE" but don't see exactly where you are. I'm in Hampton, in Buckroe Beach.

As Hank said, Trudi's site is most informative. I don't think you can go wrong with trying seeds she suggests, and if you DO sow "the wrong thing" just look at it as a "live & learn & share" experience. That's how I'm going to look at it. And that's why I enjoy Token's post because he's willing to go into detail if you ask questions.

And just look at his garden !! All that after only a year or two of experience !!! You'll be impressed (he's in NC, BTW).

Hang in there and keep us informed !!

Bonnie aka brit5467

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersowing a Cottage Garden