Having both attended a spring swap and hosted one last spring, I wanted to post a few thoughts as well. Though I think that elaborate plans for day long swaps and weekend events can be a wonderful idea, I'm concerned about how overwhelming that may be to new gardeners and to those who would only want to attend a few hours of plant swapping and in turn have no place to attend. I agree with Asarum (we missed you at the spring swap), that the more elaborate and lengthy a swap is the fewer people will be able to attend. Weather becomes an issue as it did last spring. I had a rain date for the following week and then some health issues got in the way and we ended up just postsponing the swap by one day. That ended up having a few people not come because of the change and if I remember correctly it rained on the rain date as well. The eastern mass spring swap was larger than the fall swap, which may be do to just having more plants for swapping in the spring, new people coming that had no plants to swap and where looking for plants to start a new garden and where more than welcome to come, and just the fact that it was in the spring. It seems that more people are interested in spring swaps than fall swaps. I myself am unable to attend fall swaps because of business commitments that I have on the weekends, and prior to that, when my kids where in school, my weekends where full of their sport games that we attended. Many times hubby and I had to take turns going to games as both kids would be playing at the same time. I personally prefer the simple, relaxed plant swap with no formal additions added to it. Everyone brings what they have to swap, or comes without and brings a goodies for all, and we just swap plants, visit, talk and have a good time. I'm planning on hosting a spring swap again this coming spring, with the same simplicity that I had last year and I know the fall swap had as well. I've had several requests to host it again and think all had a good relaxing time, and we lucked out with no rain. To those that where at the swap last year, my back if fine, surgery was a complete success and I'm out working in my gardens putting them to bed for the winter and planning my seed stash for wintersowing this winter. Yes there will be tons of wintersown babies needing good homes again this year as well. In no means do I mean to put a damper on a more elaborate type of swap, it's just that many of us are not able to attend anything that is elaborate, costly and might even last a weekend, and would want a swap that lasts a few hours. Fran

I think I can go now! We previous plans to go to the mountains for a music thing but we got hired to play music on Sunday morning so I think we will not be going to the mountains after all. I will be a little late though. Thanks, Karen! Charlene

I've traded plumeria for cherry tomato seedlings, brugmansia for seeds, bromeliads for unrooted cuttings.. It just depends on what you want in return. I'm bringing stuff that is extra out of my garden. Stuff I've rooted cause I can't throw anything out, pot up every tiny seedling, root cuttings I find in alleys or trash piles, I can't see a plant abandoned! I drag them home & wonder why. If you showed up at my house I'd give you a shovel & help you dig pretty much anything that can be divided. Or take cuttings of it. I try & bring home less than I take & one of these days may come home with nothing. Other people only want to trade like for like, a big rooted plant for the same thing. This is a personal choice. But me, I LIKE to trade a big blooming plumeria for a tomato seedling-the newbie that I traded with was soooo happy, and now she is rooting cuttings of that same plumeria & sharing it with others. It just makes you feel good to see someone so happy that they got a plant they adore & it cost you a pittance if anything. Potting soil is still pretty afordable and you can get empty pots from everywhere-everyone I know saves them for me. Warm fuzzies are the best thing in life and nothing is warmer than a happier gardener. Relax and enjoy the swaps, don't get uptight and freak out, make trades that make you happy, think about your plants going to new homes & brightening lives. Tally HO! Oh, and come to the island. I have shovels, cutters, bug spray, empty pots, plastic bags, newspaper and a cool place to rest. No ice though, bring your own, I hate ice.

Hi...I have never been to a plant swap but absolutely love plants...will you have another one in 2007 or do you know where any other ones are...I live east of the mountains in central Virginia. Thank you for any info that you can provide. fluttterby@aol.com