OMG!!! Could it be? June 5th, folks are saying? There's a chance that I may get to a CT Spring Swap after all? C.mon, all together now, pretend you're spring peepers: June 5th, June 5th, June 5th, June 5th, June 5th.....

Seriously, Carl...how could we have a SWAP without you? So how many pots of NE asters do you want? (picture a very full grin here, hahahahahahaha)

So - a few of you that know that I actually have peppermint as a garden GROUNDCOVER may laugh at this request, but if anyone could supply me with some spearmint I would appreciate it.

Deb, I also use mint as a groundcover. I use lots of 'spreaders' as groundcovers especially under shrubs. OKI have a list of plants I can bring to the swap.

agastache 'blue fortune'

campanula 'octopus'

campanula punctate 'cherry bells'

campanula latifolia/ adenophora lilifolia

carex muskingumensis (palm sedge-short shade grass)

chocolate eupatorium

euphorbia robbiae (wood spurge)

geranium 'confetti'

geranium x magnificum

helianthus (a small sunflower)

iris tectorum (Jap. roof iris)

lysimachia ciliata atropurpurea

rooted red raspberries

salvia pratensis 'indigo'

stachys hummelo

stachys 'Helen von stein'

variegated ribbon grass

and for those large spaces to fill - petasites japonica

Wish List- Shasta daisy 'becky'

aster 'raydon's favorite'

Japanese anemone

dicentra luxuriant

shade plants

Oh Hedy - this was not a choice and it is in what will eventually be a kitchen garden. But it sure does smell nice to walk around on while contemplating the eradication of the same!

It wasn't a choice for me either but since nothing else is growing there, it's nice and green.

Can I come? I'm in Mass. :)

Well of course you can! And be welcomed with opened arms and enforced plant acceptance! : )

Good grief, Hedy! Your list is amazing, as always. . . Maybe I've missed something here, but have we all agreed yet on a date? Or a location? At this point, perhaps we should just let Marty and Deb tussle over who gets the "honor" of hosting. . .and, puh-leeze, can we say June 5th? It is so miserably cold and wet here right now, that the thought of lifting/dividing plants is the LAST thing I feel like doing! Don't know how you're faring up there, but although the Spring bloom is slowly advancing, all the bloom periods are out-of-synch with prior seasons. . .and the persistently NON-May type of weather discourages any impetus to go out to enjoy the show. And forget about "early" vegetable planting!

Carl

It is June 5th at Deb's. The only veggies I've planted are leafy greens. Hopefully, it'll be warm enough next week to plant some of the others.

My gardens are so full I need to thin them. So I need everyone's help to take my babies.

Hedy

True, Carl... this is not May weather. No May baskets this year!

I know I should take a walk around the yard and see what I can swap, but it truly feels like March today, and I don't feel like pulling anything out of the ground. Probably "they" like staying all snuggled and crowded where they are, too.

Marty, I can bring a couple of the native woodland orchids for the garden you're working on. They're coming up now and are interesting but not terribly showy.

Hi everyone! Have not been around for a LONG time! For some reason signed in today, saw this thread, and panicked that I missed the swap! Glad to see I haven't!

Sadly, I'm ripping out a lot of my gardens. Too many jobs, too little time, my neighbors must hate me for the way my yard looks. So, downsizing the perennials I haven't killed off with neglect, and transitioning to some shrubs for easy(er) maintenance. Will get my gardening buzz in my customer's gardens. They're so much nicer anyway - after all, they pay someone to look after them! ;)

I honestly have only walked around my yard once - ONCE - this year so far, mostly to check out my garlic I can see from my office window. Didn't start a single seed this year. Geez, what is going on with me?? Maybe coming to the swap will jolt my gardening genes into gear!

Can't wait to see everyone!
:)
Dee

Hi everyone -- been crazy busy (and no end in sight) but checking in, looks as if this is still a go? (I may be late -- that turns out to be the final day of my husband's Yale reunion weekend...) Hedy, I assume the woodland orchids would be for the Botany Trail at the land trust that our garden club maintains? (I don't think we have any out there, so we would love them! I don't suppose you have any trailing arbutus --
Epigaea repens L.
-- you want to get rid of?? ;) I am still recovering from my garden club's big plant sale so don't know yet what I have from my own garden but will try to post soon (it says here ;( Also looking (for a small demonstration monarch waystation at the town library) for any nepeta, particularly a low one called "Blue Wonder" I read about, but any would do for them. I love how all the plants I'm looking for are for public spaces... go figure!

I just posted the info for the swap. I can't wait to see everyone! Not much arranging of swap ahead of time this time, but that may be a good thing! I have been trying to get stuff into the ground, but mostly I have been clearing and moving stuff. So please turn a blind eye to my work-in progress. Two steps forward, one step back! <3 : D

Marty, 'blue wonder' is lovely. I had it at another house. It was deep blue and always stayed in a 10" tall clump. I grow 'six hills giant' here. It's taller so it hangs over and gets very bushy.

It seems that no one wants any of the plants I can bring. Digging and potting up take a lot if time. I can also bring eupatorium coelestinum (hardy ageratum) deep blue, fall blooming and ligularia britt marie crawford if anyone is interested.

Does anyone have corydalis that they can share? I pulled up what looked like grass until I realized they were corydalis seedlings.

Hedy - I don't think that no one wants your plants, I just think that we all want to wait until the swap. It all looked pretty nice to me.

Does anyone have any strawberry babies?

There were some things I've asked for before but would love more of... but felt greedy asking for more of :) (I'm thinking stachys hummelo and the iris tectorum, which for some reason -- the iris -- I can't seem to keep going). But if you're looking for homes for them, put me down ;) While I'm at it, maybe a geranium x magnificum? And I would take some of the agastache for the town library monarch garden. Meanwhile, I tried finding the nepeta 'Blue Wonder' for sale somewhere... only a nursery in northern Vermont that doesn't ship!! But it sounds perfect so if anyone sees it for sale IN Connecticut somewhere -- please let me know! (I have 'six hills giant' myself and it gets too big for this spot... so the smaller stature 'Blue Wonder' just fits the bill.)

Deb -- what kind of strawberries are you looking for? Regular ever-bearing or alpine? I have gazillions of the latter but my ever-bearing haven't begun their annual throwing-of-the-runners routine, so I don't have any extras yet but undoubtedly will.

It's not that I feel upset about people not wanting my plants but rather if I know what people want I can bring multiples.

Okay... regarding plants I can pot up if anyone wants them...

Japanese Anemone, a fall-blooming tall plant with pink flowers and yellow centers (Hedy?)

Filipendula rubra, which keeps on spreading for me

Sedum 'Angelina'

Sedum 'Silver Stone' (I think)

And Hedy, while I don't want to take home any plants for myself, I will happily take any "leftovers" that would work well in town gardens near the beach; in fact, right across the street from the beach. These plants would have to be sun tolerant. Drought tolerant would be a plus.

Hedy, I'm bringing you some Aster (now, Symphyotricum) 'Raydon's Favorite' . . . could you save a bit of the Stachys 'Helen von Stein' for me? Thanks!

Carl

Carl, you can have more than a bit. I use it in 4 gardens. I just move it around.

I'm also bringing Inula Orientalis, a big butterfly plant. Marty, you may want one for the monarch garden. It doesn't look great in the pot - the leaves break easily but it grows tall and has beautiful, large yellow daisies.

Mollie, is your anemone robutissima or another variety?

I'm not going to have a lot of digging time between now and Sunday but what I do have (already in pots) are the following:

2 (one large, one small) Deutzia Slender shrubs

2 forsythia (old-fashioned type, nothing fancy but good size and potted)

1 Stephanandra incisa 'crispa'

LOTS of daylilies in pots but have no idea what colors, etc. -- good to fill a spot, if anyone needs a bunch (leftovers from a plant sale - mystery donations ;)

1 ostrich fern

1 or 2 cornus alternifolia (pagoda dogwood) -- 1 small, the other 3-4 feet tall (potted but might be hard to transport)

Alpine strawberries (could dig lots if anyone wants but otherwise I won't dig them)

Achillea millefolium 'Oertel's Rose' (yarrow)

Marty - If no on else has claimed it, I could use the Stephandra incisa 'crispa like bacon'. . .

Marty - I am looking for any type of strawberry plants to put in strawberry pots. Alpine would be great. I would love your ostrich fern and also a dogwood - I could come get it in my mini van if it is hard to transport.

I would love any butterfly bushes if anyone has volunteers.

Deb (who is finally getting stuff in the ground - bye-bye pot ghetto!)

Carl, the Steph is all yours.

Deb, I have a ton of alpines... how many do you want? As for the dogwood -- there are actually three that I dug and potted for the garden club plant sale. They went from my house to the sale site in an open trailer but they are back here (not having sold) so I am guessing they must have fit on the back seat floor of my Forester; I have no recollection of bringing them home but I must have (it was a long day!) But I wonder if you want to pick out the one you want anyway, in which case you could come by to get it. Up to you... we're not far. Ostrich fern is all yours, too. :)

Please don't feel uncomfortable asking for plants. My gardens are 3/4 years old and are exploding.

Does anyone want:

pink foxglove babies

Echinacea babies/ I grow 4 varieties so all could be pink or?

aquilegia- blue and white pleated flowers

Ligularia britt marie crawford

Also: crocosmia Emily mackenzie

purple/lavender bearded iris

Marty, I'll take one of the dogwoods.

Hedy, sign me up for as many of the blue-and-white aquilegias as you care

to share!

Marty - I need maybe a dozen? I am up on the Cape and can't count the holes, but don't feel obligated to supply me with that many! What ever you can bring will be appreciated!

Marty, I think mine is Anemone japonica. I bought 1 plant 10 years ago from Comstock & Ferre in Wethersfield when they actually had a nursery and sold plants. Now I have many plants. It is a darker pink with yellow centers. They're yours if you'd like!

Hedy, I would love any of these. Actually, I might keep some of them for myself. Who am I kidding ... I love them all!

blue iris

(baby) pink foxgloves

Salvia pratensis 'indigo

Achillea millefolium 'Oertel's Rose'

I think we'll bring wine and cheese, maybe something else, but definitely our raincoats.

Molie

Molie I would love some anemone. I fought the squirrels for the small one I had and lost. Also some Filipendula if you have enough.

Carl, I put about 6 aquilegia in a pot. You have to baby them for a little while because they don't like being dug up. Just a little extra water and then they're tough.

I'm going to bring something for dessert.

Change that to salad and wine.

Deb: A dozen is easy... I'll just dig out a bunch, maybe pot them up all together and let you separate them.

I'll see if I can fit 2 of the bigger dogwoods into the car -- they are pretty big. I also have the one small (really small, like a foot high maybe) one. I'll bring it just in case.

Marty: I'll swing by with my flat-bed trailer so it's easier to load up the forest you're delivering to Deb. . .

Last chance for requests. I'll be away all day Saturday.

Hedy

So I am bringing:

For Deb: a pagoda dogwood, ostrich fern, pots of alpine strawberries

For Deb: a pagoda dogwood

For Molie: Achillea millefolium 'Oertel's Rose' (think that was mine, not Hedy's)

For Carl: Stephanandra incisa 'crispa'

Did I miss anyone? I'll bring cheese and fruit unless someone else is bringing cheese (in which case, I'll bring fruit and cookies -- might have to be store-bought with my schedule the next few days).

Let me restate my wish list... what I'd love if any of these are still available.

From Hedy, I'd love any of the pink foxglove babies, the blue iris and Salvia pretenses 'indigo'

From Marty, yes, I'd love the Achillea millefolium 'Oertel's Rose'

And those who want something from my gardens:

For Hedy: Japanese Anemone and Filipendula rubra

I've also potted up some Alchemilla mollis/Lady's Mantle.

Anyone need any pots? I could go into business out of my garage....

I'm probably going to bring something chocolate. Unfortunately, it will be store-bought, but I can't bake and dig up plants with my limited time. I figure I'll be forgiven as long as it's chocolate!

:)
Dee

Chocolate takes care of many sins, Dee.

And we've changed our plans a bit...we're bringing small finger sandwiches and wine.

OK - I'm home. I only have a few things to trade, but you will have to come and be surprised. : P

Marty - If Carl is going to haul, can I have a Deutzia too? DH has been doing such an amazing job eradicating the invasives it will be nice to start replacing them with something. It looks like the certainitude : ) of the rain has gone down during the swap time. Thanks for cutting us a bit of slack mother nature!

I will have NON-ALCOHOLIC drinks and i don't know what else as I will probably be running out to the store at the break of dawn. Too tired to do it now after all that driving. Maybe quiche?

Deb -- I think that was a joke about the trailer :) I'll bring the Deutzia. It's in bloom and quite a good size. And they spread (root where branches touch) so you will have more in a year or two. I think everything I have will fit in the Subaru... we'll see.

Thanks for hosting, Deb! Tons of plants... tons of rain... can't complain about either! Thanks to everyone -- if there weren't so much red and orange on the weather map heading our way, I might try to get out to plant some of these. But... I think I'll wait ;)

[Seb... is the tansy you are looking for this one: Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn. Tansy ragwort? (As opposed to Tanacetum vulgare, which is garden tansy?) If so, you probably won't find it in CT because it is banned as a potential invasive. ("PIB" status). It's banned in Massachusetts as well -- don't know about other surrounding states. That could explain why you don't see it...?]

Here is some brown-headed cowbird info. Read it and weep!

http://www.sialis.org/cowbirds.htm

Marty: Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn differs from the plant I remember in that the pinnate leaves’ terminus was pointed and the flowers were ray-less. There is mention of a Jacobaea vulgaris ssp. dunensis that more closely resembles the plant I used to ward off deer. Unfortunately, all these tansy-like plants are deadly to horses and not much welcome in Bridgewater.

We had a wonderful time at the Plant Swap ... thank you, Deb, for hosting again. It was great to see and talk with everyone, enjoy great food and wines, and swap plants. I was thrilled to bring home so many things for the three beach gardens in town.

But I do have a request. Carl, I'd love the recipe for your salad... it was delicious! On the way home Bob said that he loved it and asked me to get the recipe.

It was great seeing everyone! I think we need to get our mojo working for better weather next year though! Although it was very thoughtful of Ma Nature to hold off until the very end!

That's the easiest salad in the world to make: 2 parts brown rice, 1 part wild rice, chopped onions (Vidalia's are the best!), and petite peas. . .proportion aren't specific, I just mix it together 'til it looks right! Easier to make the dressing separately and add the amount you want: just plain Greek yogurt with as much Dijon mustard as your palette prefers. . .if you want to make it a main course, I find diced ham makes the best combination. . .Enjoy!

Carl

Thanks, Carl!

Deb thank you for hosting and having a place to get out of the rain.

I finally finished planting everything including the 13 plants I ordered from Santa Rosa Gardens. More lawn bites the dust.

We always have such a great time that we need to get together in the summer. We could have a group barbecue/picnic like we did at George's. I know no one wants to come all the way down to me so anyone have an idea?

Hedy

A summer barbecue/picnic sounds like a great idea, Hedy! How about a new thread to see what kind of interest this generates?