I'm Ania from Southern CA. I live with my boyfriend and 2 of our own little terrier dogs (also known as terrors) and a third foster terrier. We just purchased a house a year ago so this is my second year gardening. Until we bought the house, I was one of those people that would kill every plant that was in my care. I'm trying to change that and I have several houseplants that have lived a year for me now. For me, that's good. I did some landscaping on the property last year and well, let's just say I did it again this year with plants that would actually work for the area. They are working so far. I grew a few things in pots last year with limited success. I started really late a got a just a few tomatos from 3 plants that got attacked by hornworms, some Jalapeno's and Cubanelles and some Okra. My herbs did well and I had a lot of basil and still have pineapple sage and mint from last year. I tried, unsuccessfully to grow eggplant as well. This year, I decided to actually learn how to garden and here I am. This year I'm growing 8 varieties of tomatoes, several varieties of peppers, a couple of eggplants, tomatillos, several squash and zucchini, green onions, lima beans, and a few other things all in containers. I am also just now sprouting chard and amaranth. I also have a lot of herbs growing. I made some big mistakes to start with and got a late start on some things but all is going fairly well. I'm really glad to have found this place so I can learn and maybe I can know what I'm doing with this gardening stuff one day. Ania

Still no picture (sorry) but the mint is hanging on, not getting worse. I think it may be overwatering or poor drainage. It is in a wine crate, which I lined with a black trash bag, then put in a layer of styrofoam peanuts, then put in the soil. I drilled three holes in the bottom of the wine crate and poked holes in the plastic bag in the same places. Maybe I did not use enough styrofoam? Maybe not enough drainage holes? I am thinking of drilling some more. When I go to water, this box feels more moist than the others, so I am watering it less now. Any chemicals at all are out for me, as my daughter plays in this area, grabs the herbs, etc. BTW, I am a total newbie to all this. All of the above (the plastic bag, the styrofoam) was recommended to me by a gardener I met. I also planted a mix of herbs in this box without regard to their varying water needs (which someone pointed out to me on another thread). I will just see how they do for the season. Thanks, Sheri

Hi Neophyte. I'm the one who started this string. If you read down through you'll see there was some interest in a swap but not enough to really generate the enthusiasm to get one going. I think, as suggested above, for anyone who doesn't mind the drive, going to the Knoxville or Nashville swaps would work out best, at least at this point. Just my opinion. If there was one near me I would possibly attend. As Brandon7 suggested, those of us who don't want to make the drive, could do individual swaps on the exchanges page. I am going to dig up some Immortality Bearded Iris (large almost-white repeat bloomer) as soon as I get to it and I am more than willing to part with some. I don't get on the forum much but I will try to get that on the exchanges page or anybody can email me directly. Cheryl, never heard of a tradescantia called warthog. Do you have a pic? You might have gotten tradescantia from me. I have quite a lot of it. Do you have a pic or has it flowered? Tradescantia is very vigorous but I wouldn't call any I've had invasive. I would leave it for a while and see what it turns into. You could start a new string with - "warthog" tradescantia - as the title and see if anybody knows who would not necessarily have clicked on this string. Chris

I don't think Conium maculatum is native.Must have made it here as a stowaway. Can't imagine anyone bringing it here intentionally. I've been watching it's rapid spread in my local area the past few years. It even seems to be outpacing the alien, invasive Teasle,Dipsacus . I thought that some years ago the Illinois road commission planned on planting native wildflowers all along our highways. Don't know what happened, but all I see is Teasle and Poison Hemlock. I read that in England they are asking people to pull over, and pull out any Impatiens glandulifera plants they see. That's funny because I wanted to get seeds for that one for a long time. Wasn't too impressed with it's performance once I grew it. My I. glandulifera plant's never got anywhere near the twenty foot tall ones reported causing environmental havok in the U.K. I wouldn't be surprised if this plant is on some noxious weed lists over in the PNW ! All living things decended from the same one celled creature. No matter what species, and no matter what kingdom you are discussing it is still relative, and still on topic, albeit the far outskirts of topic.