We came, we saw, we conquered. No, wait, that was Julius Caesar.

We came, we hugged, we shook hands, we shared plants, we talked, we ate, we laughed, we shared plants, we talked, we ate, we did the whole door prize thing and then we ate, shared plants, laughed and talked. Did I leave out anything? Yes, we enjoyed seeing all the little angels whether they were someone's kids or grandkids. It is so cool to see our young (or, ha ha, once-upon-a-time young married couples but still younger than us) having more babies----we adore your babies. It is fun watching everyone's kids and grandkids grow up over the years. The canines in attendance were enjoyed as well. At least three or four of us there were talking about the Spring Fling where we met each other....back at Will Rogers Park in 2005, and I believe these gatheringss have been held for longer than that....Andria or Lisa probably know how much longer.

Oooh, we got to see old friends and meet new ones that we'd previously met only online or on social media. That was so cool. Did I mention that we ate and ate and ate? All of the food was so good.

Where did all those extra tomato plants come from? Seriously now, folks, if we had 1 tomato plant there, we surely had at least 200. I think we all have a tomato plant problem. I don't understand how that happens.

We arrived home safely in the late afternoon after a brief stop at the fire station ('cause y'all know Tim had to visit his home away from home) and found when we got home that even the old dog with chronic kidney disease held it until we got home, so there were no puddles on the floor. He must have known what a special occasion this was, and for that he got a big hug and a special treat.

Tomorrow I hope to plant my new plants in the early morning hours, but also expect I'll end up at the fire station at some point, like it or not. I'd rather be in the garden....

I hope you all had as much fun as we did. It did seem like the most relaxing and easy-going gathering of our gardening clan ever, perhaps because no one had to dodge raindrops, hail stones or wind storms.

Dawn, did you bring the Heidi tomatoes in the yellow cups?

And yes, you DO understand how that many tomato plants happen. At least 150 of those came from you.

I could kick myself! No reason for not taking any photos! Dumb dumb dumb! NOW you mention it! GRRR. Already took my first nap upon arriving home. I may as well get ready for bed, I can see it'll be a short evening.

I bet you're right, Dawn, I bet there were about 200 of them there, along with 200 of everything else! SO many plants.

Jen and HJ, who else. Well for all of you desiring to know more about luffas. I posted this once before, but believe it bears reposting for you wanna-grow-luffa lovers.

https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/growing-luffa-sponges/

It was a blast, as always. I gave everything a good drink & promised to plant them in their new homes soon. I had to stop by Lowe's when I went grocery shopping so I could get some potting soil for all my new treats.

Making a trip to Lowe's in the morning for mushroom compost myself.

Is this when we talk about who got/brought/ended up with what?

Paula and Ken, thanks again for your hospitality. Al and I enjoyed it as always and it is always so fun to visit with everyone. I also enjoyed the "commute" more than usual since I am so much closer.

I came home with so many more plants than I had intended, and can't wait to get them all planted.

Jen, now see, that's one way someone your age is after the event as compared to me. Like I could have stopped anywhere for any reason? Uh, no. I did NOT, however, fall asleep in the truck.

Oh I didn't mean to hit submit. I might have more to say. Probably not, but maybe. We left this morning on the second day of approaching spring. We arrived home this evening to gorgeous full-blown spring and all its glory. And to 8 newly bloomed iris--they're just beginning, and it was fun to see. We had to sit out on the deck and visit a while, reveling in the beauty of spring. Seems all the trees decided to get leaves today while we were gone, too.

I cannot even begin to tell you all how absolutely special you all are!! Can you all just imagine what it would be like to live in the same large neighborhood? It would be a very very special and wonderful community--although it already is. I still can't believe I totally missed you, Mia! WHAT?

Oh you guys! It was so funny when Dale and Carrie came toward the end, and Carrie didn't register with me, as I'm not sure I've seen your photo, Carrie. I surely have. But I thought you were Megan, and so I was REALLY confused when I looked at Dale, and a shock of recognition went through me. . . my mind was going how can I know Megan's husband???? I said, "I KNOW you." And then Dale said, "Yeah, I'm Dale." Duh. And THEN I realized Carrie wasn't Megan, she was Carrie! What can I say. Give an old person a break, Carrie and Dale?

And did you all realize that Blue (Blue was his name, right?) is like kind of an older look-alike cousin to Titan? We were commenting on that. (Titan's ears are much bigger and his snout is more pointed, and he's bigger, but they absolutely resemble each other!)

And for those of you who couldn't make it this year, MAKE IT NEXT YEAR!! We missed you all, and talked about you all. So you know the only way to prevent that from happening again is to show up next year.

There is nothing like meeting people in person after having become fond of them in a forum like this. That's for sure. And it is very very fun!!

Kim, was so thrilled to meet your friend you brought with you. Just as special as you said. I'm sad we live so far away from each other, and from the rest of you who are further away, as well as, like, for example, Dawn. I so much prefer visiting folks one on one; I don't normally like crowds. I like this crowd more than almost any, but hate that there are so many of us that it's hard to really visit.

I miscalculated how far away Paula was from us. I was thinking like a little less than 2 hours. It was really a little less than 3 hours, but hey, that means Dawn is only a little under five hours away. Hey, that's nothing compared to Minneapolis or Buffalo, Wyoming! (Says the person who hates to drive anywhere--ask Amy and Eileen.)

You know, those three hours we spent were altogether too short to really get to visit you all like I'd love to. But every little bit is nice and I'd pay good money to have any one of you for a neighbor! My neighbor, not your neighbor, lol. Rebecca, remember, coming up event for sausage at Siegl's. I may have to make an outside trip to the OKC area in the coming year just to say hi to some of you there. And Jacob. . . heck--YOU'RE closer to us than those yayhoos in OKC! You and yours could easily come see us or vice versa! lol (Says the person who hates traveling anywhere.)

Okay, so now you know. I talk just as much online as I do in person. :) Love you all!! Amy, Ron is so RON, isn't he? Can hardly wait to see you guys and Larry and Eileen (and Rebecca) at the sausage place in a few weeks after we decompress.

Bruce!!! Destroy that picture immediately!!!

And by the way, I like the one of GDW. I'll keep that one. We drove by Shawnee and I said, "Here's where Bruce lives. Maybe he can have SF next year if Paula doesn't do it." (what, 40-50 miles shorter for us? LOL)

Man, in THAT picture of Blue, he really DOES look like Titan!

I love candid pictures as much as the next person, but the trick, Bruce, is to get their front sides. Just sayin'.

:)

Rebecca, the Heidi tomatoes in the yellow cups may have been some of the ones I brought.

Unfortunately I only managed a few overview pics.

We had quite a discussion about our new little elderberry, Bruce. I'm betting Garry Dean did NOT kill the elderberry he buzzed with the lawn mower so am tempted to put the new guy out toward the full-sun "to be" rock garden area. But what if GDW DID do it in, then I'll be sorry. So, the jury is out on its placement. And Paula, I felt bad about shorting you one, but really believed I might need it as a replacement for mowed over Garry one.

I went to college in Shawnee. It's a good bit bigger now than it was when I was there, though. The mall was pretty new then. I wanted to make a quick drive thru on the way home and see some of my old haunts, but decided to just stop for the bathroom and keep on my way. I was already feeling ready for bed.

Well, Bruce, thank you for the Heidis, then! I was wanting to try them but never got around to ordering seeds. If I like them, I will.

Megan, I am so tired FOR you! LOL Oh how I remember THOSE days. My little guys (and me before them) began having sleepovers at friends' houses at about 7-8. My little granddaughter took after me, probably in part because she began having sleepovers with me when she was 2. But her little brother was very slow to coming around to it. We had several try and fails before he could actually do it, at about 5. It was great meeting you. . . I really didn't cotton to the idea of bringing those rocks back home. :)

Only real gardeners would swap rocks...

Rebecca, I did not bring the Heidi tomatoes. Maybe Bruce or Kim did? A lot of us love Heidi, so it could be anyone really. And, in my defense, I might have brought 145 plants, but only 45 or so of them were tomato plants. See, I really did cut back! (grin)

Yes, this is where we can talk about who brought what, what it is, what it might be, what labels were lost, what conditions a plant needs,....etc.

Carol, I'm so excited you and Al get to start your new landscaping with friendship plants because they are the best kind. I'm also happy for you that your commute to the SF is shorter.

Nancy, It would be a dream neighborhood/garden community, wouldn't it? I wish we all lived closer together. We could have a community center in our dream community and the community center would have a commercial canning kitchen so we all could get together in the summer months and share the canning chores---sort of like a canning co-op. Then, Bruce could give us all lessons in how to preserve meat and how to make his famous pastrami....and Rebecca could give us baking lessons. Lisa could teach us how to grow and release butterflies and moths......can't you just imagine how great it would be? Kim would manage the large community garden and community farmer's market, with all of us pitching in a certain number of hours per month of "farm labor". Ryder would be our official mascot and would have to come visit his Granny often. We'd have our Spring Fling at the community center and (finally) Ken and Paula could be participants instead of hosts as we could rotate the hosting duties among all the residents. Tom could teach us how to smoke meat, and Jennifer could teach us how to make fire cider....and I could go on and on, but y'all get the idea. Everyone has special talents they could share. Wouldn't it be awesome? Instead, we meet here at Houzz/GW and cherish our online connection because our time together in person is too limited.

Dawn

Well, we did not swap em. I DONATED rocks to her. ROTFL!!!! Seems I have a marketable crop here, that would be rocks. But y'know, I gave away a truckful last month and donated 3 to Megan. . . and now I'm thinkin', "What. . . ? I LOVE my rocks. Gonna have to re-think giving them all away." Unless folks come up and dig them out 6' under. THEN maybe I'd donate 'em. Still, I get your point. Only real gardeners would swap rocks. I wanted rocks so bad when I lived in Mpls. NEEDED some spectacular rock highlights. Found a rock site 5 miles away. They were charging $150-$300 for landscape rocks. Needless to say, I didn't have their landscape rocks.

It was SO fun! Thank you so much, Paula and Ken!

Thank you, also, to everyone who brought plants for me. Some of them are already in the garden!

Rebecca, Tom is still talking about your cookies. I only got one and am kicking myself for not grabbing a few more!

I meant to have Tom take pictures! Totally forgot.

Nancy,, thanks for the herb book!

It's always funny how I make it home with plants I didn't mean to grab.

And WOW...seriously, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

Dawn, you described it. It's tending God's garden on earth. It would be divine. And I thank Him every day for accidentally running into you. Blessings.

Wait! Who got rocks? And why didn't I get rocks?

lol

Are you kidding me, HJ???????? I had 3 rocks in the truck! (For Megan, since she threatened to come over and invade our territory.) WELL. I'd say if you want a few rocks, I will pick out extra special rocks for ya. BUT. Are you willing to travel here to get them? Do you have it in ya? Come on over. ROTFL. Come on, you guys can surely find time to travel 2,75 hours to travel and have a fun time, fun conversation. Come get the rocks!

Both cookie recipes are available to anyone who wants them. No secrets in my kitchen. Should I post them here? I'm working on a double chocolate adaptation of them.

If we were trading rocks, I could have brought over bags of dead leaves for everyone's compost piles.

Is Heidi a determinate or indeterminate?

I'm home. .Not bad for the ol woman

Up at 2 bed by 11. What a whirl of a day. It was worth every mile. I have no thoughts tonight. Best day

Thank you for hosting, Paula and Ken! It was nice meeting all of you today after reading your posts for the past 1+ year. Can't wait to grow all the plants y'all brought. Sorry, I didn't take any photos.

(Late post because we drove around OKC and only got home at 930pm before we went out again for glow bowling.)

This popped up on my FB Memories from last year!

Oh, you all, it was wonderful. We took I 40 home and it was much better than the turnpike construction, until we got on 75 and fought construction there. Kim, adorable pic of Rider (Ryder? How's it spelled?). I loved seeing people again, meeting new people, eating too much, talking too much, getting too many plants.

Rebecca, I love Heidis. They are the Energizer bunny of tomatoes.

I only brought sculpit/strodollo and Tansy. Tansy reseeds rampantly, it is toxic to cattle and horses, but apparently they only eat it if there's nothing else. It is great for attracting beneficials and blooms when hot. Sculpit/strodollo is an Italian green/herb. It is an early spring green and can be chopped and used like parsley. It has pretty tiny white flowers.

The pic of GDW was good, but not a good angle of the woman standing next to him.

Thank you Paula for hosting again. Thank you everyone who came. I'm still smiling.

I love reading everyone's comments here, and it makes me realize that we all aren't just growing plants and friendships, we are growing love. How great is that?

Dawn

Kim, I didn't get to officially meet and talk with you, and I wish I had. Next year!

Kim, here's the small world thing. At our 2nd Tulsa lunch, I'm talking to Eileen's husband Larry, who, at one time worked where my oldest works now. I asked if he knew him. He says no, but I knew a Niki Lambert (my daughter) there. He pulls out his phone and shows me her Facebook profile pic. I had forgotten she had worked there, too, and they trained together!

Love the pics, Paula! It really doesn’t have to be the last time to hang the sign by the road?

Rebecca, Heidi is a determinate that acts more like a semideterminate. I’ve not had one grow over a 4 1/2’ tall cage but they’ve gotten close.

Bruce, that's perfect. I have them in 10 gallon grow bags, and I'll give them a 3 ring cage. You should see how deep I planted them, almost sitting on the bottom of the bags.

Hot pink, if I remember correctly. I have one patch of pale pink and one bright pink. I think where I dug was the bright pink.

Sigh. I was just reading through this thread. Too soon over. I may turn into a traveler yet! Y'all are the best. Food was great, plants great. People--nonpareil!!!!

We arrived home safe after spending a few days on the road. Pawhuska, Bartlesville, Vinita then home to Grove.

Thanks again to Ken and Paula.

Had a wonderful time on loved meeting all of you some again and some for the first time.

those cookies were wonderful Rebecca. I did grab one for the road. LOL

this is my favorite pic. Lisa with her hand in the cookie pan???

Thanks for all the comments. Loved them. To bad, one can't be in two places (states) at the same time.

and I missed meeting little man... YIKES!

Moni

Yeah, yeah....it's the middle of JUNE, but....I have to say again that I really missed seeing you all this year! Miss ONE year and it's two in between - not good. Thanks to all for the notes and fun pics, and for plants brought to me by Lisa (some from Nancy, some from....who knows?) :) Next year it seems I need to get in on some Heidi action!
Next year....it will be here before you know it!
Sharon