Hello Heather, Lois and Merja: Believe me I am no expert on calla Lilies...but I do have a number growing and I find they grow best for me in Partial Shade. The ones that I have left in full sun usually end up with faded leaves whereas the partial shade ones are more vibrant. As far as flowering ...well I haven't really noticed an appreciable difference in either locations. This is just my experience and it is limited. This year I have planted the yellow Callas in the ground and am growing the whites in pots....don't really know why but that is how it has worked out. I shall see what results I have this summer. Also one last pointer is not too plant them too deep. It seems they like to be shallow! I was mentioning to Merja at the swap that I had a Peony that was just sitting idle and not showing much sign of growth and after several years has yet to flower...she suggested that maybe I have it planted too deep so I am going to work on that. I guess there are many plants that should be grown on the shallower side and I will have to take that into consideration when I am looking for reasons that a certain plant is not doing well!...always things to learn in gardening. Hope everyone is enjoying their gardens. I have spent a few hours the last couple of days trying to eradicate the thug Campanula Ranunculoides from my garden beds. I have an invasion on my hands. Wish me luck!

Merja is correct . Here is a link that might help https://pallensmith.com/2014/10/18/peony-planting/

Thank you for your tips too Ross I want to do my best and keep these calla lilies growing and thriving:-)

And that is a good tip about the peonies .... Thanks for the article Signet :-)....I was taught when I was younger by my mother who had beautiful peonies to plant them on top of a brick so I've just always done that whether it does anything or not I don't know but that's what I was taught so that's what I still do..... there's always a brick under my peonies and they are planted with the eyes barely covered

Good luck with your Invasion Ross never fun to be wrestling with weeds trying to take over our Gardens and yards!

That is a very interesting bit of info about the brick Lois! Never heard that before .

Amanda, I just found out the name for the plant with purple tubular flowers you brought to the Gambler's Circle 3 years ago. It is Amsonia. I have buds on it right now. Maybe you have figured it out during this time also but I figured I let you know just in case. :)

Signet it gets me some pretty strange looks when I suggest that to people :-)

Merja and Ross... I have one more calla lily question ....at least one more for now haha ....how do you overwinter your calla lilies? do you continue to grow them in pots inside or do you let them go dormant and store them like dahlias?

Lois, after the first frost I dig the calla rhizomes up and shake the soil off the roots. Then I let them to dry out in the basement for a few days until the leaves have wilted. I store the rhizomes in peat moss in my cold room but any cool, dry and dark place should work.

Ditto on Merja's storage protocol.

rosco_pc

Thank you Ross. They are lovely. Finally bloomed and are so pretty

BETH; So glad you are enjoying these beauties! This was the first year for these in my garden also and like you, I am really liking them. I am getting a lot of variation in the colouring also which is really interesting. These are keepers.Hope your gardening season continues to surprise you!

Hi there. Sorry I missed the annual event in Springbank Park. I have a large crop of maple tree saplings ranging from 5 - 8ft tall. Also, a couple of Oak seedlings. Comment or message me if you would like one, some, or all.

gologogirl no one can message you, you dont have messaging set up on your account

Ok - I think I have changed the settings on my account to allow me to receive emails from anyone now. If anyone would like Maple tree saplings, Oak seedlings or Catalpa or Sumac, feel free to contact me. :)

Does anyone know when the plant exchange will be this year?

Lois Kelly

We haven’t set a date yet. It usually is late May or early June

Thanks!

I thought I better let you all know already that I will be gone over the weekend of May 30 and May 31 to meet my newest grandson...assuming everything goes well...fingers crossed. So if anyone needs to schedule anything around that time that weekend would be great to do so.

Flowergirl_On: Congratulations on the soon-to-be birth of your newest grandbaby! How very exciting for you. Looking forward to seeing everyone again this year. Cold and snowy here in Waterford today.

congratulations Merja! :) always exciting awaiting a new arrival!

wondering if you meant the first weekend in June. 6&7?

Thank you Carol and Lois! Very exciting to get a new addition to our family. Oh my, I was looking at a wrong calendar by mistake. Thank you for pointing that out, Lois. I will be gone the May 30th and 31st. I edited it above as well.

Hello fellow gardeners, just wanted to check in with everyone. Hope everyone is safe and managing to stay healthy. Hopefully, we'll be able to at least get out in our gardens (alone) soon. From my window, I see the crocus and alliums starting to make a break for it. No matter what, spring is on it's way! Take care dear fellow gardeners and stay safe. Not my garden....just dreaming!

Traditional Landscape · More Info

Hello Carol and everyone! :-) good to know that you are doing well Carol and I hope everyone else is also ....been nice to get out and wander around the yard even if not much is happening although I will share a picture of my hellebore Jacob that I got from Dinie a couple of years ago or maybe it was three :-). I'm not sure would have to look it up ....anyway I have noticed a few things poking up here and there and some nice surprises ....a little patch of species type tulips that I planted ....maybe this is the third year ..has gotten to be quite large... I was rather shocked when I saw that the other day ...the rabbit has been at work again in my yard this year and been nibbling things right down to the ground ...I may have lost two out of three blueberry bushes! :(

Hi everyone! Good to hear from you Carol and Lois! I have only snowdrops and scillas blooming. My hellebore are only showing their necks. I don't know why that is...same every year. Location, variety...? They are in semi shade. Hyacinth are starting to show their flower buds. I've kept busy starting perennials from seed. Quite a few different varieties have already sprouted. I will probably start more tomatoes and other edibles this year than before. Trick is where I'll put all this stuff...will probably have to uproot lots of old stuff that is not super interesting to me any more. Those rabbits...I'm pretty sure one is living under our deck. Keep safe everybody!

Hello all,

I so don't want to miss out on the fun this year... Anyone have a clever idea of how to do a contact free swap?

Perhaps with a drop off to someone's driveway, and timed drop offs, then timed pick ups?

the gambler's circle would be harder to arrange...

Let's put our thinking caps on!!!

It just isn't spring for me without the thrill of online trading...

Love and hugs to all,

Keep safe everyone!

Heather

Blueiris3

Hi Heather and All: I have been periodically checking the sight for a message re; the swap and here it is! I am hoping that everyone is well and that you are thinking gardening. It has been a bit of a slow start to the season but today was beautiful and I spent a couple of hours pulling weeds. Not my favourite chore but extremely necessary.

I am hoping we can carry out a swap this year. I was thinking by about the end of May early June we might just have to put up with social distancing but once again be able to gather in a group? Maybe we will be fortunate with this and be able to have the swap as usual with a few adaptations. Anyway I am open to any ideas and would love to be able to see everyone again and of course swap for some great plants. Talk again soon. Ross

Sounds good! I am sure that my friend Olivia will join us again if it's a go. Stay safe everyone!

I am also happy to see that folks are still game for this, and would be happy to participate! Just to offer - my house is not very far from Springbank Park, and I have a large garage we could use if we have to do a drop-off / pick-up arrangement due to no group gathering. But hopefully, as others have said, this won't be necessary and we'll be able to still meet up as a group (with distancing) in some form or another.

I'm in. I'll keep watching the site for information. :)

Good morning everyone I hope everyone is doing well. Have been looking forward to the swap since last swap and the thought that it might not be a go in our usual manner is a little disappointing ....for me the visit and just being together is what I look forward to most and yes :-) new plants are always fun and welcome LOL. I guess right now we're just in a wait-and-see pattern and hopefully will be able to make some definite plans very soon :-) in the meantime just hoping for some consistently decent weather so we can spend some more time in the garden and get some good old plant therapy :-)

Hello Lois Kelly; Glad to see that you have kept abreast of our info. page re the spring swap. We are always welcoming of new traders here and appreciate any and all interest . Watch for the trading to begin as it usually ramps up quickly. Plants as well as any gardening related items are all up for grabs. Whatever you may want in line with gardening is usually available here and whatever you may have to offer in trade is appreciated. Most importantly have some fun!!.

Thanks so much Rosco! I've been on the site for awhile... but not too active. I used to show up as GoLoGogirl... but for some reason now, my full name appears. I'm looking forward to the spring swap, I missed it last year as I was away. If anyone would like to swap earlier, I'm offering Yucca, Daylily, periwinkle or mounding sedum in exchange for Hosta's or shade loving plants. I'm trying to gift my sister who has progressive MS with as many Hosta's as I can. She is trying to create a low maintenance shade garden in her backyard. I'm going to start taking some over to her this weekend.

Hello GoLoGogirl: Now I realize who you are with your original moniker. I remember you on the site last year. Sorry to hear about your sister. MS can be very devastating. I wish her the best.

Hopefully we will be able to hold a swap this year and meet and talk in person. Until then Have a good time trading.

Hi Lois K, I thought GoLoGoGirl might be you but didn't want to assume. :) Glad to see you here and joining us. I have a few hostas available for your sister. Sisters are the best...I have quite a few of them. :)

Hi All,

I've been thinking how this swap could be done this year and had this kind of idea: might be best to do kind of 'tailgate party thingy'. We would need a big empty parking lot so we could park our cars in a square with maybe 3 or 4 empty parking spots in between. We would empty our trunks on the ground next to our cars and then move away from the trunks so we could take a box of plants one at the time straight to everyone's trunks. There is plenty of empty parking lots now. Some central ones that might be good for everyone are close to 401. I'm thinking 401 and Wellington...there is a huge parking lot behind McDonald's that is empty even when everything is open. Maybe all the way back towards east end of the parking lot would be perfect. We could even do a small Gambler's Circle in a middle with 2 or 3 plants each...whatever number suits everyone. Would be nice if the plants were something that weren't common since the number is low and that everyone would have a chance to get something nice. Each person would go in the middle alone obviously and second round would be done in opposite order. What do you think?

That sounds like a good solution to exchange plants. Have they increased the number of people allowed to gather in one place with distancing space being observed?

Good point...I think it's still 5. We have more than that so we have to wait and see if there is change coming before the swap. Amanda's garage drop off and pick up would work otherwise but we'd have to linger around somewhere to do it all...

Hi Flowergirl - Thank you sooooo much!! I really appreciate it!! Is there anything you'd like in return? I can pick up anytime tomorrow? Here is my cell phone: 519-200-4055.

Lois K, I sent you a message!

Hi everyone, did you guys still want to do this in some form? I don't know if the amount of people gathering will get raised within couple of weeks or not. Maybe we should assume for now that it doesn't get raised and if it will we can change the plans accordingly. If there is interest still we could maybe meet on the parking lot, empty the trunks, get back in the car and one by one take the plants to everyone's trunks. Then just leave so there is no gathering at all. I'm just getting worried about the seedlings that someone might want to trade...I should pot them up into bigger pots. I just don't want to do it if nobody wants them. I'm ready to make a list if people are interested.

Hi Merja: I am still interested in some form of a swap. Like you I am hoping that the group gathering allowable number is upped during the next week or so. It seems like other provinces have already done so. I would love to see everyone and a good drive to London on a nice day is good also. I think we should go ahead and start our lists up anyway and we will await any good news!

Ok here it goes... Anyone happen to have any other colour of Streptocarpus than velvety red? I have that for trade and would love to get other colours. I also have Colocasia 'Black Coral' and I'm looking for any other Colocasia or Alocasia if you have some for trade.

Basically I have mostly all the stuff than last year if you want to look at the old lists. Just ask and I'll see if I still have them.

Ask if interested in any of the following:

Hostas

Daylilies

Peonies

Phlox, tall pink

Agastache 'Honey Bee Blue'

Red currant

Solomon's Seal

Iris, yellow

Iris, Immortality

Wood Poppy

Calla lily, white

Canna tubers, bronzeleaf

Seedlings:

Delphinium, tall blue species

Babtisia, blue

Swamp Milkweed

Meadow Rue, thalictrum rochebrunianum

Welsh Poppy, parameconopsis cambrica

Liatris, Blazing Star

Lobelia x Speciosa

Annuals:

Zinnia, tall mixed colours

Mexican Sunflower

Salvia coccinea, Scarlet Sage

Tomatoes:

Sweet Million cherry tomato

Yellow Pear

Houseplants:

Streptocarpus, velvety red

Streptocarpella 'Concord Blue'

Colocasia 'Black Coral' (indoor/outdoor)

Looking for any new exciting stuff:

Butterfly host plants

Plants for hummingbirds

Tall Elephant Ears

Colocasia, Alocasia (any)

Streptocarpus

Red or pink Castor Bean

New bulbs

New cannas

New dahlias

I'm not looking for any iris, daylily, hosta or peony at this time.

i HAVE DONE AN INVENTORY AND THIS IS MY LIST AS OF TODAY!

Snowball Hydrangea (potted divisions)

Date Palm (grown from seed)

Ostrich Ferns

Valerian

Monkshood

Japanese Kerria

Lilac (mauve)

Ligularia

White Calla Lily

Solomons Seal (variegated)

Orchid Cactus (small division)

SEEDLINGS

Sweet William (unknown colour)

Bleeding Heart (pink)

Angels Fishing Rod

Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate

Maltese Cross

Mixed Snap Dragon

Dianthus (Tiny Rubies)

Geum (Mrs. Bradshaw) red

Lauren's Grape Poppy

Blue Platycodon-baloon flower

Mirabilis 4 0 clocks

California poppy (orange)

Hi Ross, I am interested in Date Palm, Valerian, Orchid cactus and Angel's Fishing Rod if anything interests you on my list. :)

Merja; I will gladly trade you for the plants mentioned. If its OK I would like a pot of your Baptisia seedlings and, Blue Delphinium Seedlings, I would also like a cutting of your Red Streptocarpus if possible. Also Merja I am interested in your Black Colocasia if you are interested in a plain green Colocasia?

Ross, it's a deal for it all. Streptocarpus will be a potted plant. Just curious if you can tell me more about your green Colocasia...is it short or tall kind? There is so many kinds of them...

Thanks Merja! I have only had my Colocasia now for a year or two but I could see that it had grown another stalk beside the original....anyway I have just returned from dividing the Colocasia and the piece I am saving for you presently has two leaves on it which are about 8-9" wide and about 10-11" long. The plant itself is about 2 1/2 feet high. I really don't know how big it will get but each new leaf appears bigger than the one before it so???? I will put this aside for you and hope it is what you are looking for! I am thinking that the Black one that you are trading me will look great in combination with this green one.

Hi Ross and Merja good to see you two doing some trading :-) I hope others will join in ..... May I make a suggestion? It would probably be a good idea to start up a new thread for this year so there will be less scrolling through all last year's post just to get to the new ones :-).

Not really sure what I would have to offer this year but I will say I had some success with the baptisia Ivory Tower seeds .... Not positive that that's the name but the seeds came from Christine and her plant is a beautiful creamy colour... I think I might have two seedlings ...one in each pot but I will double check just to make sure... Small at the minute but I was going to be potting them up very shortly so once they're in a bigger pot hopefully they'll take off ...they seem to be doing quite well so far :-)

I have some medium Iris the kind that grow about a foot tall.. one is a plain yellow and the other one is a dark purple and one that is a very pale bluish move

I have several seedlings of knautia macedonica that are a pretty good size

Small pot of Spanish bluebells

A small division of Hosta Touch of Class

Alliums tall purple

Hardy geranium phaem samobar--seedlings but one is actually flowering

Would be wonderful if this all works out and we can get together ...look forward to seeing everyone

New thread started...

Link here:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5923271/annual-london-on-plant-swap-2020#n=13