This time I was a little worried that we wouldn't have many swappers. Many of our regulars couldn't make it due to numerous scheduling conflicts. Also, rain was predicted. Despite all that, we had a very good swap! We had either 19 or 23 in attendance (I don't remember if I counted before or after the last four people arrived). There were many interesting plants and lots of friendly gardeners. Many of which were new to our swap. The rain held off, and the weather was very comfortable. I found homes for just about everything I brought and found plenty of interesting stuff to bring home. I brought more than I thought I was going to, but, thanks to a few people with plenty of room to plant stuff, almost every orphan plant found a new guardian.

I hate to get further away from the swap conversation, but I will give you some sources, dcwrites. If you are coming to the swap, you might consider adding it to your wants list on the swap website, because there is a chance someone would have it and be willing to give you some. However, if you are just looking to purchase it.... Sunlight Gardens (in Andersonville, TN) has both plain Conradina verticillata and Conradina verticillata 'Cumberland Snow'. Sunlight Gardens has an excellent Garden Watchdog rating, so you are probably safe mail-ordering from them if you can't go in person. Woodlanders (in Aiken, SC) has plain Conradina verticillata and a fairly good (but not great) Garden Watchdog Rating. Nearly Native Nursery (in Fayetteville, GA) also has plain Conradina verticillata and an absolutely perfect!!! Garden Watchdog rating.

Today's swap had one of the largest turnouts we've had. We counted 57 attendees. The weather was outstanding, plants were abundant, the food was delicious, and the gardeners were friendly and generous. Martha Woodward did much of our promotion work and got announcements in many of the local papers. KimCB did an excellent job making announcements and leading the after-lunch discussion! Thanks to everyone that helped out and all the swappers for making the event so successful.

I have so many wonderful things in my yard and front garden that have come from the East Tennessee Plant Swap...red buckeye tree, wax myrtle, New Dawn rose, Mrs. Dudley Cross rose, Iris pallida, several varieties of bearded iris, pink rain lilies, Ostrich fern, red chokeberry, kerria, heirloom glads, bluestar, Festiva Maxima peony, balloon flowers, Mary Gregory aster, heirloom mints, succulents...the list goes on and on! This doesn't even include the vegetable starts, garden tools, a Christmas Cactus and other houseplants, and gardening books I've gotten over the years. And most important to me are the delightful friends I've made at the ETPS - generous-spirited, interesting people with whom I share a love of plants. Please join us this year for the Spring Swap - it is a relaxed, fun event and all are welcome. See you there!!