I agree that the ads and popups on here are very annoying. I have a reasonably fast Net provider but because my computer is an older model it does take a while!!

Sorry to hear about the problem with your SASBE offer. I also find it very frustrating when people express interest and then don't follow thru.

Because so many folks don't follow thru, I don't offer SASBE as often as I used to.

Instead, I usually mail my extra seeds into Need4Seed. They are a charitable org that helps needy families and gardeners hit by hurricanes or other disasters.

They will happily accept food seeds (veggies, herbs, edible flowers, fruit and nut tree seeds.)

They also accept seeds for medicinal plants, like echinacea and hyssop, & flowers that improve the yield when used in companion planting- Such as marigolds and zinnias.

If you want the mailing address for donating excess seeds to Need4Seed, please drop me an email.

i dislike it when that happens, you wait for them to mail their envelope and lo an behold it doesnt come thru. a site found me that when people don't follow thru you cna put them on a loser "sort of" list. it list how many time s that you have reminded them and still no show. but they are still on the list. i wish we had that here, there are more than a few people i'd put on that list!! its a shame because they are awesome traders, but absolutely NO manners at all!!!

its a shame because i love it when you put your seeds up for sasbe!! LOL you have awesome seeds!! :')) ~Medo

Well, as for myself, I would like to say THANK YOU! I have gotten quite a few wonderful SASBE full of great seeds!

I think it is wonderful that people with extra seeds do that to help others out, and I also agree with you Peggy, it is just plain rude for those that don't follow through!

Also, as for the pop-ups, do you have your blocker set to high?
If not, got to tools, internet options, privacy, pop-up blocker (make sure it's checked "on") then go to settings and at the bottom make sure it is set to high. This has eliminated ALL of GW's pop-ups for me!
Hope that helped! : )

Vic

I did my pop-up blocker to high. I don't see the pop-ups any more but I can hear them being blocked.

I only offer SASES rarely any more because I'm pretty busy and really don't have the time to do mass SASE mailings any more. I don't trade often either as I sell a lot of my plants and vegetables at Farmers Market to suppliment our SS income so I have to know for sure I'm selling what I have them labeled as so I pretty much have to buy all my seeds now....but I do on the occassion reply to a post if it's something(s) I really would like ...make an offer,get a counter offer, reply an agreement then it's like they fall off the face of the earth. I'm not mean and if someone can't follow thur on a trade,I'd understand but I don't understand not letting you know "anything".

Being on a fixed income and the economy being what it is,I know a lot of us are having to raise a large portion of our food so when I see someone needing vegetable seeds I try to offer them for SASE but when they don't even respond to your offer after you've answered their post....that's just plain rude.

Maybe my guidelines on my trade page is too strict...maybe I'm just being an old pooh and should just let it go.

Peggy

I have done a few offers and have only had a couple people, contact me ,I send them details, and then the envy doesn't arrive. I keep my offers to a limited number of people,so it is easy for me to remind them if it doesn't come through. Every time they have got back to me and were completely honest on just plain old forgetting or had something occur,I respect the honesty and dont hold it against them,it does happen.Dh has told me and I have heard others say it,if you are offering the seeds you shouldn't have to hunt them down to share with them,in some sense I agree on that,but, I just remember people are human and at times we all goof and forget at one point or another.

If this is happening often,I don't blame you if you don't do as many offers,I can see why it would irritate you after awhile. I know you have offered many more seeds, in a greater quantity, to lots more people than I ever have and honestly statements from you and other vets that are fed up are why I keep my offers to a small amount of people. I don't want any of this to be ruined for me,this hobby and coming here have been a real good outlet for me. I hate to see stuff like this ruin it for some folks. Keeping the offers small,gives you a more relaxed feeling. You don't get bombarded and when there are less people involved you can keep track of them better if you have too. It is enjoyable to share when there is less of a chance of a hassle! On one of my offers,I only had like 6 people to keep track of,so I did it RR style and posted as to who I have heard from,whose envy arrived,envies sent,and envies received,so it was all right there posted for all of GW to see,if someone blew off the offer,it will be shown on that thread. The second offer I was busy and didnt get a chance to,but it is something I plan to do as often as possible with my future offers,maybe it helps keep them on their toes!;)
I know you like to share your seeds and it should not be something you regret or burden you,just remember the people like me that were so happy to receive the seeds you offered,(all are doing great may I add!),I think of you whenever I look at my nice mound of Wine Cups ,and these wonderful little patches of Toadlilies and think of how beautiful they will be when they bloom next year, and how wonderful you are for sharing such awesome seeds! :) I know I am not the only one doing this I am sure!

I hope I don't sound "preachy",I just hate to see such great people being discouraged from doing something they used to enjoy so much,it isn't fair to you.

Now on the subject of manners,you are right when you say some people lack them,there are a few folks I sent nice envies of seed to, that I had to actually go back,email and inquire if they ever received them. No email to let you know they arrived or a simple thank you, I find this rude. I don't share seeds for the gratitude from others,I do it for myself because it does feel good to make someone else happy,but I am disappointed when this happens,it shows me that some people take for granted the generosity shown here.
I do not let this discourage me,because the ones that do let you know, are soooo happy and appreciate the seeds so much,I forget about the others.

So sorry for going on and on about this, I just hate knowing that a GW vet is feeling so bad about something she helped build. When I first started GW you were one of the people that blew me away,I couldn't believe how many great seeds you were offering to so many people. Even when your computer went nutty on you,you handled it with such a great attitude,you didn't let it get you down and kept right on going,making sure everyone was taken care of,that is the GW spirit I love and why I come here every day possible!

Just remember vets, for every person that doesn't appreciate,there are far more that do and that you inspire in many ways,your experience and advice help so many people learn a lot more than seed trading and you are appreciated!:)

~Angie....taking her mushy butt to do some seed harvesting...well, after the dishes are done!;)

The Newbie Seed Project 2008-09 is off and running. I have been fortunate to have good noobs with nice manners. Yes, mistakes are made, but they're noobs after all. I have only posted a few short offerings on Winter Sowing. When more donations are in I will move to this forum. So far so good.

What makes this work so well is that I choose the seeds. If I don't get a SASBE, then they just wait for the next SASBE. Takes the pressure off.

Angie,
Thanks for your kind words.

Peggy

It is such a shame that people don't follow through. It is because of offers like yours that I got my start in trading this year. I have offered plants for postage and received 10 replies but only 6 followed through. After reading many posts I decided to put a date on my posting stating that if the postage did not arrive by that date, the offer was closed and postage would be returned. I was just happy that some people got the benefit of my offer and those that didn't follow through, well like you said...just plain rude.

Peggy,

I received seeds from you last season, and let me tell you...they were MUCHLY appreciated ! I am so sorry that so many people dont respond properly..but for those of us that DO, it would be really sad to see all the offers go away !!

Maybe we should try doing posts of SASBE to VETS only..and then they would work at using manners and then they can get seeds ...whatcha think ? I dont think ANYTHING is fool proof..

Again, I am someone that really THANKS anyone that has shared with me..I wouldnt be able to afford to have a garden otherwise !

Kym

I meant every word Peg!:)

Yep. I've offered two SASBE free/trade offers. Out of 14 respondents, I still have 6 that have not sent their envelopes. I'm not bothering to contact them. Two of the offers are over 6 weeks old now and no contact from them either.

I'm happy many people did respond and trades went well. Hopefully I have not missed anyone that actually sent an envelope. I'm sure if I did, they would contact me, right?

does blowing off a sasbe offer count as a valid R&R complaint?

does blowing off a sasbe offer count as a valid R&R complaint?

No, but their name 'does' go on my 'private' list of folks to not mess with in the future. Their name also goes on there is there is no acknowledgment whatsoever of the seeds being received, if they were sent for free (postage on me) or for a bubble envy and postage, particularly if I include extra goodies from my stash that is on their 'want' list.

Sue

see, sue i think, that we should have something set up where if people do that, then they should be wrote on the list of sase/sasbe no sender. i have been to another site where they do that. i like that idea. i think if they did, it would make things alot easier and people think twice!! thats for sure!!
also i like how they do the trades over there. all out in the open, no private contacts. its all in the message board. so it protects both people. as far as the trade goes. the chit chat stays in the email. see, i like that idea. but i also like the vast knowledge here!! and the many forums here!! sorry for the ot! ~Medo

I'm VERY, VERY thankful here.... as sad as this sounds, I probably would never have been the kind of die-hard gardener I'm going to be now if it hadn't been for a couple of posts that offered seeds for postage. I wouldn't have thought I had a list worth trading, so I wouldn't have been a trader, either, and now I'm off and running in trading in a bigger than most newbies kind of way... LOL

I feel gardening, (okay, don't hit me here), is almost a dying away past-time... of all the people my age and within a good decade each way of me (so a total of 30 years or so covered around my age), I don't know ANY gardeners outside of these forums. Close to home here, I only know two people that garden, and they're a little older and both retired. One doesn't grow crops. He just plants a few perennial flowers, and that's it. The other has only grown tomatoes from what I can tell and plants some different flowers every year around them.

Again, really bad here... but, I wouldn't know what some of the stuff I used to buy at the store actually came from if it wasn't for the new past-time I've picked up here recently... I didn't know what on earth a brussel sprout plant looked like! I had no idea what MOST plants looked like that I was eating the fruits of, and herbs, forget it! (i.e. do you know what a rice plant looks like?)

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that this is definitely a great way to get more "newbies" into gardening and those that are in need. My sister was dead broke with her husband unemployed and had NO idea how to grow a single plant for anything... if it weren't for GW, people like her would NOT be gardening or trying to provide for their families through growing their own crops... most people who are poor, don't even CONSIDER growing their own food as an option, because it's just not what almost anyone does any more.

We can help spread the desire to grow great things through the Seed Exchange and encouraging newbies by offering seeds for postage. They can then learn all they need to on how to grow that item, etc... then, we just brought a whole new generation of gardeners on board before we know it.

I, for one, am very thankful for these type offers. I would encourage those doing them (as I will do myself in the future) to limit how the offer is going to work so the person responding respects it more and knows it holds value. Many times things aren't appreciated that are free (which is sad), but if we help just one person to feel the way Angie, Medo, me, and others feel, then we're doing a GREAT thing, right?

Blessings,
Angela

i agree, i just learned how to can, so i will be really realyiing on my crops and what i get in trades, and sasbes this and next year. i think for me, i'm starting to do as i've seen other people do, put it in the biginning what i want, also i think i will add that if you don't expect to send it, don't reply. its a waste of your time, and mine. i'm not trying to be mean, but i have alot of things to do, and getting these things done, and then having them set back for you and you not sending is wrong. but i'm also gonna ask the "Powers that be" if we can get one of those lists going also. i think that would discourage alot of this!!

I've considered going back to threads and putting"Offer retacted due to lack of response" but I'm not sure how ivillage would feel about that. They might boot me out.

AS for gardening being a dying art...with the way our economy is going,folks better learn to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty if they plan on eating.I've been gardeing for awhile but with my hub's retiring last year,we live on a fixed income so most of our food I grow in my little backyard garden and I still have enough for my kids and grandkids w/ plenty left over to sale at farmers market.

Peggy

I don't know anyone who's been on these forums for some years who doesn't have something in their garden that came from Peggy. I've got Gaura growing here which came from Peg; they're lovely, whispy things which I've shared many seeds from.

Peg, I don't think putting a retraction in your offering would get you booted, but it could get you a little flack from some overly-sensitive posters--especially those who are new to the GW and don't know they're going up against an Ent.

Many years back I remember being terribly frustrated and fed up by the piles of seed packs that were waiting for SASEs to arrive; I was frustrated to the point where I was going to stop sharing seeds but that would frustrate and sadden me all the more. I thought about this for a few days as it was an awful conundrum--to be frustrated by a few or frustrated and saddened by reacting to the few and removing all chances of joy and satisfaction from sharing my seeds. It was like a lightbulb turning on and provide illumination; I knew what to do--I would still share my seeds but the seeds would be my choice; and that's how the Six Pack SASE was born.

I would hate to see anyone disuaded from sharing their seeds because of frustration issues; you become frustrated because you promised to share those seeds and lost ownership of them with that promise--while waiting for the SASE to arrive you are responsible for tending someone else's property; it's a set-up for angst.

As to myself, there sometimes is fury frustration when I see the WinterSown SASE addresses published on freebie forums and blogs. Earlier this year I was galled to see that a "Coupon Queen" had PRINTED the address in the subscription newsletter that she mails to homes. On the website I've had to make a Freebie Warning page; I would like to thank the site users who let me know when there's a new flare-up because when one freebie site has it the rest pick it up.

This made another conundrum. How do I continue to share free seeds and not get ripped off by the freebeasts?

I am about to kill two birds with one stone.

T

Trudi, I can say that I completed my first SASE with you and wintersown.org.

Thanks for enabling my addiction. :)

"Thanks for enabling my addiction. :)"

Hehehe

Trudi! I love the Flame Warriors! I cant wait to read them all! Just a few I read remind me of a few people I know here...lol..You always find the coolest sites! :)

I love Flame Warriors too. It's helped me laugh my way through forums with outrageous posters. We're ALL in there!
===================

Okay, back to getting two birds with one stone...I don't know if I will ever deter all the freebeasts because there will always be someone determined to 'crash the gate'. I am very grateful to the kind people who have shared seeds with WinterSown. Kudos to everyone who has sent in flowers, veggies, maters and trees. I have a responsibiity to those people to assure tht whomever sends a SASE knows that the website offers info on germination, transplant, etc. (It's like getting a rescue from a pet shelter--they're not going to hand over a puppy unless they know you can care for the puppy, and very importantly, you also know the shelter can be a resource for knowledge about how to care for the puppy.)

So, with that in mind, you need to have an idea of what the website covers before you get the seeds. I ask please that any of you check the link below and let me know if there are any gosh-awful glitches. I've been working at this for two days and I am basically brain-fried at this point. Though I did lots of edits there are (no doubt) a few glitches in the text. If you catch any please let me know.

Kindly,

T

Here is a link that might be useful: Begin here ;-)

Hi Trudi!

Have you every hung out on those freebie boards? Those guys are sneaky, one person will complete the quiz and probably either give the link to the direct page on their message board or publish the answers. Maybe you know a webmaster trick to avoid that? I hope it works for you tho.

:)
D

Well, all the answers are very simple but the questions do rotate, and also no one needs a code or printout. I won't put in either though I certainly could. Freebie people are usually 'instant gratification' people--some will be deterred. The Gateway will do some filtering, I know it won't ever be 100%. Most of the webmasters I've contacted have been quite gracious and immediately taken out the addies. I never have a problem when there's some text about WS or links to the FAQs/whatevers on any forum or blog, but for outright freebie grabs I will respond.

Many people who are new to WS are referred to the site from a search engine; they are delighted to find both info and seeds to get them started. The Gateway gives the user some ideas about the site and its purpose--to me this will be the most practical use of the Gateway.

I just checked my live stats and people are going through the Gateway--it's going to work out well I do believe. This took me two days to build so it had better work (self-harumphhh).

I need to run and shower, I am being sworn into Zonta tonight ;-) I will check this post later. Everyone have a good evening!

Hugs to all,

T

PS...Godbless everyone who has by comment or kind and generous action helped WinterSown. You're the best.

Trudi, I check your site. Maybe I'm slow, but the game seemed a little confusing when I didn't see the word "easy" next in the sentence. I thought it was just a game to see if I was a computer, not a real game. LOL

I also didn't realize I could continue on without playing the game. I think if people see that, they'll post it on their freebie forums, and the same problem will arise again, don't you? Maybe not having a "continue" button would be better?

Also, the word successful in the first game was spelled "succesful", so just add an extra s there and that page is up to date.

Blessings,
Angela

Thank you Angela, I fixed the spelling of successful ;-)

The title of the exercise is 'Winter Sowing is Easy'. From below you click on the words to form a sentence. You use all the words to make a sentence that should reinforce the title.

The purpose of the gateway is to serve as an means to let people know what is available on the website, secondary to that it will also knock down some of the freebie traffic because the address is no longer at the original url and impatient freebeasts won't click through the whole way.

"Continue" ~ I think you're talking about the 'Play Again' button. Well, repetition is an ancient learning tool.

Thanks again for the info about successful.

T

LOL... Oh, dear, I think I might have high-jacked this thread not meaning to...

Trudi, the game says:
"Winter Sowing is Easy."

After you read that, you read:
"Click on the words in correct order to form a sentence."

It kind of sounds like it's saying exactly that. Winter sowing is easy. Click on the words in correct order to form a sentence. (like those exact words...)

Then, the first 3 words of the game are "Winter sowing is", so it's natural to think you're looking now for the word "easy" next. Kind of like those "type the following phrase to continue" things... Know what I mean?

Then, at the bottom of the page, there is a button that says, "Go to Next". This is on every page of the game. Don't play the game at all, just click that button the whole way through, and you go straight to the free seeds page.

I was a freebie nut.... just go to: (removed the website when I thought better of it as it is my own website redirected to my old freebie site). Well, they would tell people, just click the button at the bottom of the page to go all the way to the final page, or whatever their directions were, so I was just trying to point out that that particular method might need a tiny bit of adjustment to steer that kind of behaviour away. I'm just trying to help you avoid abuse of your generosity.

Blessings,
Angela

Angela,

I think you're getting hung up on the button text and their functions which has distracted you from that the gateway's primary function is for showing what's on the site. Because I have a lot of material to work with I can at any time change the urls that the gateway goes to. I watch my live stats and can see where people come from to get to the website--they either go through or they don't.

Some people will always crash the gate, but the vast, VAST majority don't. And as the vast majority of people who come to WinterSown do come through a search engine they are new to the site; I have a responsibilty to MYSELF that the site users know what's available--the gateway does that. I can change whatever is in the gateway very simply--I can make up quizzes and puzzles from a vast amount of information at the site, link and upload them.

The main thing is that it is helping to eliminate abuse. I'm up for that and anything that encourages generosity without abuse! A matter of fact, I can't WAIT to grow everything I've received, either in trade or for a mailer with postage, and be able to share with others like has been done for me.

You know, it's been a VERY long time since I felt that people were "good", generous, loving kinds of people... Gardeners here at GW are sure changing that for me.... I'm really liking the softening process that's going on with me. What a blessing you all are! I seriously have been brought to tears when opening a package more times than I want to admit. Now I want to make others feel that way about their trades with me... just knock their socks off! LOL

Blessings,
Angela

Well,I must be retarded as I have responded to 2-3 more post requesting seeds/plants with same result. Hope spring eternal....LOL. Sometimes I think I'll just give up but....nope,I'm right back in there....LOL

Thanks for all your kind words.

Peggy

Peggy,you are not retarded! It seems the folks you are offering to are the ones with issues,maybe you are like my friend,she,no matter what,even as nice as she is,if it is the utility co.,grocery store clerk,she always ends up with them treating her like crap,giving her the wrong info,ect...we have dealt with the same people and I always have different results and look at her like she is nuts....lol...Michelle N. would you like to interject here? I am sure if she sees this thread she will tell you all about it! :)
Peg,I say save your generosity for those you know for sure will come through for you, if possible. I know it certainly has nothing to do with your seeds or your person,because you have great seeds and are a very nice person.
I am glad to hear you arent going to let a few people ruin what you like doing!:)

girl,
Well I can't give up. Ya never know which person you respond to will be your next great trade.I have a list of gardeners I have successfully traded w/ over the years that I am still trading w/ yearly. Folks like me that have those wonderful,odd and beautiful specimens we find in our on-line searches from unique nurseries.I try to purchase something new and unique 2-3 times a year...don't need anything new but just can't seem to help myself....LOL...and I consider my new beauties my payday for all my hard work in the nursery,veggie garden and sells at market support my bad habit and if your going to have a bad habit it may as well be a plant fetish*BSG*

Seed addiction. Hmmm.




?





hmmm

I'm brand new at seed trading and have had only 2 experiences 1 good 1 bad. I didn't know the rules and tried contacting the person several times but no response, was that a rude thing to do? Also I sent the seeds and emailed her to let her know they were on the way. Was that the right way or should I have done something different?

Now my next question is how can I get hierloom tomatoe seeds when all I have is flower seeds? I had my first taste of one this summer and it was wonderful.

Hi Phyllis! When you say you tried to contact the person several times do you mean concerning an existing trade? If so,than no it is not rude,good communication is golden when in a trade with someone.If you were emailing this person trying to set up a trade,and they didn't respond by the second email,that could be considered rude,I guess.

"Also I sent the seeds and emailed her to let her know they were on the way. Was that the right way or should I have done something different?"

It is absolutely the right thing to do,again,good communication. I am sure just about everybody would agree with that! :) It is nice to know when to expect your seeds,and I like to let people know in case of a PO error. If it gets lost ,I can take care of it right away, and than there are no assumptions or misunderstandings because too much time went by before I realized there was a problem.

Sorry one of your 2 trades was not pleasant,I hope you plan to stick around,you will see it is not common to have bad experiences,you will have many more good ones,I promise! I have done many trades and cant even count on one hand for the bad ones,the odds are for you! :)

Check out the winter sowing forum if you haven't already,there are always good topics on the board and the method is unbelievable!

~Angie...who needs to get her rear back outside...it is a beautiful day! :D

Phyllis,

Angie is aces on about the WS forum, it's a very kind and friendly place--with a good sense of humor. It's getting closer to Winter Solstice everyday, I'm already planning to wear grosgrain ribbons in my hair this year on Solstice but maybe that's all, well...maybe I'll add a sprig of fir ;-)

On your end you were keen on contact and you fulfilled your end of the trade. You nailed the two most important aspects of online trading--communications and meeting your commitment. At this point your obligation is done; and maybe--but never always--the trader on the other end will let you know that your seeds arrived.

=====================================
UPDATE:

I've been apparently successful in deterring the freebeasts, however the tomato list remains unprotected. That gets covered next. I've printed out a pile of extension fact-sheets about an inch thick and from them I will glean all I need.

In the meantime I've been wasting time and fooling with graphics templates for seed packets.

T

Hey T - getting ready for the solstice too - cheese fondue and a dry chardonnay - and some seed sowing.

Boy I hate to be a kill joy, but I had to post on the main exchange about the chronic state of noobs not sending postage. Some snafus could be expected, but I have had SEVEN in the last week with 1-2 stamps on the return bubble mailer and the post specifies 4. I have gone through three sheets of stamps in the last several weeks beefing up the mailers with 3 and I'm a little tapped out.

Arugh.

I feel for you. I do. You can go nuts or not. I chose not.

I try to make everything very easy to understand, but people can get confused or I think it may also just be habit to put one stamp on an envelope and not two, whatever it is I always try to do best I can. Some people I know would just toss SASEs with insufficient postage in the trash, but I would never do that. I could never do that.

I have two methods to help me not lose my sanity.

There is a postage kitty here that sometimes has loose stamps which have been generously shared inside SASEs specificaly for the kitty. When I put on a stamp I also put on sticker on saying We shared '41 cents with you' and inside is a note about two-stamp SASEs and an address to contribute loose stamps to the postage fund. When the kitty is empty I can't cough up a couple of books because I'm tight for the week I have to send the "Consolation Pack" which is a pack of seeds attached to a printed note with the two-stamp SASE message and the address to try again.

I just finished filling the day's SASEs, they often come with personal notes about first-time seed saving, or what toamtoes taste like the tomatoes Grandpa grew. Last month I went down overnight to the NAL in Belstville MD to hear a two hour lecture about germplasm. Moth to a flame ;-)

T

Hey Trudi,
My 1 bad trade has ended well. She has been very busy,but I've not been forgotten. I feel better now. I looked all thru the wintersown.org site it has a lot of info and they sent me seeds. Some I'm not sure about,but will keep reading to find out when,where and what to do with them. I love gardenweb.