Sounds great, Michelle! Thanks for firming things up. I look forward to seeing everyone again.

Nelson

Unless Idig has confirmed something with Smoky Hollow, this sounds good to me. We are still close to Smoky Hollow restaurant and within a few miles of Petals from the Past. On behalf of everyone, I want to thank Idig for working on this. It requires a lot of follow-up work because those we call about a swap site do not put returning our "swap" calls at the top of their priority list. After all, we are a bunch of eccentric gardeners. Michelleswonders, do you think Ms. Ellison would send you an email confirmation in case someone questioned us about using the park&ride lot? Thanks for everyone's hard work and ideas.

Terry,

Mrs. Ellison explained to me on the phone that it is owned by the state and free to the public. I spoke to several people at work who use it often to meet family and friends to drive up to Birmingham. When I spoke to the owner of the Chevron across the street she stated that some people even have mini yard sales out of that lot. I can call her back tomorrow but I don't think it is necessary after speaking with everyone.

That works for me! Thanks Michelle! I called Smoky Hollow again and got another, "I'll have them call you back", so this works out fine with me!

So 10am, May 2nd, at the Park-n-Ride. I'm not real familiar with Jemison, is it just the one exit? I am what my children lovingly call directionally impaired (missed out on the internal compass), so I try to get precise directions in unfamiliar places!

i'm looking forward to seeing everyone
in Jemison. does anyone know if there
is any shade at the edge of the parking
lot ?

wayne

Another thanks to Michelle and shana for organizing. and maybe Fall or next year, we can have one in Talledega at Jan's!!!

Is it just me, or are the redbuds and cherry trees just prettier than normal this year? its been quite a winter this year, and i can't wait to see everybody.

Todd

okay sounds good! I am planning to come to visit - and will see what i can get up out of ground - once stimulus crap is over at work. Most of the deadlines are the 14th, although i did see one that says the 27th. i SHOULD be at work today but i am not, i am weeding so then i can maybe start digging! I am not gonna arrange any trades in advance though unless i see that i will definitely get to dig stuff up.

Ahhh, I have fresh dirt and compost under my fingernails, the birds are chirping, and all is right with the world....

Ok, PFTP called me back! We can also do it there, I just need to call and let them know. So chime in and let me know whether to tell them thanks, or no thanks!

I'm confused. Did PFTP call or Smoky Hollow? I would still love to do it at PFTP. Then we can all shop. If it was PFTP, I say "YES!!!"

Since they're only a mile apart, it doesn't matter to me. Just wherever there is room -- and preferably a little shade. We can swap at either, eat at one and shop at the other. Can't wait.

It was PFTP, I had a voicemeil saying sorry they didn't get back with me last week, but that 10am May 2nd is fine with them for us to swap and shop. I will call back and clarify that we are swapping plants, though I think they understood that with the original phone call. I am completely unfamiliar with the area,have only been to PFTP once uears ago, so I have no dea about shade. Does anyone live near there who can maybe check it out?

Shana, thanks for the reply. I would say go ahead and cofirm with PFTP. Everyone was originally excited about PFTP. When you do, just ask about the possibility of parking in a shady area. I think Wayne is just wanting to come prepared for full sun. I don't think the Park & Ride lot will have shade trees.

ok, I'll call them tomorrow!

Like Rosie, I won't have much to trade, maybe some daylilies, but I'd love to come visit, especially if it's at PFTP. Haven't been there in quite a while.
My daylilies keep me so busy that I don't have much time for potting up other things, but since it won't be until May, hopefully I can get a few things potted to bring.
Hope to see all of you there.
Jan

Idig,
I'd like to trade a Beautyberry for your Veronica, if you still have one available.
Thanks,
Susan.

I do and that sounds great!

PFTP is closed on Monday, but I will call again tomorrow to confirm with them.

We have a confirmation from PFTP. WE have permission to use the parking area near the barn (the wedding is later so we won't interfere).

I am excited and look forward to seeing you all again!

Good! Now that we know where to meet, swap, eat & shop (not necessarily in that order!), I can do nametags if folks will e-mail me with their GW username, given name, and any other names for attendees.

See ya'll soon!

Hello ya'll;
I am Hoe_N_Round from south Al. Near Gulf Shores. All the talk about a plant swap has me feelin like a red headed step youngun way down here.LOL
I am new to the forum(duh) and am FINALLY making my dream of a moon garden a reality. I finally found the seeds for the moon flower; but that's as far as I have gotten as yet.

I have an acre of land that in some aspects is already landscaped; with very mature plants, flowers and trees.
But due to my health I haven't been able to do what is on my "to-do list".

I live on SSI so I have to have clippings; of which I am more than happy to share mine too; just come and clip!!!

So; if anyone near me is interested; just holler. I am in Summerdale.
And I pray the swap is a huge success; who knows it may turn out to be like the gigantic yard sale thingy.LOL

We may can even get one going here in the south south of Al.;
and meet ya'll in the middle.

blessings to all....
Hoe_N_Round in south Alabama

Hi Nelson,
I still have my name tag from last fall's swap, so I am good to go. Sorry you can't be with us, Hoe, the swap is a lot of fun, and good folks!!

OK, I expect to come. Nelson, I have lost my nametag. The name is Kenneth Quinn. I'm not sure what i will bring.

One thing puzzles me. I haveheard that Smoky Hopllow's food is TERRIBLE! Any comments?

I thought I had already posted a big THANK YOU to Shana, but I don't see it. Shana, thanks for your efforts on our behalf. Following up and talking to people again and again and trying to nail down the details can be frustrating. THANKS for your efforts! - Terry

You are welcome, Terry. It can be frustrating for sure, but it will be well worth the effort, I think! Everyone was so generous with me on my first swap, the least I could do was spend a little time working on this one!

ok I've updated my trade list fornow & have posted on the exchange page so I'm ready to go! :O).Looking forward to seeing everyone again.Go look & see if there's anything I can bring anyone. Jan

Hi, Idig. I am sending this in response to your response about calycanthus Venus. But before I do, will you considering doing your Gardenweb friends a favor? Please add your email address to your profile but add it so it is hidden. Then we can email you indirectly via Gardenweb. Jill Bearden asked me this week if I have your email addy and I don't. Please consider it? Now about the calycanthus Venus.
idig, here is the email I received from Almost Eden asking about the same thing.
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeffm@almostedenplants.com
To: Terry Smith
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: Question about the product Product B40038
We have more coming , maybe here March, likely 6-10" tall.
If you do not find an item, please call, or e-mail, sometimes we have a few 'strays'. We mainly ship on Mondays, by U.S. Priority Mail. You may then expect delivery in 2 to 3 days.

I didn't even realize no one could email me through here! Sorry! It should be corrected now.

I just found this website yesterday. And, I think a plant swap sounds very fun, but the problem is that I really don't have anything to swap. Do you guys accept cash for ant of your plants? I can bring that with me. We just moved into our house last year, and I haven't really had time to start much of a landscape. Thanks. Let me know.

hey scorpio.mom---- no cash, but if you come i guarantee you will take home plants for your yard. everyone brings extras to share. note though, we trade for anything garden related, such as----bags of soil, specialty fertilizers, garden art, homemade jams, crafts, books, you name it.

see you there,
wayne

Yes, as Wayne alluded to, we're just a bunch of wannabe horticulturists, with the emphasis on "hor" ;-) We'll trade for anything of value.

I've got lots of musa 'mannii', a very hardy dwarf banana, that I can bring any new traders, along with some assorted elephant ears. Ya'll feel free to pilfer through my exchange page - I'm tired of taking care of all these extras.

Nelson

Scorpiomom,

Last Fall was my first swap and I came with very little and left with a car FULL! Everyone was soo generous and welcoming!

You'd be hard pressed to find a gardener who will refuse mushrom compost, mulch, or soil. Sometimes you can get shrink wrapped busted bags at Lowe's in a discount bin.

Hey Nelson, speak for yourself! I don't have a problem, really I don't. Just because I pull weeds from other people's beds while visiting, or have a compulsion to jump out of the car while stopped at a traffic light on Green Springs during rush hour traffic to pull a weed from a liriope bed (I did resist!). I don't have a problem! Really, I don't :-)

OK, I know Nelson is certifiably crazy because we share many of the same quirks and life experiences. But we're OK. No, really, we're OK. Really, really, we ARE OK! Now there is an OCD joke in the story about weeds in the liriope bed along Green Springs Hwy but I'm not going there, NOT AT ALL! This comes from a man who carries a D-handle sharp shovel behind the seat of his pickup truck. NO, really, I AM OK!

Well, I don't suffer from OCD, maybe OCGD (obsessive compulsive gardening disorder). My daughter does tell me she has CDO, it's like OCD but in aphabetical order, like it should be!

As for us, I offer this quote:

Gardening is a kind of disease. It infects you, you cannot escape it.
When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the
serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed.
- Lewis Gannit

We really, really don't have a problem! Really......

Well, that makes me feel much better. Maybe I will get to come to the swap. So it's on May 2nd at 10 am at Petals from the Past?

Please keep checking my list as I am adding to it as plants reappear.

I'm looking for winter hardy shrubs, bulbs or perennials for shade or sun.
Susan.

Okay, I am so laughing at myself right now---I have been having a serious blond moment---I have been on here every day supposedly reading the updates---and have had it in my mind all along that the swap is tomorrow--LOL!! I am glad that I have a few more weeks to dig more goodies at my old house, disappointed that I don't get to see y'all tomorrow, and relieved that there is a good reason that I haven't seen more trading going on!! Duh!! LOL!!

Nelson, my name is Marguerite Bright

I will be at the swap with Ms. Jan. I am bringing birdhouses, jams and jellies. If anyone is interested in southern naturalizing daffodils, let me know as I am getting ready to thin and move a lot of bulbs. Sorry, I don't know the variety names, they are all colors and types, some are early bloomers and some are late bloomers and I don't know which are which. I will put off moving some of the bulbs and bring them to the swap, if there is an interest... Marguerite

Hello Marguerite,

I just want to know what I can offer in exchange for some muscadine jelly or jam! Please look at my page and let me know if I have anything that interests you.

Hi Marguerite,

Id love to bring you some plants for a birdhouse or some bulbs.

Todd

So, i am new to this, just joined a few minutes ago. When/Where is this plant swap a friend told me about? I have lots of black flower pots, i know a friend of mine can spare some newspaper, and i may even have a plant or two to bring. I am still learning, can anyone help?

hey naturemom---read above comments and all will be revealed. see you at the swap.

wayne

I have been pondering about coming to the plant swap. If it is at Petals from the Past in Jemison, AL (which i have NEVER been to before), it will be a 56 mile drive in 1 direction for me. Would it be worth the 112 mile round trip? I've never been and just want to make sure that the drive would be worth it.
I will have things to bring like all sorts of size flower pots, some small Yellow Mums, som yellow Cannas, a Texas Star Cactus, some 4 o'clock (not sure of the color...i have Yellow, Hot Pink and Verigated Yellow/Pink) and they will all be babies that seeded themselves. All will come in small pots with my homemade compost. But, again, I would like to make sure the trip would be worth it.

Naturemom: I have about the same distance to go as you do (51 miles for me), and I've never been to Petals from the Past either. I've only been to one swap so far, and I came home with way more than I took with me, so I think it's definitely worth the drive. Plus I've been wanting to go to Petals anyway. so here's my chance ! Hopefully we'll have nice weather that day, and I'm going to treat the drive as a nice one-day getaway...

Telly and nanturemom the swap is reason enough to come, but you will probably go crazy at Petals From The Past! They have lots of stuff not listed on their website, and a lot is stuff not seen at most nureries.

It's about the same driving distance for me, and I go 2-3 times a year. It's simply worth it: the drive down Highway 25 is spectacular, Jemison itself is a scenic little town with lots of Southern charm, and "Petals" always has something to take my money!

Nelson

Is it worth it? You betcha sweet bippy it is!!! :) Just meeting all the "swap regulars" is worth it. I remember my first swap like it was yesterday. The folks will make you feel like you've known them forever and just the gardening conversations with them is worth the drive. I'd go even if I came home with no plants!!! But, fat chance of that! You'll never meet a more generous crowd and like everyone says, Petals is a wonderful nursery to explore too so that's an extra bonus this spring.
Hope to see you and everyone else at the swap. :)
Jan

I have updated my trade list if anyone's interested. I have mostly named daylilies to trade.
Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: my trade list

Bumping up in case some newbies haven't seen it. :)
Jan

I'm new here. What's this about a plant swap? Has the date been set? Please let me know when and where. I live in Walker County. Would it be worth the drive for me? And most important (according to my husband)are there any good eating places close by?

garvicethecat-The swap will be May 2 at the nursery Petals From The Past, near Jemison, AL. It's located just off I65 at exit #219. There is a place called Smokey Hollow real near the nursery that we'll eat at.
Read through this thread and you'll learn a lot about the swap, then go to the "exchange" side of the forum to see what folks have to trade, etc.
Here's a link to the exact directions to the swap.
Hope to see you there. :)
Jan

Here is a link that might be useful: directions to the spring swap

Wow its been a while since I logged on here, but glad I did. I am going to do my darnedest to make it Saturday. Jemison is not to far from Helena. I have not looked through many trade list, but I pretty much only have vegetable and herbs (mainly seeds). Hopefully I can earn my keep. Thanks for the hard work of those that put these things together.