We do have both a fall and spring swap. Usually in august somebody here will ask "When is the fall swap?" Then everybody will respond "Whenever you start organizing it." Then a dates will be cussed and discussed until a time in Sept. or so emerges, and its usually somewhere in the greater B'ham area, but sometimes a little further south.

How many folks do y'all get at your swaps?

Jan, Birdlady10 had offered to have it at her place. Plan as a whole day affair. Trade in the morning, eat lunch nearbye and go back to Jan's for some good conversation on plants, seeds, cuttings and other ideas. Then too what about the nurseries. Anything special? Good Sales, get a lot for the price? Anybody have a bunch of something where you come dig? Special interests? Well I'm sure there's someone with an interest like yours where you can share ideas or plants or just answer questions. Then too, we trade more than plants. There''s potting soil, pots, trellis, buckets, crafts and even goodies like jams jellies and maybe something you cooked. It's just a down home get together of plant lovers. May even sneak around some nurseries close by. I've never regretted going as always so great to see old friends and make some new ones. Everyones welcome except that lady that walks around for free plants and brings nothing. We got to get her some poison ivy to take home so she won''t come back!!!!!!! I say plan now so you will have it on the calendar where no excuse not to come. Come on down to Talledega and if Jan can't do it, we can always find another place. Even my place or a park or whatever but there will be a swap. Lynn

I've never been to a plant swap before. Could someone please tell me what is expected from someone new. Meaning how many plants are we expected to bring and any info like that.

Shadowpaige, our swaps are very informal. We usually begin posting requests for "wants" and post our "haves" on the "Exchanges" page noted at the top of the Alabama Forum page. I may post a request "WANTED: Colocasia Black Magic. Please look at my trade list to determine what you would like in exchange." You may reply to my post and say: "Terry, I have Black Magic. I see you have A. portidora and I would like a piece of it." I say OK and we have a trade. I may also have 20 pots of hardy hibiscus but I don't list them. I may bring them to the swap and give them out to anyone who wants them. I may also bring lots of extras which I may have to share with anyone who wants them. Everyone is very friendly and generous and share whatever they have. My philosophy is that if I share with people, I know who to go to if I lose a plant I have shared. Go to the top of this page and click on the EXCHANGE tab. Browse the Exchange page to get a feel for how we handle our swap. NOW be sure you make plans to come to the swap. We always like to meet new friends. - Terry

AND, we also will swap anything garden related - pots, rocks, bags of mulch or manure, garden decor, garden books, bird houses or feeders, etc. Most people bring extras. We always have a good time. Linda

For swap planning purposes, could we skip Oct 18th since it is the date of the Middle TN plant Swap and the Birmingham gardens fall plant sale?

Is the sale more likely to be in September or October?

Evelyn

I vote for October - September is usually too hot. JMHO
Linda

Either September or October is fine with me. I would like to start potting plants for the swap well ahead of time. Off the top of my head I remember that I have a lot of Helleborus babies, Ceratostigma and mixed bearded Irises. I will update my list soon. Would any one like Dicliptera suberecta? If so please let me know and I will root some for you.
Thanks,
Susan.

It is my understanding that this winter is to be hard - lower temps and more freezing.
If I'm able to come, I would prefer September to give the plants time to get a good root system and make it through the winter. As in the past, I think October is just too late.
Lynn

Lynn: Are you talking about that lady that brought garden books, and no one needed any, so there was very little actual trading going on, but this lady took home lots of plants?

No, this lady had nothing. I noticed she would pick up a plant or 2 and walk to a car. Then she'd walk to other people, talk, get a plant and then finally left. We were all talking and it came up who was she? Nobody knew!! :O) Hope she enjoyed the plants. She was very nice. I enjoy sharing plants, just like to know who the people are I'm sharing with.
Lynn

My daughter was at the spring swap and she said the lady with plant books was there. This wasn't at the spring swap, it was at one of the Oak Mountain Swaps.
Lynn

Did the lady with the books have short dark hair with thin glasses, looks like she's in her late 40's or early 50's? If so I think I have an idea who it is.....lol

Wait a minute, we say we will trade for books and other items besides plants.Again, the Lady I was referring to brought nothing and it was at one of the Oak Mountain Swaps.
You two want to make fun of someone, you leave me out of it. Swaps in the past have always been to include other items other than plants to help people just starting out. Leave me out of your LOL's.
Lynn

Lynn,

We all missed you at the last swap at PFTP. I sure like the toad lilies I got from
your daughter. Hope to see you both at the next Fall one.

Todd

Lynn,
Glad you wrote the comments about the book swapping - I had thought that was true but it was nice to get confirmation.

Now, lets digress back to the topic.... Since one person said September is hot (my attitude) and someone else mentioned October might be late in case it is a cold winter, what if we consider the last 2 weeks of September or the first two weeks of October.

So, anyone know of any major conflicts that we should avoid? Botanical garden events? Nursery big sales??

The lady with the books gave me one for an extra plant that I brought. At that point I was glad to get rid of the plant as I didn't want to cart it back to Birmingham. The book was an HGTV publication and I enjoyed reading it. I do not remember her name but I would like to thank her for it.
Susan.

August will be here this week!!!!! Time to plan ahead for the swap. It has been suggested the last 2 saturdays of Sept. or the first 2 saturdays of Oct. That would be the 19th or 26th of Sept., or the 3rd or the 10th of Oct.
OK Nelson and other football fans which ususally effects our planning, which of those dates would be OK.
Rosie which of those dates will the kids be with their mom and you could come?
With considering the dates, do you want to meet at Jan's in Talledega, plenty of parking and lots of plants. Can't dig unless you ask though or you might get a pot over your head!!!
Just give it some thought. What date(s), location, and what kind of food for a restaurant for lunch. I'm for down home cooking, in a relaxed atmosphere. OR do you prefer mexican, oriental, McDonald's or whatever? It seems it's easier for the folks to go to a restaurant that fix the food to bring for a potluck.
I've always wanted to have one like I've seen others post where it is like a day together affair instead of grab your plants and run. Hey Tennessee woman, how do you do it up there? Those Ms., La., and Ark., people get together for a day affair and make it a Friday night and Saturday thingy.
Just give it some thought, throw out some ideads and lets have a good time. Sure do miss you all. Won't seem quite right with Chris not there now that she's all married and moved up north. Guess we'll just have to pick on Susan.Lynn

How we do it in TN....

I've attending the Middle TN Plant Swap (MTPS) 8 or 10 times and there are also west TN & east TN swaps (its a long state). Ours is the biggest, I believe.

The MTPS has a "permanent" location, until it changes, currently Henry Horton State Park. We arrive at 9am, set up (tree-shaded area along a creek/river), and then start browsing around for good plants and make pre-arranged swaps. The swap officially starts at 10:00 or so. Swapping continues until we start our potluck between noon and 1:00. We then have a speaker who talks on something garden related. Then we pack up and head home.
Our spring swap has about 70 people and our fall one, about 40. Since our previous location and current location are campgrounds, there will be a half-dozen or so who camp there the night before. The night of the event most people are anxious to get their new treasures home safely.
I must confess that some of the people do as much socializing as swapping but I am such a plantaholic, I am usually too focused on the plants to talk too much, at least until lunch.

You can check out our over-ambitious website at:
http://www.midtnplantswap.com/Introduction/introduction.html

Talladega, AL, huh? Looks like I will have an excuse to stay overnight and finally check out the Birmingham Botanical Garden thoroughly. That is, if I get my plants packed in time.

Evelyn

I vote for the 3rd of Oct.

Football schedule:

Sept. 19 =
Alabama vs. N. Texas
Auburn vs. West Virginia
UGA @ Arkansas(Go Dawgs! For my personal knowledge, LOL)

Sept. 26 =
Alabama vs. Arkansas
Auburn vs. Ball State
UGA vs. Arizona State

Oct. 3 =
Alabama @ Kentucky
Auburn @ Tennessee
UGA vs. LSU

Oct. 10 =
Alabama @ Ole Miss
Auburn @ Arkansas
UGA @ Tennessee

My vote would be for Sept. 26, but I'm flexible! For food, down-home cooking sounds good to me, or Mexican as an alternative.

Is it too late to try to take cuttings and root them before the swap? I know that I have a 'May Night' Salvia that I'd like to take some cuttings from, and maybe a few other things.

Haley

I'm sure the game times and if away or at home would effect different people also.
I don't mess with rooting or seeds. I'm too impatient. Salvia is pretty hardy so I would think if cuttings put in a soil mixture and you trade in the same pot, it would work.
Come on, need some more input!!
Lynn

Is it going to be at Talledega? If so, could people in the area suggest 3 or so good lunch options so we know what to choose between. Let's throw catfish options in there too!

Speaking of catfish, when I have traveled in northern Alabama, I have seen salamanders offered at bait shops but never had time to stop. Are these live ones? I've always wanted some for my ponds. I had them a few years back but haven't had them in a while.

Evelyn

Sorry I haven't been posting but my poor little webtv won't let me on so I have to go offsite to login.Any weekend is good for me.there's plenty of parking at my place-2 acres :O).I've already started potting things but haven't updated my page yet.As for food around here the best is The Ark! Best shrimp & catfish there is.People come from all to eat there & it isn't expensive.There is also a chinese buffet,The Shack barbeque,a mexican place & several others to choose from.Anyone want more info just email me directly as that is easier for me.Hope we have a good turnout this fall.I have lots to get rid of-from tropicals to hardy to water plants! Jan

Heck, I'm looking forward to the trip just for the food! I could eat at any of those!
Evelyn

Y'all pick a date and I'll do my darnedest to be there. When I was a kid, back in the mid-20th century and before they televised college football, they had this thing called a radio. I distinctly remember listening to many games on a red Invicta transistor radio that was about the size of a Virginia Slims 100 cigarette pack. That radio was state-of-the-art in its day and it was only AM. I'm hoping to persuade Shadowpaige64507 to attend as well. When y'all meet David Paige you are really going to like him.

the stampede in town is good for home cooked meals. a talladega swap. man this is good luck for me as i am just a couple of miles away.

So how about Oct. 3rd? There's been a vote for that, and it sounds good to me.
Getting the date settled is always the hard part. For me, remembering to pack every plant on my list is the next challenge.

October 3rd should be good for me, as well :-)

AL Swappers: I've started a new thread for our swap so we won't inundate poor irisaddict with too many replies ;-). See the link below.

irisaddict: That's a great website for the Middle Tenn swap. I've sent it to my daughter who's trying to get a new-to-her yard in Nashville looking good. Even told her I'd make the great sacrifice (LOL) of meeting her there to play with her 2-yr-old while she visits. Maybe I'll get to meet you there. Alice

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread for AL plant swap