I'll add an "aye", and a thank you for accomodating my need for another date! I agree that April might be a smidge early. All of a sudden, June is sounding just right. I somehow have hope that I can get a lot divided in May, and I'll have a sense of space in my garden for new plants...???
Other thoughts?

Alright: June 7 or June 14? Early June will give the transplants time to settle in before it gets too hot. We'll hold off deciding until everyone has a chance to weigh in.
How do you feel about Terenne's suggestion of the "Boston Area Spring Swap" BASS for short. Certainly sounds official, doesn't it? Is it descriptive enough not to be confused with the winter-sown swap?

Hi, I came in from starting spring cleanup today and ran right to the computer to see if there is a swap in the works yet. It looks like I will have quite a few contributions.
I vote for the 14th.
Im away on the 7th but I live close by so if it ends up on that date I will try to drop a few plants off for some good garden karma.

gfult,
your preference is noted! I hope to meet you soon.
Marie

I like the idea of early June, it will give us all time to get the spring whirlwind out of the way and get the divisions done. Concord looks like a good location, too - close to a lot of interesting destinations, and we'll get to see Terrene's garden.

Flwrs4ever, maybe we can have a road trip later in the year with a visit to Blithewold and a stop at your garden; we've had some day trips like that in the past. Anyone know when the Blithewold sale is this year? That's always a great event. Subject for another thread, I guess.

Just want to mention that the Concord Museum posted a listing for their Annual Garden Tour, June 6 - June 7, on my Web site. Another good reason to go to Concord on the 7th? ~ Hilda

Ugg. I am out of town on 6/14. I have bad karma with swap dates. Any chance of 7 June? I love the idea of the Concord Museum's Garden Tour too....

anyone else favoring June 7th?

Thanks DTD..I really dont have "much" of a garden yet..was just offering the place to do a fall swap since I have such a large area and they were asking for a south shore location.

I would love to try and come this year..June 7 would be great because it is right before my kids get out of school, and we plan on going on a vacation the following week.

Glimpses of spring bring quite a few new-to-me names to the New England Forum. Or maybe I've been the quiet one. Curious about the Greater Boston ARea Spring Swap, scheduled for June 7 in Concord, MA? We hope you'll overcome your shyness, discomfort about having little to swap or your schedule and join the a bunch of fun, generous and welcoming gardeners.

We are new and experienced gardeners, some with masses of stuff to share, some with brand new gardens (you'll be able to share in a few years!)

Hope my enthusiasm is enough reason to bump this to the top, and that we'll hear from others.

idabean

Terrene,

Thanks for the suggestion to join the swaps, but it just isn't feasible to do.

Already, people coming because of the swap location of Billerica and wouldn't otherwise be able to attend and those coming to combine the swap and seeing family and friends that live in town.

At some point though, I would love to see your gardens in progress. I wouldn't worry about them being a work in progress though. As my grandpa always said "gardens are always a work in progress, and if you live with your grandmother and her acres of gardens, we could all live to be a million and the end of progress will never be in sight."

Now that you've started WS, just wait and see what that does to fill in those garden beds. Your gardens will never be the same. They will be full of blooming flowers and wonderful shrubs though and you will never have enough beds to put them all in.

Anyone who is interested in going to both swaps are more than welcome to come on May 31st. Will be posting info on the Billerica area swap soon.

Fran

mayalena, alas, wasn't me... my garden is very tiny and I'm not sure I could fit a card table in there. ;-) But I'm eager to see everyone again! I favor June 7 and have a partial conflict on June 14...

Idabean thanks for bumping the thread - it seems that June 7th is turning out to be the best date overall. But I hope others will chime in with their 2 cents...

Hopefully the garden newbies and lurkers who live in the Boston area won't feel hesitant about attending even if they have nothing to swap! Part of the reason I "de-lurked" and finally registered here 2 years ago was to attend the Spring swap. I had only a few plants to swap then, what a difference 2 years makes! But even if you have little or nothing to swap, there are people with established gardens who have plenty to share.

Fran, no problem, maybe we can make it to each other's swaps. Hope you're right about the winter-sowing, I've got lots of seeds started out there. Fortunately I have more space to plant out some of this stuff this Spring because some trees were removed last November.

Hi All--Looking forward to Spring and the Spring Swap(s). From reading the threads,sounds like Fran is having one on May 31st,Yes? And a second one at Terrene's on June 7th? These both work for me. I still don't have anything to swap,but am more than willing to bring supplies--sharpies,labels,food etc. I love these swaps and have some star perennials and inspiring annulas in my yard from these get-=togethers. Thanks all for being so generous with your time and plants. Jardinista

OOOOPS! I've got a conflict on the 7th of June weekend,but 14th looks good. Jardinista

Hi Everyone...total newbie here. If you see my post on looking for a landscape designer you'll see my house with NO garden at all. I love the idea of getting into these swaps, but as I have no flowers to bring would you all be inetrested in something I could purchase (soil,mulch,tools)? I REALLY want to get into gardening, and am doing a search for a garden coach now. I don't have tons of time (I work FT and have 2 small children plus a house that needs renovating) but want to learn. The Billerica loaction would be great for me as I'm in Tewksbury. ANy info would be great, thanks!

Hi Nadine.
I am *sure* that you are *absolutely* welcome at both Fran's and Terrene's swaps! You need to bring nothing -- or you could volunteer to print name tags or coffee or something to eat. All of those organizational details will come later! But no worries about not having plants. That's how we all started! The swap at Marie's (Idabean's) was my first, and I've still got many of those plants going! I've since been able to share some goodies too. Your time will come...in a few years!
Welcome to a new passion....
ML

Nadine - in complete agreement with Mayalena - you are totally welcome at the swap, and you don't have to bring plants. Something to eat or drink would be great and that means I can spend more time potting plants, which I would rather do! Hehe

Those of us with more established gardens end up with an excess of plants or divisions and are thrilled to give away extras to new gardeners. Perennials start to get too big or die out in the center and must be divided. Reseeders really get going in an established garden too. And if you have the problem I do, you buy shrubs in packs of 10 seedlings or winter-sow a lot of containers, and end up with extra young plants to share.

It can take 2-3 years, but there will come a time when you will have plants to share too. It's all good!

Hello Y'all,
Haven't ever been to Idabean's or Fran's swap. I always meant to go, but then the dates were set for weekends I didn't have available. So! This year, I don't have any plans for memorial day weekend, which I'm assuming is May 31, so I can go to Fran's..... And I'm also available by June 7th, to go to Terrine's... woohoo.

Idabean -- I had arranged to swap some peruvian lily (astromeria) with you years ago and somehow it never happened. Do you still have any? Maybe you'll know better by June 7?? My part of the swap would be heliopsis -- my personal favorite because it is so easy to grow and looks so cheerful in the garden.

I've lurked at the winter sowing forum and those container counts over there crack me up. What is the container count up to now?

Hope to see you all in May and June,
Debra

PS I'll be in London May 6 - 17th, unfortunately missing the Chelsea Flower Show by two weeks..... argh!!!

Thanks all! Hopefully nothing will come up between now and then (unfortunately we get busy pretty quick nowadays, but I'll do my best to try and make it). I'll keep peeking for more info on it, and would be more then happy to bring food if I can make it. I'll keep in touch with posts as the date approaches.

Hi again all -

Just wanted to chime in that "takers" are as important as "givers" at the swaps. We couldn't do the swaps without people like Nadine, since many of us just don't have the space for more than a few new plants. So - come one, come all new gardeners, we need you!

I've already started digging, and have a lot more to do. I'll be traveling a lot this spring so I have to take my gardening days whenever they come. Now if the weather will just cooperate ...

The more I read here the more I am tempted to overcome my shyness and come to one of these swaps. Novices arenÂt spitted and roasted for lunch at these, are they? ;) I may have a few native plants to bring with me to swap by that time. Heck, if anyone is swapping vegetable plants, I might even be able to talk my husband into coming! What sorts of plants are typically brought to trade?

Whether I can come depends on how much baby-prep we have left to cram into our weekends, and how mobile IÂll be feeling at the time. If I do come, IÂll be the waddling pregnant lady who drops things. :)
-michelle

I'm up in NH, but I would love to come to Concord with some plants, mostly for butterflies since that's my focus. Any other gardners addicted to butterflies?

Take care!

Stolon, please feel welcome to come if you're up for it, waddling or not, with or withtout plants! The swappers don't bite, I promise! Hehe This is the first website where I've felt comfortable incorporating its activities into my real life. Gardeners in general seem to be such a friendly and generous bunch of people.

Bernergirl, that would be great if you came and brought butterfly plants. I really enjoy gardening for wildlife, such as the birds, pollinators, insects, and the little reptiles and amphibians. I like insects, even creepy ones!

First and foremost my goal is to make the yard wildlife-friendly - gardening organically, growing native plants, and growing many annuals for the pollinators, etc. I've got brush piles laying around, messy wild areas with long grass and weeds, dead trees and branches - sometimes this isn't the most tidy and orderly gardening style, but it's wonderful to see critters flitting around!

I'm winter-sowing this year for the first time and have sown many nectar plants for the butterflies, and some host plants too.

Great Terrene! I can't wait to meet like-minded people. My yard sounds like your yard. We have stopped mowing some areas and just let it be natural, and it's amazing the amount of life out there. I love it! My neighbors' yards are mostly blank green spaces with no critters to be seen! What kind of host plants are you planting? That is a focus for me this year--I've got some cleome, some hollyhock, hops vine, false nettle, toadflax, and four o'clocks growing along with some more milkweed. Someone from the butterfly forum sent me some of the tropical milkweed (ascelpias curassivica (sp?)), and that seems to be doing well. It is a beautiful flower!

Take care!

Hi Bernergrrl, sounds like you're going to be raising butterflies soon...:)

I have some Asclepias and many nectar plants in the garden already. But it wasn't enough so this year I also winter-sowed 6 species of Asclepias, and Cynanchum laeve, common name Milkweed vine or Honey vine, for the Monarchs.

Also Aristolochia tomentosa (Pipevine Swallowtail), Cleome serrulata (Checkered White), Fennel and Dill (Swallowtails). And still have left to sow several native grasses (Skippers). There are probably others because I winter-sowed many native wildflowers, but I'm not versed in all the host plants. Would love some Sassafras and Spicebush in the yard too!

Did someone send you plants of the A. curassavica? I just winter-sowed some seeds the other day, but those are tropical so they probably won't sprout for awhile.

It's looking like I'll be up to my eyeballs in seedlings, with no doubt plenty of extras for the swap.

Those of us down on the Cape should coordinate meeting, greeting and travelling together..I live sooo far down the Cape that getting to the bridge seems like it takes days..especially in the summer...I will probably attend..it is my son's birthday but he has announced that at 17 he is too old for cake...but wouldn't mind if I rented a motel room for him and his buddies to party in...HA...

Hi all,

I'm that mysterious person who offered to host last year down here on the south shore. Sorry I have been absent, but I have been caught up in politics of all things. For the first time in my life I have been volunteering for a campaign and have been obsessively following the process, to the detriment of planning my spring garden and this board. Sorry again for making an offer last year then kind of disappearing without following up on it. It was genuine though and I'm still open for hosting fall if it's needed.

Terrene - What grasses do you use for skippers? We have sassafras native here. I was so excited to identify it.

Nadine - I have two small kiddos too. 2 and 4. I love that they are starting to get old enough just to hang out with me outside and play while I garden. I am really looking forward to this spring. They love digging, so I give them shovels and a patch of earth and let them go at it.

I should be able to make it to the swap again this year. I had so much fun last fall, I can't wait!

Lisa in Plymouth

nadine,
I'm in Tewksbury too! I would be happy to share some ws babies with you when there ready.I hope to have enough to share and some for the swaps (fingers crossed). I plan on attending both Frans and terrenes.

I am putting the date for both swaps on my calendar and hoping I will be able to make it. It will be a last minute decision for me, but as soon as I know whether I can attend or not, I will see what I have to bring. I am also gardening for butterflies and hummers this year. Would enjoy seeing everyone again and meeting new gardeners too. :-)

pm2

Hi all,
I'll be out of town during our CT swap this year so I'm thinking of driving up for yours, if that's ok. It would be fun to meet you all and put faces to the names!

If anyone else from CT is thinking of going, I'd be happy to carpool.

-Paige

Hey Lschibley! Yes you are the mysterious south shore forum member who had tentatively offered to host the swap! I had confused you with PM2, poor PM2 didn't know what the heck was going on! Maybe we can do the fall swap at your house?

Anyway, that would be great if you came - I still have the pretty Rudbeckia from your Mother, it looks like it has overwintered and will bloom again this year, which is great since I read that Rudbeckia hirta is a short-lived perennials, but reseeds. I liked your Mom's so much that I bought seeds for several cultivars of Rudbeckia hirta and winter-sowed them (including 'Indian Summer' - which is likely what your Mom's is).

The native grasses I am sowing that are host plants for Skippers -

Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem
Bouteloua curtipendula - Side oats grama

Also have several cultivars of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) which is a host plant for Skippers too.

Paigect, if you can make it from CT, that would be great!

Bump! Come on out, lurkers! We are hoping to share plants with you!

Hi all!! Sorry I haven't been around in ages. Traveling over the winter, then my mother became ill and then she passed on April 2. So far it has been a terrible spring. I only just got out into the garden today for the first time and thus my logging on this afternoon for the first time too.

Anyway, I would love to attend a swap and vote for June 7. I am going to need my garden this year.

WG

WG --
Welcome back. I am so sad for you. The garden is straight where I would head too. Take good care of yourself, not just your plants.
ML

Whitegarden, so sorry to hear about your Mom. Hope your garden helps to soothe some of your grief and stress.

It would be great to see you at the swap! It's looking like June 7th will be the day that works best for most people...I guess we have to think about a rain date too.

Thanks guys for your kind words.

I am planning on the 7th. Maybe the 14th for a rain date? I would love to meet you all.

Also, I would like to host a swap myself at some point. I am in Southborough which is pretty conveiently located right off of 90 for those east and west and 5 min off of 495 for those north and south.

IÂm sorry about your mother, WG. I hope some garden time will help you recover your happiness this Spring.

Does anyone know yet what sort of plants they will be bringing?

IÂve been scouring my yard for volunteers that I donÂt want. I just finished potting up a bunch of jewel weed sprouts, and a couple of small skunk weeds. With any luck I havenÂt killed them. Is anyone coming who might be interested in these oddballs?

I may also pot up some lupine seedlings, obedient plant, and a few stray hyacinths that are looking lonely and silly in my yard. If the jack-in-the-pulpits come up in time, I might be able to spare a few of those as well. Is anyone particularly interested in any of these?

Either the 7th or the 14th should work for me.

Cheers!

Thank you for the reassurance, terrene. :) I look forward to meeting everyone!

Stolon,
I'm def. interested in lupine and jack in the pulpit. I'll be bringing some wsown plants,not sure what will be big enough but I plan on bringing them anyway.

Excellent! I'll get some of those lupines in pots for you ishare, and cross your fingers for me: last fall I gathered as many jack-in-the-pulpet berries as I could find around the property, and I scattered them all in a location that I should be able to easily dig from this spring. Here's hoping I get an abundant crop. :)

What sort of plants did you have succes with wintersowing? I haven't had the chance to start seeds like that yet, but definately I'll be doing so next winter!

WG, I'm sorry for your loss. Mum died in late October '07, and sometimes the tears still surprise me. Give yourself plenty of time and don't let anyone tell you to hurry the personal tasks that follow the death of someone you love (like sending clothes to the thrift, etc.). I understand. Be very patient and gentle with yourself.

Stolon,
I have dianthus,sweet william,primrose,verbascum,cleome,nicotina,scabiosas,bachelors buttons,sea holly,stock,lady bells,coneflowers,gaillardias,blue shrimp plant,false sunflower and.... I can't remember all of them. They are about and inch tall now, I'm hoping to have some good sized by the time the swap comes. I would love to try many things. I do love hyacinth too. I planted 10 bulbs last year and they are up and smelling wonderful!I ordered some blue eyed grass seed and poor mans orchid seeds and plan on putting them out tomorrow. I hope to have lots to share!

ishare: ooooh, I'm salivating now. :) *boune bounce bounce*

ishareflowers, what kind of nicotiana have you got?

Well, last year I didn't make it because I didn't have any seedlings to share - you were all so nice to say I should come anyway, but I felt like I should have something! Well, this year, I tried wintersowing. The good news it that a lot sprouted - the bad news is that my "permanent" marker wasn't so permanent and I don't know what anything is!!!! So...if you want some mystery seedlings, I'll be there - ha ha. Maybe we can have a good time trying to figure out what things are!

Stolon, as a newbie at winter-sowing this year, I must say it is just a fantastic way to start seeds. I've tried all kinds of sowing in the past, but never has it been so easy, cheap, and reliable. I've used entirely recycled materials, even the produce drawers from my old refrigerator. Only had to purchase the seeds and potting soil!

Hi Ishareflowers, glad you are planning to come - hope it works out with your schedule!

Weeds, you shouldn't have felt shy about coming if you didn't have anything to swap, but it's easy to understand why. I felt the same way 3 years ago when I was lurking here!

Seriously, between all the seedlings and plants that will bbe at the swap (if most of the people on this thread are able to make it), there should be LOTS of plants! I have already started potting stuff which is a natural by-product of all the transplanting I've been doing.

Hey all, should I start a new thread for the Boston area swap with a confirmed date of June 7th and then we can start talking about details?

Can you send me details of the swap??? Been lurking around for a few years now, posting now and then. I have been gardeneing for years, but may not have much to bring.... I cleaned up this past fall and gave my neighbor tons of stuff. But I have a friend that's just beginning to garden and spruce up her yard and she could use some things. And I might be able to "dig" up a few things to bring, or we could bring food...

terrene, winter-sowing sounds like great fun. :) I've already got plans for what seeds I want to start next winter. *evil laugh*

cdeperon - see the new thread, greater boston area swap; details are there.