Paula,

I have posted pics on the original thread just a minute before to this thread. Thank YOU and KEN again. We had really wonderful time. Thank you so much folks, it is like a family meet. We really thankful for all those beautiful gifts! I have posted pic online, please find then in the below link.

-Chandra

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of the Spring Fling 2012

Awwww How wonderful is that?! Okay, I'm really envious of that climbing rose bush. What a beauty. You all look so fabulous! Thanks for sharing the pics, Chandra! My kids would have had a blast. Paula, I'm just tickled you were able to obtain enough to cover the loo. tough having tired feet, a messy house AND a loo bill. That just rocks!! I'll hafta make sure to hit next year's fling. Might start scraping pennies now. ROFL

bon

My family had a wonderful time. Good food and good friends.
I am sooo happy that Paula's potties are finally paid for :).

Jo

Was the fling on Franklin Rd? I drove by it on the way to care for my folks and saw a nice big crowd!

I had a great day at the fling and enjoyed meeting all of you. Paula and Ken, thank you for hosting the fling at your lovely home and for providing all of the extra amenities. Thanks to Dawn and all who brought such a lush amount of plants to share. Chandra, thanks for taking and posting the pics of everyone. It was well worth the 31/2 hour drive to have such a fun day meeting all of you, so....I'll make sure to be there next year, and every year that follows.

Paula, Thank you and Ken both for hosting the the event and for putting up with all of us!

I missed the ones who couldn't make it this year too. Maybe next year those of you who were not there this year will be able to attend.

OKBev, Yes it was. You should have stopped by for 5 or 10 minutes to say hi and meet everyone!

Mia, I know you couldn't stay for long, but am so glad you were able to come. You brought so many goodies and all that bamboo did find a new home. I hope next year your schedule allows you to stay a little longer.

Chandra, Thanks for everything, and especially for being the photographer who documents our big event. It was so great to see your family members there with you.

Sheri, It was so lovely to meet you after all these years of chatting online and e-mailing. I truly appreciate that you drove a great distance to be with us. I hope the trip home was uneventful.

Carol and Al, Thanks for the mushrooms. I'll be cooking up all kinds of delicious dishes with mushrooms this week. Y'all are so kind and it is appreciated so much.

Jo and Seedmama, I appreciate all the extra work you two do to make the event special for the children who are in attendance. I promise to bring something for all the kids next year.

All the rest of you....and I am not going to list names for fear I'll accidentally leave someone's name off the list....it was so wonderful to see you all again and to hear about what's going on in your gardens and yards!!!! I am so impressed at how much work some of you have done to enlarge your gardens and to build new raised beds and complete other projects. Meeting all the darling children and grandchildren was a special highlight of the day. Those of you who garden with your children and grandchildren are so fortunate to be able to share your gardens with them.

The weather was pleasant and mild, the plants were bountiful and beautiful, the food and drinks were delicious, the conversation was fun and insightful, the door prizes were amazing in their diversity, and the fellowship was superb. How lucky all of us are to have one another!

If you are new and this was your first Spring Fling, I know it is hard to walk into a gathering not knowing a soul and I appreciate that you were brave enough to show up. Now that you've seen and met your new extended gardening family, I hope you'll come back every year. I remember that my first spring plant swap in 2005 was a little overwhelming---so many new people and so many plants and I didn't even know where to start.....gathering plants or meeting people or what.

We did it y'all! We made it through another big gathering, and I hope everyone who was looking for plants to fill gaps in the veggie gardens, yards and flower beds found something they wanted. I know it is a huge amount of work for everyone to dig up plants, tubers, etc., take cuttings, pot up volunteers, etc. I appreciate so much that we have such a caring, sharing bunch of folks. I really feel like the Spring Flings help us get to know one another better and make us a more close-knit group.

Dawn

I was one of the lucky ones, that could show up this year. Thanks Paula and Ken, for hosting this wonderful event.

Thanks to all that brought plants, so I could take some home and plant in my yard. It made a dent in the back yard...

Here are the few pictures I took.

Moni

Here is a link that might be useful: more fling pictues

Paula and Ken - Thanks so much for hosting again. Al and I had a great time and brought home a lot of loot.

Mia, thanks for the planters. They are still riding around in my car since Al told me I wasn't allowed to move them and we were just too tired when we got home. We took the plants out of the car when we got home, but it was already dark. I planted the hosta today, (thanks Lynn) and hopefully will get the others in the ground tomorrow. We are under a storm watch but it appears it is going to go north before it gets to us. Yeh, maybe I can plant.

Thanks to Mia, Lynn, Dawn, Dana, Paula, Betty, Chandra, and trees4ok for the plants I brought home. I don't normally plant roses, but I do like the look of shrub roses, and that plant just kept tempting me. I tried to avoid it for about an hour, but it finally jumped in my car.

joellen - The carrot dish was so cute, and you guys made the kids so happy with all the cute things and fun games.

Dawn, When we unloaded the car last night in the dark, I somehow missed your gift pack. When I came out of Church today, I saw it in the car. This afternoon Al and I ate cream cheese and Hab Gold jelly on Ritz crackers. I love that stuff. Thanks so much for sharing your talents with us, not only at Spring Fling, but all year with the fine gardening information.

Paula, I'm glad the potty fund is now flush and you are out of the hole. LOL

To all who did not attend, you missed a great time.

What a great event. My dad and I had an excellent time. Adrian - Thanks for the quince - I will do my very best to keep it alive. Dale - I'm so excited about the Larkspur - ill keep you posted. MIA, what a fabulous bunch of lambs ear. You gave me enough to put in the whole area I had picked out! Thanks for have us Paula and Ken...you are the hosts with the mosts! ---Adrianna

Paula & Ken & GW friends - had a wonderful time, so happy I was able to come even for a short time. As Adrianna (ladychips) suggested to me as we browsed plants, it was so good it felt vaguely criminal :). Free? All the plants you want? Crazy!

The generosity of all the participants astounds me yet again. Thanks to all who set aside something especially for me, and to all who contributed to the general fund of plants - I certainly partook to my fullest. I had vowed to only bring 5 tomatoes home, yet somehow 9 found their way to my car. Hmmm... stowaways. And peppers, bulbs and perennials too? WOW. Didn't get a chance on Sunday to plant except for the hostas (usually am hobbled after a long wedding shooting day and this weekend was no exception) but when we got stormy around 3am last night I did wake up and think "uh oh, Fling plants!" and came downstairs to make sure they were securely ensconced under the patio roof.

Dawn, thanks for the update, was glad to hear Paula wasn't saddled with extra bamboo after the event. Anyone who needs bamboo poles in the future for any reason - you know where to call. We are happy to give it away.

Sad I didn't get a chance to eat and chat with everyone, but there is always next year. Will keep you posted as to how your babies fare in my garden, and again, thank you all so much. A wonderful gathering of like-minded friends.

PS - I saw in an old newsletter that my new HOA does an annual fall perennial swap, and I know it cannot possibly compare, but I hope to bring some of the same generosity of spirit and organizational skills of the OK GW flings to bear and pay it forward with another group of gardeners. Seems fitting since you all have taught me so much!

I am sooo very sorry I could not make it. I wound up having emergency oral surgery on Friday and I spent my day in a haze of pain killers and thinking about you guys and wishing you well. It looks like a good time was had by all!

Here's to next year!