May I join?

Good morning Karen...of course you may join. Putting you first in line. Have a great day!

Ellie

Thank you, you too!

Count me in please, thanks Ellie

Me too! What a pile of squash! I just got seeds from Baker Creek. They are very generous and they have a wide variety of seeds in their catalog.

Hey there Ellie! Count me in! :)

Hi everyone,

Been working out in the yard today...another beautiful day!

Thank you for signing up for the heirloom swap. Those that have signed up for the swap are:

borge99
socialgardengal
zackey
cryptid
farmergirl2009

Since the holidays I have been spending a lot of time on the computer looking up beans. I just didn't realize that there were so many different kinds and categories. For instance:
FAVA beans....I never heard or tasted them until I read the following.
These are meaty, strongly flavored beans and have been around for ages, and they work well in side dishes, soups, or salads. The larger ones are the best. Tender fresh fava beans are available in the fall and are much better tasting than canned, dried, or frozen ones. Fresh young fava beans need only be shelled, but mature beans must also be peeled to rid them of a waxy skin that surrounds each bean. The best way to do this is to blanch the shelled beans for a minute in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water, and then pull off the skins. Sounds like a lot of work to me!

Well guess I better get to bed. Lots of work to do tomorrow.
Have a good night.

Ellie

I would like to join also please. Thanks. Jamie

Welcome to the swap seedkeeper. Jamie don't forget to email me for my address to send your seeds to.

Cannellini beans are a variety of white beans popular in Central and Southern Italy, particularly in Tuscany. Other names for the bean include white kidney bean and fazolia bean. They are similar to white navy beans or haricots, as they are known in Britain. These large white beans are often mistaken for great northern beans, as the two are so alike in appearance.
Before cooking, cannellini beans must be thoroughly rinsed. When cooked, the cannellini bean is fluffy and creamy. They are typically known for their smooth texture and nutty flavor. They are especially good in soups and stews, but excellent just as itself or in a salad.
In Tuscany, the beans are often eaten dried instead of cooked. In other parts of Italy, the beans are a popular accompaniment to tuna and pasta dishes containing poultry. In the United States, vegetarians often utilize the hearty beans as a fish or chicken substitute. They can be found throughout America and Britain in minestrone soups and various bean salads.
The Italian white-kidney type commonly called Cannellini, while it is a shellie, deserves mention on its own. It does not seem available in anything but bush form, so thatâÂÂs how we would grow these beans.
Beware something called a âÂÂrunner cannelliniâÂÂ; it may be a good eating bean in itself, but it is not any sort of true cannellini, but rather just what its name says: a white runner bean.

That's it for beanology tonight (if that is a word).

Ellie

Sounds like fun, please include me. Happy Birthday a day late!

Should we include a certain number of each seed?

Welcome to the swap pickleme. I sent you an email.

borge99
socialgardengal
zackey
cryptid
farmergirl2009
seedkeeper
pickleme

For the next 3 days its suppose to rain. Since it hasn't started yet I am going out the door to start weeding in the flower gardens. Have a great day!

Ellie

Just came back from a weekend trip to Lewiston, ID. It rained for both days while we were gone and also here at home. But we needed the rain anyway. It was so dry.

You still have until the 15th to sign up for this swap. Anyone out there interested in heirlooms?

Ellie

count me in Ellie. was hopin you would do another seed swap the last one was great cant wait for this one. have lots of heirlooms to swap. gonna start gettin my seed packs ready. send me your address so i can get this batch out.

randysbirds
randy
aplace2fledge@yahoo.com

Welcome randy to the swap. I sent you an email.

Those participating in the swap are:
borge99
socialgardengal
zackey
cryptid
farmergirl2009
seedkeeper
pickleme
randysbirds

Just one more week to sign up for the swap so there is still time to sign up.

Ellie

Hi Ellie, got my seeds to the post office today. Should be there by Friday. Tracking # is
9500 1106 9829 3099 4342 42. Love your bean facts! I just started 7 different types. I love bean soup! Now I have to find some cannelli beans to try :)

Good evening everyone,

I shall let you know when I receive the package. Socalgardengal, what kind of beans did you start? It will probably be another month before I can plant anything. The ground needs to warm up a lot.

Has anyone tried asparagus beans? Asparagus or yard-long beans originated in Southern Asia and are now grown extensively in Asia, Europe and more recently the U.S. Although they resemble pole snap beans, they are more closely related to southern peas (cowpeas). Asparagus beans are called "Dow Gauk" in China and "Sasage" in Japan. Asparagus beans are easily grown, produce heavily, harvest easily, thrive in hot weather, are slightly more resistant to drought than snap beans, are more resistant to bean beetles, and are tolerant of a wide range of soils.

Needs warm soil to germinate - sow a month after last frost. Grow in the same manner as pole beans or along a trellis, sow seeds 3/4" deep, 4" apart. One planting along a tall trellis will produce well all season.

Harvest when pods reach 12-15", before the seeds fill the pods. The mature beans may be shelled from the pods and cooked in the same fashion as regular dried beans. Their flavor is like southern peas but with a drier, nutty quality. If saving the seed, isolate from cowpeas and other varieties of asparagus beans by 150'.

Guess that's enough about beans tonight. Have a great evening!

Ellie

Seeds are officially in the mail as of today! - Planted out some raspberry starts and Styrian Pumpkin seeds today. Shallots are finally coming up, as are the bunching onions. - Several days ago we purchased a "Pocket Hose" (50 ft. for $19.95, at Fred Meyer),...what a fab investment! The sucker totally ROX! Expands, contracts,...minimum space needed for storage. No kinks! Just sayin',...! :) Have a good week y'all!

I started 4 of each Blue Coco, Blue Lake, Taylor dwarf, Purple pole, Tendergreen bush, Top crop, Hutterite and Black-eyed. Wish I had more bush type to save on space.

I wanted to try that pocket hose but wonder how it would hold up.

Christine I received your seeds today. Will put aside until all have arrived. I wanted to know what a pocket hose was so googled it. I have never heard of it.

Christine I just had to look up what the beans were that you planted. I shall have to put the Blue Coco, Taylor Dwarf and Black Eyed Beans on my wish list. Blue Lake is the bean I use for canning. But I should venture out and try others. I am sure there are lots of good canning beans.

Ellie

I would love to join, along with my grandson who are 8 & 9.(Dirt Bro's). I LOVE Heirlooms. I have about 40 varieties of heirloom tomatoes started in milkjugs (wintersowing) I still would like Pineapple Tomato seeds if anyone has them. Thanks clay_lady

Good afternoon fellow gardeners,

Today I received cryptid's seeds. I need to get my seeds ready also. Good weekend to do it since the weather isn't very good.

Welcome clay_lady and grandsons. Sending you an email.

Those participating in the swap are:
borge99
socialgardengal
zackey
cryptid
farmergirl2009
seedkeeper
pickleme
randysbirds
clay_lady on grandsons

Monday is the last day to sign up for the swap if there is anyone still thinking about it.
Have a great weekend!

Ellie

Today is the last day to sign up for this swap. All seeds need to be mailed by Saturday the 20th.

Can't believe Monday is here already. Hope everyone has a nice weekend. We has some sunny weather, in between the rain and hail storms.

Ellie

I'm late to the party but I'm hoping to join the exchange. I have quite a number of edibles to share!

Yes you may join the swap. I shall put you down. Sending you an email.Those participating in the swap are:
borge99
socialgardengal - rec'd
zackey
cryptid - rec'd
farmergirl2009
seedkeeper
pickleme
randysbirds - rec'd
clay_lady on grandsons
galiana

Received randysbirds package today. Don't forget that April 20th your seeds need to be mailed. Sun is shining!

Ellie

This post was edited by farmergirl2009 on Tue, Apr 16, 13 at 15:37

My seeds are packaged & ready to go. Will get them in the mail in the next day or two.

Seeds are ready to go.. I just need the address. Thanks

Sent email with my address.

Thursday will be another busy day. I have an all day partner agency conference with 2nd Harvest. Should be some great speakers. Then next week have another session with 2nd Harvest and we will be talking about setting up a seed library at one of the libraries in town. I am looking forward to this.

Have a great evening!

Ellie

Is it to late to join

Hi everyone,
Franc if you can get your seeds in the mail by this Friday or Saturday at the latest you may join.

participating in the swap are:
borge99
socialgardengal - rec'd
zackey
cryptid - rec'd
farmergirl2009
seedkeeper
pickleme
randysbirds - rec'd
clay_lady and grandsons
galiana - rec'd

Received galiana's seeds today.

I am really tired after listening to speakers all day. A couple of the sessions were exceptional. Also got a couple of great leads for a seed lending library that I need to follow up on.

Good thing tomorrow is Friday!

Ellie

Thanks for letting me sign up late! I mailed my seeds today. I buy only open-pollinated varieties, but it was a challenge to find only the heirlooms! Many of my OP varieties were products of recent breeding programs, and I bought several "grex" and "gene pool" varieties this year.

Today was a pretty nice day since the past few days has been rain and more rain. Not that I am complaining since its free water.

Received pickleme and zackey's packet today. Waiting for four and then I will start sorting.

borge99
socialgardengal - rec'd
zackey - rec'd
cryptid - rec'd
farmergirl2009 - rec'd
seedkeeper
pickleme - rec'd
randysbirds - rec'd
galiana - rec'd
franc
habitat_gardener

Hopefully by the middle of the week I can start sorting.

Ellie

Received habitat_gardener's packet today.

borge99
socialgardengal - rec'd
zackey - rec'd
cryptid - rec'd
farmergirl2009 - rec'd
seedkeeper
pickleme - rec'd
randysbirds - rec'd
galiana - rec'd
franc
habitat_gardener - rec'd

Too cold and windy today to work outside so a good day to get something else done. I see some of the flowers that I transplanted last week have froze. Gibson nursery was here today to look at a couple of trees that died that will need to be replaced. I am now beginning to think I am in a frost pocket and instead of a zone 5 its more of a zone 4a or B and Gibson nursery agreed because of the cold winds.

Guess that is something I have no control over.

Ellie

Received Franks packet today. Getting closer now to start sorting. Beautiful day today. Must have been at least 60* out but still freezes at night....ice on the pond this morning.

borge99
socialgardengal - rec'd
zackey - rec'd
cryptid - rec'd
farmergirl2009 - rec'd
seedkeeper
pickleme - rec'd
randysbirds - rec'd
galiana - rec'd
franc - rec'd
habitat_gardener - rec'd
Hopefully we will go into the weekend with nice weather. Starting to get behind with the yard work. If only a garden fairy would come at night and get this all done for me.....just dreaming.

Ellie

Hi everyone,
All the seeds went into the mail today so you should receive by the end of the week at least. Thank you all for participating.

Ellie

Yeah, *baybee*! Our Shallots are coming up like gangbusters, and better yet, we got rid of a *huge*, old, semi-diseased maple tree in our front yard, thus enabling the penetration of more sunlight and the promise of increased veggie, herbal and floral production. Love trees, but I have no use for *widow makers*. - Had our heat-pump/AC repaired today. Needed a new motor and capacitor. Can't be without AC,...and live to post about it.

Have a great week y'all! :)

Thank you Ellie! Looking forward to all the goodies. I appreciate everyone sharing,THANK YOU! I harvested my first 3 zucchini's this morning and ate them for lunch,YUMMY! They are the first thing I have ever grown and harvested, so excited!!! Guess my thumbs are turning alittle green, lol Can't wait to try everything else now :) Have a wonderful season all! ~Christine

Got my seeds today! Some very interesting varieties I've never tried. I'm especially looking forward to the Hale's Best Cantaloupe and Mammoth Melting Sugar Pea. Thanks to randysbirds and pickleme, who sent those in. :)

Thank you everyone, received my seeds today! Love the selection Ellie, thank you for hosting!

My seeds arrived today too. Thanks to Ellie for organizing and all for participating!!! I can't wait to harvest my new varieties.

Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' `bout! My wonderful package of seeds arrived today as well! Such a marvelous, generous, rare and diverse assortment of veggies and herbs! Absolutely delightful! Thanks again, Ellie, so very very much for hosting this! Our GardenWeb community totally rocks!

I got my seeds today1 I'm all excited! I got some really cool seeds. I was just getting ready to buy some Cracker Jack marigolds. I have one I bought at Lowe's outside of my room. First time I could see a garden from my room. So awesome! We are getting rain for several days now. I enjoy not having to water. Thanks for all of your hard work to put this swap together! Thanks to everyone for all the cool seeds. I'm looking forward to this swap again!

I received my seeds yesterday! Thanks to everyone. Can't wait to try the new-to-me cucumber and radish varieties.

Thanks for the seeds I got the package yesterday