I'm marking the fall swap on my calendar. I'm determined to come even if it kills me -- which it might. ;-) I'll be thrilled to meet everyone!

What a great time. All you folks are the best.

Kudos to Jan, Jeff and Lavonne, David and everybody else who made it possible. And Sissy, you are one of the most entertaining speakers I've heard in many a moon.

Marty

We just cannot thank everyone enough! That was the most fun -- being together with lots of other plant nerds!!!

Thank you, gracious hosts! What a beautiful setting

We wish we could have stayed longer, but we got home about 6 and have been working planting stuff since then -- just got in and its 10:30 p.m.

I appreciate each and every plant that was given/swapped to/with us and know that they will all be beautiful.

I hope everyone who got one of our tomatoes will let me know if their "Italian heirloom" tomatoes are good growers and producers and how they like the taste, etc.

We look forward to being able to participate in many more of these swaps.

Thanks!

Katie & Rich

P.S. I agree that Sissy is a hoot and could be a stand-up comedian, and probably write her own book on lasagna gardening and make a fortune.

Wow is right! Thanks to everyone for coming and making this the best Swap ever. As I have said many times, you guys are the BEST! Thanks for making my job that much easier. Thanks to Catie, Dakota, David, Renee, Rebecca, Doug, Joe, Mona and especially Jan & Jim for their efforts and support in making things run smoother than I expected. Thanks to Sissy, our Southern Belle Yankee, for her excellent lecture mixing knowledge and humor that rivals any speaker we've ever had. Special thanks to Lavonne, my wonderful bride, for all her hard work and putting up with me these last couple months when my stress levels were pretty high and not kicking me to the curb in the process!!! If ya'll will have me continue to play Swap Nazi I promise that the Fall Swap will be even better. I hope that everyone had a great time, got cool plants, a full belly and that you all plan on coming back and making the Fall Swap, our eighth, the best one yet.

AMAZING!!

I would like to say thank you to Jan and Jim for once again for providing such a wonderful place for everyone to gather.

Jeff and Lavone I can only begin to imagine the work that was involved in making sure that everything went smoothly, but hats off to you both. IT was absolutely incredible. You both did an awesome job, and everyone appreciates all the effort that went into it.

Sissy great information and a riot to boot!!

I loved seeing all the familiar faces. David and Mona always a pleasure. Cheryl it was great hanging with you and your kids. I promise to switch my youngest son to decaf so he will be more mellow for the fall swap. Catie and Dakota, help your Mom out so she can get that foot fully healed.

Last but not least, the food was incredible. I swear it just gets better and better every year. Whomever brought the peanut butter pie I would LOVE to have the recipe. I know I will probably spend the next day or two getting all the wonderful plants into the ground and hopefully burn off at least a few of the calories I consumed yesterday.

Anyone that is having to drive home today, Please drive carefully, I will be praying for a safe trip.

Kathi

WOW no kidding. I had the most fun, the best time, the most relaxation I've ever had and I've been doing these swaps for 4 years. Jan and Jim, thank you for allowing us to hold this wonderful swap there. There was the biggest variety of plants and swappers to be had that I've ever seen. The camping was wonderful, the weather was perfect, the herp finds were EXCELLANT, the food fantastic, and our Ya Ya Sisterhood River spirits gathering at my campsite Saturday night was THE BEST !! Kathi, we loved your kids, still giggling about the coyote and junk food joke even today. It was wonderful hanging out with Virginia and getting to know her. Sissy, watch out for those low hanging branches ;o) Mona and David, Marianne you guys are so fun to hang out with . Rebecca, you're a hoot....lol little imp ...your kids are darlings...Doug, thanks for pointing the camera the other way ( you did right ? lol ).Jeff.....you just wait until I can walk on this foot lol, but you and Lavonne are such wonderful people , you did a fantastic job, very well organized. It was wonderful getting to talk to everyone. So many that I got to really talk with more than I ever have, Judith and Joe, and Norm and Norm's wonderful wife who gave me the sweetest hug. Renee, you and your mom, it is always so nice to see you both..and my mother LOVED the Solomon's Seal. Like I always say, and this year more than ever. It's not just a plant swap, it's like a family reunion. My great big family from all over Tennessee and Mississippi, all gathered in one place . It was sad leaving we had such a great time. I am SO looking forward to the Fall swap, we can't wait !! Oh and I have that fantastic recipe for the cabbage and lettuce and chicken dish if anyone wants it. I can't express enough to everyone , if you havn't stayed and camped out or just stayed until after dark and "hung out" with us...you're missing out. It's special....we eat leftovers or something yummy someone has made, like the Smores and salsa and chips that Kathi brought and the roast we warmed up on the cookstove that Marianne made. We sit around with our little tiki torches and talk , let the kids take their flashlights and find salamanders in the creek... and have the best BEST time. Love you all !!

Cheryl, Aric and Catie

OOPS my apologies, Im horrible with names, I meant Catie and Aric, not Dekota. Dekota was the youngest of the boys and the quietest too. If Only I could get Stephen to be as queit as him.

HUGS Cheryl glad you made it home safely :)

Kathi

Hello to all my wonderful Swap buddies!
We had a great time. I think David liked to have worked til he dropped this year! I was just plum lazy. All I did was talk until my throat was sore and swap plants like crazy. It was such a lift to be able to just give plants to the newbies this year. I took many pass=a=long plants to give away and I sure got a lot of smiles for doing this. I'd say that nearly all of the traders at the swap, just told everyone to take what they wanted. Now, we always have some pre-trades of special plants and several special trades after the swap begins, but this year, we outdid the years gone by on giving away plants! So, if you missed this swap, you sure did miss a great day. The day was beautiful, the site could not have been better, the hosts are the best, the plants were unbelieveable, the food was fantastic, the fellowship with other Christains was so wonderful, the speaker was awesome,and the late afternoon conversation was a mix of wonderful stories about each other, our gardens and our lives. I always enjoy the the campfire talk as much as the swap.

Jan and Jim really went all out to make our stay so very special and special it was!

Jeff, you did a great job. I'm sure that following in my footsteps was hard to do, but you are learning so fast that I think by about the 5th time, you may have it down pat!!!~~~ Really, I so apreaciate you and Lavonne for releaving me of my job at the swap. I really had a great time this year being able to meet and talk to nearly everyone that was there. I sure hope you got some rest today, cause I know you both were tired.

Thanks again to all that made Saturday such a special day. Everyone at the swap was so incrediablely nice and so very generous. I know that God was in Heaven with a smile on his face! Blessings to you all and may God bless each and everyone of you with his loving Grace, Mona

After gettng only three hours of sleep Friday night, Lavonne and I were in bed asleep by 7:00 last night We didn't get up until 8:30 this morning, just in time to make it to church. Yes, we were soooooo tired but seeing how much fun everyone had was well worth it! That was our reward and I feel like we came out ahead on the whole deal. I can't wait to see the pics that Joe and Doug took of all you guys.

Wow is the word alright!!! If anyone missed this swap they should definitely be jealous of us and all the fun we had. It was such a great day. I can't say how very much it means to me to come and see all my old friends who are now like family to me and how much I enjoyed meeting new friends.
The afterswap party is becoming quite an event,lol!!! Mona, Virginia,Cheryl and I have begun a new tradition---------Ya Ya!!
Then much later in the evening when Kathi came back and Doug and Rebecca got back with their babies, we all had the best time sitting around Cheryl's campsite.
Many thanks of appreciation to Jan and Jim for being our great and gracious hosts, kudos to BOV aka Jeff aka swap Nazi and LaVonne for organizing us along the way and for all you guys did on Saturday. I also tihnk Sissy did a fantasic job teaching us about Lasagna Gardening--- you are so funny too!!! Y'all did a great job on Saturday.
Ohh the plants, Ohh the food!!! What else can I say???
Oh yeah --whoever brought the peanut butter desert please be kind and post the recipe---It was to die for!!
Marianne

Well, though I guess I win the (booby) prize for probably being the 1st person to leave the swap (family obligations needed me back home early afternoon) I too have to say "WOW, what a day!" And shoot, I'm sorry I missed Sissy's lecture.

This was my 2nd swap and I was blown away at all the plants you folks had to share! I'm glad I was able to make some of you happy by bringing plants you were really looking forward to adding to your collections. And I truly appreciate the plants you brought especially for me.

Thank you to Jeff, Lavonne and the others that made the day such an enjoyable event.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know eveyone a little better and am already looking forward to the Fall swap and thinking ahead about what I can bring!

Claudia

Hey Everyone!

I couldn't get on to GW all yesterday. But now that I am I have to say WOW! with the rest of you. Greay day Saturday. I hope everyone thanked the Lord for the increadible weather we had. I so envied those kids playing in in the river. Next year I may just bring a sign that says "Take what you want, leave what you can. I'm in the river...."

First of all, a big thanks to Jan and Jim, our gracious hosts. I fear we are about to outgrow the fabulous spot we have been so lucky to use these past few years. I'm hoping we can figure out a way to keep it working there.

Jeff and Lavonne. You guys did great. Jeff was a wonderful Swap Nazi and Lavonne did what she does best. Holds him up while he talks. *grin* Jeff, you know you've got a great lady there, you'd better publicly thank her here on the forum!

Mona, it was nice to see you enjoying the swap a bit more. Not that I've ever seen you not enjoy one. But you and David both seemed to be a lot more relaxed. Very cool!

To all the new people! Great to see you there! I don't think I have seen so many smiles in one place in a long time. Please plan on making it a regular part of your Spring and Fall!

By the way, once I got home and was able to consolidate everything, I found I had taken 402 photos. I'll cull through them over the next few days and will start posting samples as I get them ready. And I promise to do my best to provide flattering shots only.

Well....mostly....

Although I missed the swap, I am enjoying reading all the posts about the wonderful gathering. It sounds like a really special event and makes me happy to hear what a great time had by all!

NICE POSE there Jeff! I can see you were in total control of the situation!!! I'm looking forward to seeing the other pictures.

Mel

Oh LOLOL..what a fantastic picture. I want a copy !! lol. Mel, me and Rebecca were sitting there at the camp fire saying " You know Mel would absolutely love this". We plan on dragging you with us in the Fall so be prepared lol. Claudia, it was a joy meeting you, and you don't know the compliments and questions I received over my beautiful paddle plant, can't thank you enough for bringing it for me !!! Joe, Aric was so impresed by your camera that he's been bugging me to email you about it, so get ready !!

Cheryl

Now here I am just about in tears reading everyone's posts and then I scroll down and see Jeff...I 'bout fell out of my chair laughing.

Cheryl, (and you too Virginia) keep those pictures to yourself!

I've gotta tell ya, this was my second swap and was just on cloud 9 the whole time! This year I made sure I yakked more and swapped less and met some great folks and reaquainted with many more. I found some very special to me plants that just made my summer (Mel, you will be so jealous :).

A very special thank you goes out to Norm's wonderful Barbara! When my baby girl wanted to play in the dirt in front of their table instead of playing in the dirt in front of our table, Barbara insisted on keeping an eye on her for me. Your dirt must have been better! I am so sorry I didn't get a chance to thank you in person and give you a big ol' hug. You both were gone before I knew it!

Judith, thank you so much for the tips on the passiflora cuttings in oasis foam and the passiflora! I am going to try some today!

Jeff, Lavonne great job! And, David I think you worked the hardest! Mona, make him sit down next time!

Loved the 'after dark' gathering! I stayed up until I couldn't hold my eyes open. Now that is what camping is all about. Hanging out with friends and eating junk food! Thank you so much Kathi for all the yummies! Your boys were a hoot and reminded me of my brothers when we all lived at home. Marianne, I worried about you driving home alone that late at night. Glad to see you made it home safe. Virginia, can't wait to see the pics of Maleah and Catie! That Virginia is a sly one with that camera! Sorry I couldn't hang out and sample the coffee in the morning.

Our only mishap of the whole trip was going back to the hotel sunday morning to pick up Doug's mom, Jackie. When we got there, the truck ran out of gas! Thank goodness, it wasn't out on the highway somewhere and I could not pick up a signal with my cellphone.

Hope we can make the fall swap! We will have tons of goodies then!

Rebecca

Thanks Jan, Jeff, Lavonne and everyone who brought such a great selection of plants! It was great to meet so many of you in person and Sissy you had my husband (who was sick and didn't stay very long) laughing out loud. As well as everyone else of course. Oh yeah and we learned stuff too. :)

Food was great too - and what about the recipe for that killer banana (?) cake very moist too (no icing but it didn't need it)? Look forward to future swaps and seeing y'all for the 2nd time -

Karen

Ok Joe, I'm retracting everything nice I said about you!!! ;-) Thanks a lot dude. As if I don't look stupid enough normally, Geez Louise! I don't reckon I'll get a chance to live this one down in my lifetime. It's such a comfort to know that this picture will be bouncing around the Internet for a hundred years. I'm bring out my camera for the Fall Swap so watch your back!

Joe, LOL, you made my day with that pic of our Swap Nazi.

Jan

I don't see how I can add anything to what has already been said. This was my fifth plant swap, and I have to agree, it was the best yet! Jan and Jim were as always gracious hosts, and Jeff and Lavonne carried on Mona's tradition and found out how much work it takes to make this swap run so smoothly. The look on JeffÂs face in the pic above tells all. As much work as it is for the organizers, it's the traders who actually make the swap what it is. And what it is, is wonderful!

I only have three complaints. First, my truck wasnÂt big enough and second, the plates were too small. Ha! I didnÂt have room either on my plate or in my tummy to taste everything and it sounds like I missed some of the best dishes and desserts. Recipes please! Finally, I didnÂt exercise my facial muscles enough before hand to keep from having cramps in my cheeks from laughing so hard with everyone at SissyÂs hilarious lesson on Lasagna Gardening! That woman is a hoot! To think we live close enough to each other to get together for lunch on a regular basis. IÂm looking forward to years of friendship. OK, make it four complaints. I spent too much time at my table and missed some great plants and other swap items! Sigh. Next time, IÂm going to do what Joe suggested and leave a sign that says, "Take what you want, IÂm visiting."

If the swap wasnÂt great enough, the after-the-swap gathering was even better. This is only my second time to come alone, and the first to stay to camp. WeÂre all so busy trading plants and ideas to really get to know each other well. The after swap time is laid back and giggly. Ya Ya! I donÂt have to name names, youÂve already mentioned me and I loved every minute of getting to know you and your families better. Just as good but in a different way is just listening to the sounds of nature. And no one mentioned burning our nametags in the campfire and "being one with the river". Retiring to the tent, being lulled to sleep by the whispering of the river and leaves overhead, being awakened in the night by coyotes, and awakening in the morning to birdsong is Heaven, indeed.

Those photos will be forthcoming. Of the eighty or so I took, most are scenic ones of the river and camping; only a few are people shots, but some of those are great. IÂll post them soon to my website so you can grab the ones you want.

Now, after a three-hour nap yesterday afternoon and a full 10 hours of sleep last night, IÂm ready to start putting those plants in the ground. IÂve already got special spots planned for all of them. In one of JeffÂs posts he mentioned how he has landscaped his entire lot with plants heÂs acquired at these swaps. My garden is the same. ItÂs such a delight to walk through it and with every step remember the friend who first grew the plant, and the fun day we had trading. Till the next one ...

Love you all!

One person I have failed to recognize, and I appologize for that, is David White. He worked behind the scenes Thurs. night, Frid night, and all day Sat....quietly....and he helped make everything run smoother. Thurs. he helped Jim lay out the sites for the swap, Frid. he traveled from Waynesboro to Hohenwald putting out the signs so you all could find your way, and Sat. he helped work the registration table, and to get eveyone in the right spots... as well as a hundred other little jobs that had to be done. Thank you David....for giving of yourself so graciously...without your help Jim and I or Jeff couldn't have gotten it all done!

Jan

Hey Rebecca and Doug!!! I sure am glad you left the vehicle with the broken gas gauge at home!! LOL!

C'mon Jeff.....You wouldn't have mugged for that shot if you hafn't intended for me to make good use of it.'

At least it was in context!

Cheryl: Aric should have asked me about it Saturday. I'd have been happy to show it to him.

This was our first swap, but it won't be our last. I had a wonderful time. My biggest thanks go to my wife, who came with me even though she's not a garden nut like me. That is the definition of true love.

It really is nice to meet people that have a passion for things that grow. I always liked to grow things but I caught the fever when I moved to Tennessee.

See you all in the fall!

Oh come on Jeff, that's a perfect representation of you and your character ...hehehe LOL...oh I'm holding my side here...

Great pictures btw Joe, they get better every year.

Cheryl

Many thanks to all who helped make the swap happen. Claudia and I had a fun time, met many interesting folks, and definitely plan on attending again in the spring. We do stained glass in the fall and will be too busy with shows to attend the fall swap. One of the plants I was hoping to find was a fig tree, but by the time I got around to those who had them, they has swapped them all away. One extremely kind gentleman GAVE me his fig tree that he had already swapped for, how`s that for generous? We meet many gardeners through our greenhouse business, they are almost always friendly folks, but the plant swap folks go beyond friendly to kind and generous. Thanks a bunch, Doug and Claudia

Doug and Claudia
Your generousty was outstanding. I thank you so much for adding to our Swap and look forward to seeing you again next Spring. It's very easy to be kind and gererous when you are dealing with a people that are the same. It seems that our swap is as addictive as the growing of plants.

I praise the Lord for such a wonderful day in my humble life! Mona

Mel, I cant explain it. Maybe Hohenwald is a black hole or the Bermuda Triangle. The guage in my truck has never fooled me yet. The message center always lets me know when fuel is low, and in my truck, thats usually all the time! It has been perfectly fine ever since we left Hohenwald though. Kinda cfunny it ran out right in the parking space though. I actally got about 330 miles out of that $55.

Hi Doug,
Sounds like you have a Ford f150 4wd like my son "Doug". He did get 12mpg until he added the big mud tires, now he gets 9! His mom thinks he has more money than sence. We don't have snow very often here to deal with, he just likes to go play in the mud. And I thought my old van getting 15 mpg was bad!

Anytime you're in the Tupelo area, bring my baby by to see me. I've told my son and Lynn(wife) just how beautiful and sweet she is.(hint to them it's about to get time!) By the way, when she gave me that big kiss for the pink flower, my heart just completely melted. You tell her big brother that he is as handsome as she is pretty and if he comes down, we'll find him a fishing hole to wet a line in.

May God bless you and yours with his loving Grace, Mona

I also had a wonderful time at the swap - it was my first time and I compromised with my husband to go down the buffalo river with him after the swap, but before sharing a meal together. I won't do that again!
We are both looking forward to the fall swap, and I am immensely enjoying planting all the wonderful plants that you all so graciously swapped!
Emily and Clark

I just had to bump these back and read them again. It brings warmth and excitement back into these old tired bones. This is what drives me to try and do a better job every Swap. Everyone is so happy it gets me jacked-up for next week!!!