Jan and Jim,
Thank you for having ALLLLL of us!!!! Like I told ya'll this afternoon,I would like to be a permanent volunteer for this great gathering. I can promise you if you have us back I will come friday to cut grass, map out sites or clean bathrooms. Or tell them where they can and cannot park. I had a great day and meeting all of you was the icing on the cake. Thank You All Again.
Martha

And I did get home fine by the way.....(((Hugs)))

My most sincere apologies for all my screw-ups today and my most sincere thanks to everyone that helped pull my butt out of the ringer. I hope that I didn't ruin the day beyond repair. I'll do better in October if you guys will give me another shot.

We finally got home about 10:00 so I'm weak and about to collapse. This was a long 17 hour day on four hours of sleep!

I'll post some tomorrow and thank everyone individually.

Don't be silly, Jeff. We'll definitely be keeping you in the hot seat, although hopefully it won't be quite so hot next time. :-) And I hope ya'll will stop by and visit Chip and I sometime on your way home from church. :-)

I still had a GREAT time, even with the snafus caused by having so many "unschooled" people around. LOL We'll teach 'em some manners, or else! The best part is always sitting and chatting with you guys, and despite all the stress of the early part of the day, that part was just as enjoyable as ever. :-)

I'll be talking to you guys soon, but just wanted to send a quick post in case I don't have time tomorrow. Weather permitting I plan to make one more trip up to the Centenniel Wilderness to see if the Cumberland Azaleas are blooming. If they are, I have plenty of orange flagging, just the same color as their blooms. :-) Wish me luck.

--April

from Karen Etchison, grits 1957

We were able to find the directions from the Canoeing site - we got there around 10:30am and enjoyed every minute we were there - we stayed until after Marty's talk on native plants - it was great and very informative. We have four acres and one that is totally landscaped with every plant we could pack into it and around it. I am from Huntsville, AL, but we relocated from Houston, TX to this area 10 years ago. We got the planting bug when we visited a local wholesale nursery there that was open to the public. It has stayed with us and we have just had to learn what plants make it here versus that climate.
We will be more prepared for the swap in October - we will start propating, digging up, splitting, and planting seeds now in anticipation of another great time!
If we can ever be of help with the event let me know - we are about 20 miles from the site and we just have one teenager left at home so we have some free time when we are not gardening, working, or chasing after him.
Thanks again, take care and happy gardening

I'm so sorry I couldn't stay longer to help clean up and such. My mom's 85 and she'd run out of energy. All morning she kept saying, "This is amazing!" and I kept saying, "Believe me, it's not usually like this!" I found the event far more exhausting than usual myself. The hoards of newbies combined with weeks of far too little sleep, I guess.

My favorite newbie story was the woman who complained to me about not being able to find the Information Booth. I said there wasn't one. She said huffily, "I can't believe an organization would hold an event of this size and not have an information booth. Refreshment booth, too, for that matter!" I said, "Ma'am, there IS no formal organization. This isn't a club, it's just a bunch of plant lovers who get together to swap plants. The reason it's an 'event of this size' is because all kinds of new people like you showed up. There are about 4 times more people here right now than we've ever seen at a Swap before." She kept thinking it was a garden club event. I think this illustrates that vast numbers of people just aren't plugged into the Internet and how it has created new communities. This woman could not get how a bunch of people from all over could put on a Swap without having a bricks-and-mortar club organization.

I used to own my own business, and one of the biggest hurdles any startup faces is what to do when success hits. Then it's time to sit down and think hard about what you want your enterprise to be and where you want it to go. I'd say we reached that point by about 9:30AM yesterday!

And Jeff, it's not your fault the thing was an overwhelming success (emphasis on overwhelming). One of the swap nazi jobs is to publicize the event and get people to come. And you did. Who knew you'd be so dadgum good at it, that's all.:) Unless you're psychic, how could you or any of us predict that kind of turnout? I'd figured maybe 75 more people would show up. How wrong I was. Ms. Cheap's rather misleading column isn't your fault, either. (Remind me never to go to her if I want something publicized, though!)

I do think that the event will be a bigger affair from now on, though, although I expect the folks who showed up at noon asking where they could get their free plants won't show up again (no big loss there). And because of that growth I think it's unfair to expect one swap nazi to pull it all together, even when it's a superduo like Jeff and Lavonne. So maybe Jeff should be the uber nazi and have a bunch of subnazis under his direction responsible for different areas of organization. Or something. Mainly I don't want Jeff and especially Lavonne to burnout because of what should be a delightful event full of fun and fellowship. And I don't want Jan and Jim's business to suffer because they're generous enough to host the swap.

So put me down as a permanent volunteer/subnazi/whatchamacallit to do whatever needs doing. Just say the word.

Marty

Dear Marty,
You hit it right on the head. It became a big thing when people realized it was a good thing.....:) Jeff you're not the first person that this has happened too. But with all your supporters; like Mrs. Jan said we will help you and it can be organized and it will HAVE manners. As Renee and April said.....Rules must be enforced. Registration in advance. Parking close for the elderly ect. Time constraints.....What you have to bring...food, keep up with your children, where you can and cannot Park.....Pay for parking like Mr. Robert said even if its a 1.00. I like the idea that Renee had about pre arranged swaps happening in the late afternoon and being some where else. Oh yeah and the etiquette handout....a must. I will pay for printing it.......We have to put a time constraint on this so we can all enjoy it. We need to say registration from 8 to 10am and stress that after that event is closed. Because its not fair that people working the event not be able to enjoy it.......Just a few ideas.
Thanks Jeff, Lavonne, Jan, Jim and Marty and everyone else.
Martha

To Jan, Jeff, LaVonne, Marty and everyone else...

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Put me down as a permanent volunteer as well. One of my "favorite things" is when people complain about an event and do nothing to help out.

I, for one, had the most excellent day yesterday - and I can't wait to get my new plants in the ground!

Marty, I fully enjoyed your talk

Jan and Jim, Your site was beautiful and perfect!

Jeff - You and LaVonne rock!

-Emily Spoden

Wow, that sounds like a hoot! :-)

Wow guys, sorry we missed all the fun! It just wasn't in the cards for us this year.

I just got the stats on midtnplantswap.com and this past week we have had over 500 visitors to the site!

Somebody email me and give me details!

Rebecca

A huge pat on the back to Jeff, Lavonne, Jan, and all of you who was patient and kind, smiled through it even. We will pull it all together and get back on track. I still find myself saying holy smoke two days later. If you want me on the planning committee I'm in. If you want to just assign me a job I'm in. I saw and heard many things I never experienced at our previous swaps. I also saw the familiar, warm faces I so look forward to seeing every year. Those faces mean so much to me and a good solid group like that will not let one storm ruin their growing season. We just need to roll our sleaves up and get to work. Thanks to all, Rhonda

Here is a view of the swap taken at 10:37AM. People were still coming two or three cars every five minutes.

Overwhelming is the word indeed. It was clear pretty quick that our beloved yet misquoted swap nazi had exceeded even his own maniacal expectations. Lots and lots of new people honestly interested but even more that were either just curious or simply looking for freebies.

Of those, I know some went home with something but many were disappointed. However that was due to the unreasonable expectations they had been given by the unfortunate wording of the Ms. Cheap article. Unfortunate for us at least. I'm sure the writer and her editors had a much different goal in mind than Jeff did. And to that end (attracting readers) they may or may have not succeded. I know I've heard several of the regulars say that they will now take the Ms. Cheap column with a few more grains of salt.

In reading the article Saturday before last, my wife predicted what would eventually happen. She said then that there would a ton of people showing up just to get free plants and a free lunch. The wording and phrasing of the article made it sound like a free for all. Oh the true facts were there, but not made obvious to those that had never attended before.

But I agree with Marty. A lot of the excess people will not be back. They didn't find what they expected and won't make that drive again. Now let's all go cry over that fact together....

Ok. Now, thanks to Jan and Jim for not hanging us all. Such graciousness in the face of chaos is seldom seen. Truly, deeply, I thank you good folks for your hospitality.

Jeff and Lavonne...We all owe you guys. The only reason things held together as well as they did is that you both worked so hard at trying to instill order. My hat is off to you both.

Renee, Rhonda, and whoever else worked the registration table. Great job. I know that you all had a long, hard, hot day that was probably a lot less fun than you were used to.

I'd also like to recognize a couple of newbies that jumped right in and earned themselves the recognition. Martha, who called (or emailed) and said she'd like to come but had no plants yet, came with lots of drinks and a humble serving attitude. You helped out a lot and I hope you went home with something of mine. (Honestly, I have no idea who got what of mine, but that's another story.)

And Emily, who saw my request for red hot poker and brought me some. Even though this was her first time, she also did the research and understood what a SWAP was. I'm sure she took home lots of stuff. She was carrying pots double fisted every time I saw her. (Again, if you didn't get anything from my table, I'm sorry, I'll try and make it up in the future.)

I'm sure there were many others that got it right. I just stayed to busy (and scattered) to meet many of you. I hope to rectify that next time!

Over all I'd say this was a learning experience. And while somewhat painful, as growing often is, I think in the long run our gatherings will benefit from this. Once we recover from it, that is....

P.S. - More photos will be up in a few days. Just felt that I needed to post this one right away.

Holy smoke is right! My head is still reeling from the overwhelming experience. I second everything that has been said. There is no way you could have foreseen this level of response, Jeff. Nor would we have ever expected the heinous way some of those folks behaved. Hopefully, only the true gardening enthusiasts among that crowd will return in the fall. On a positive note, it was revealing how much our GW folks stood out in the crowd, flashing smiles, providing knowledgeable advice and offering a hand wherever needed. I was proud of our group.

Jan and Jim, I really hope that you all don't have too many nightmares reliving the experience. Anything you need, just say the word. We owe you a huge debt for weathering this storm.

Now, let's take all this anxious energy and get to plannin' for the Fall swap!

Well, leave it to you Jeff to prove the old saying "Theres no such thing as bad publicity" wrong. There can be sometimes. But look at the bright side, there will probably be more hard core swappers now because of your efforts. Like Joe said, some of the newbies that showed up had a good attitude and were prepared to "SWAP".

To everyone that missed us, sorry we didnt get to make it this time. Bec and I are in full assault mode now until next spring though to try and get our house ready to (hopefully) sale. This means trying to leave the gardens alone to fill in for the remainder of our stay. Weve been in this house since we got married eleven years ago, and with the addition of Maleah, have severly stretched our alotted space here(okay, okay, I really mean we need more room to garden).

Hey, wait a minute.......the first swap I dont show up to in a while and people show up in droves! Maybe you dont want me to come next spring, I may drive the crowds away. I may get a complex.............naw

Doug

Wow, guys, sounds like quite an experience! I do hope everyone survived, and I hope y'all got wonderful plants despite the insanity.

Jeff -- I owe you some lily babies and some hosta. I'm gonna be in Nashville on June 17. When you recover enough to send email, let me know if you'll be around that day -- I'll bring em to ya. :-)

Guys I really appreciate the kind words! Trust me, we are going to get the fall MTPS turned around and back under control. I'll be contacting several of you soon for some serious planning. Lavonne and I are still pretty much wiped-out but we're recuperating little by little so thanks for your concern.

Hold on to your hats and relax.....
Now that I've had a couple of days to reflect here's what I came up with.
Ok this is like me, pretty long-winded but here go my props:

First and foremost to Jan and Jim: You guys are so gracious to let us hold the swap at your business even though it takes away from your ability to fully operate that business and costs you additional finances and labor for a weekend at your own expense. I doubt that any of us will ever know or can really appreciate the actual tangible cost that you two incur because of us. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!! I cant say enough or show enough appreciation to you for what youÂve done for all of us over the years. You are uncommonly wonderful generous Christian people and we love you very much! I only hope that the debacle Saturday might garner you some additional business revenue in the future. Maybe some folks in that mass of humanity Saturday will go back to their congregations and suggest a weekend outing for their group at Buffalo Canoeing! Now there is some advertising that you canÂt buy!!! ;-)
(BTW if your church group, school, Scouts or club are looking for an enjoyable day in natureÂs splendor, call Jan and Jim at Buffalo Canoeing and show them that you REALLY do support them for what they do for us!!!)

Chef Ziggy: Way to go dude!!! You pulled double, triple, quadruple-duty all day with the photography, setting up the signs, being my eyes and ears for everywhere else that I wasnÂt at the moment and for eating dirt all day doing traffic control. IÂm sure you did more but I didnÂt get a chance to see most of what went on Saturday because I was usually several hundred yards from the Swap. My hats off and I owe you Bud. Thanks to Kathy and Judith for letting you work like a dog, totally ignore them and not help them with your table either. What a cool family you guys are! Love yaÂll!

Lavonne, Marianne, Renee, Martha, Cindy, AprilÂ.How could I possibly thank you guys enough for the job you did grabbing the bull by the horns and taking over registration, logistics, organization and control of the "lower end" traffic of the Swap where all the action was? I canÂt believe what a disaster you averted by your hard work!!! When I think of how easily this could have turned into an ugly mob scene without you guys it makes me cringe. No way could this have gone off as smoothly as it did without yaÂll. You are all strong, intelligent and capable women that I love and admire greatly. (One of you more than the rest!) ;-)

Marty: Great job! Even I didnÂt fall asleep. As expected you provided us with and, effortlessly commanded by your presence, the most organized; controlled; informative; relaxing and enjoyable part of the day. Duh! As if we anticipated something else? YouÂre just freakin awesome! We all needed that.

Norman and Barbara: How could any of us have a good time without you two? I know that it makes the whole day worth while for Lavonne and I when you are there. You two will always own a very special place in our hearts!

Robert Holt: What a kind and thoughtful man! For a "first-timer", like Martha, you guys exemplified the true spirit of what this whole thing is all about. I still canÂt believe that yaÂll were so helpful. We are all better people for meeting you and we are very happy to now count you among us.

Mary Hance, aka. Ms. Cheap: Now thatÂs what I call REAL publicity! Even though there was something lost in translation between me, you, the article and the readersÂWow! What a statement it makes for the readership and strength of your column!!! We really do appreciate the pub and it sure did get the word out to folks that never knew we existed. We will benefit from this growth pain and become better and stronger because of it. I generally need a good swift kick in the pants and I sure got it! Thanks a lot. Many peopleÂs lives will be touched for the good by coming to the MTPS so before we get too wrapped up in the few negatives of the day letÂs remember to put things in their proper perspective and focus on the positives in this big picture that will surely come as a result of it.

I know that I saw several others that helped with dinner but like I said, I didnÂt see much of the Swap Saturday. I know that I also spied countless others picking up the slack and busting their humps by taking on different responsibilities as they arose. IÂd sure like to name each of you personally but my memory is still a little blurry about the whole event! I realize that IÂm forgetting the names and faces of many who dared to roll up their sleeves and jump into the fray and I apologize for that but you do have my most heartfelt thanks. Suffice to say that this was a HUGE group effort on a lot of peopleÂs part and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for carrying this Swap and me on your shoulders.

To everyone that attended: Everybody from the "old guard" to the "first-time newbieÂs", thank you for coming and sharing your plants, food, wisdom, advice, hospitality and good will. We can all agree that this event is about people that have a common bond of growing stuff and sharing it with others. You are one incredibly diverse group that comes together crossing all lines and every type of stratification just to be generous to each other! You are all the most selfless and magnanimous folks around. Where else can so many different people and backgrounds meet under one umbrella and kick off a day that is so cool for EVERYBODY? If your heart and spirit arenÂt lighter and uplifted by the fellowship with these, your swapping buddies, then you need to check yourself and look hard into the mirror.

For those that couldnÂt attend because of circumstances beyond their control: To Mona and David especially (we love you so much) but no less to Doug and Bec & the kids, Cheryl & the kids, Ann Bell (who donated tons of stuff) and all the scores of other regulars that really wanted to be there but couldnÂtÂ.you were sorely missed. We benefit from your presence and are diminished by your absence.

Did I miss anybody? IÂm sure I did. A big "Thank you so much" to all of you for your support, thoughts and prayers. IÂm sure youÂre sick of hearing it but this is why I always say (over and over and over and overÂ.) "YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST" !!!!!!

Jeff

Jeff,
i think i will cry now.....This is the best time I have had in a long time. Everyone I met was just the best. I have to say to Mr. Norm and Mrs. Barbara thank you for keeping my plants. Marianne I will be your backup you are so nice I loved your chili. Lavonne you made me laugh. To Jim and Jan, thanks for not freaking out....ya'll were so sweet under the circumstances. To Renee and her mom thanks for the welcome. Mrs. Betty I have some daylilies on my list for you come fall. To Marty's Mom Mrs. Hill you are so sweet. Marty I'm so glad you are down to earth. Joe are you tngreenthumbs??? You were just as nice as can be. Mr. Robert you are so nice and kind . I feel like I've made lifelong friends. April I'm ready to go caving. And I will have some flames for you come Nov. To Jeff THANK YOU!!!!!!!I wouldn't have seen the river if you hadn't shown it to me and Mr. Robert. And I wouldn't have had this enjoyable trip if it were not for you and Mrs. Jan. :)

i will help with whatever needs to be done from now on. You tell me what you need me to do and I will be there.
Thank You So Much
Martha

Jeff.....your post was so positive it made me ashamed of myself...you made me see all the good people involved in the swap. Thank you for pointing that out to me. THAT'S why you are the swap nazi and not me...you're GOOOOOOOD!

Jan

For not making me look like a dumb person....I appreciated you and your mom giving me a boost to get my battery going, Since i not only left my keys in the car but the car on.
Thank You
Martha

As a couple of newbies, my sister Dianne and I had a great time! We apologize for our ignorance about the rules (swappers had a hard time identifying table #19 since we didn't display that very well, etc.) But we did bring plants to swap, and went home with some different items that I'm still getting in the ground. Hopefully, we'll be welcomed back for the Fall, and we'll be able to pitch in and help with the event. At least we'll know more than we did on Saturday. I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Thanks to all of your hard work to make it a great day!

Linda

P.S. We're the two that had the mauve-colored blooming Iris (some say it's Japanese, some say Siberian; Iris City Gardens at Primm Springs wasn't even sure!)

Hi Linda,
Welcome to both you and your sister!! I'm Marianne, I did meet you at the swap and was lucky enough to be one of the ones who received some of your iris. They are beautiful whether they are siberians or japanese. You all most certainly are welcome to the fall swap !! You've got plenty of time between now and fall to get things ready and if you bring more of your iris, I'd love to trade for them in the fall. Come fall ,you will be the old guard and can help us show other newbies how a swap works, lol.
Marianne