Welcome home Ada,
We have had one with folks from this forum for the last 2 years , hopefully we will have it this year, it is a great time. It usually gets posted in the exchange portion of the Upstate site. Here are some shots taken by Toplady from our first one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Albany area plant swap

Thanks for the pix! I am looking forward to some swapping!!

We had wonderful plant swaps when I was on the Ozarkd forum. Such fun.

AdaO

I talked with Shimla - our organizer for the past two years - a couple of months ago. She didn't think she'd be able to organize a swap this year :(( I helped out last year, and am willing to help this year as well, but I'm back to work full time this year and with my two darling little ones, I just don't think I can do the whole thing on my own.

Anyone interested in forming a committee? There were some great suggestions for organizing the festivities over on the winter sowing forum a while ago. I'll have to see if I can find the thread again.

I had such a blast meeting everyone last year and I got such awesome plants. I hope we can make it happen.

~Deb

I would love to help! As a former garden club president (long ago, 50 members, non-Federated) and as a Master Gardener in Missouri and an Ozark Forum G'webber swapper, I could try to come up with a few ideas. Keep me posted.

AdaO
aka Joyce

Hey garden pals. Nice to hear from ya'll again. Let's all take a nice long stretch and wake up from the winter blues because SPRING IS COMING...(that's what the calendar says anyway) I would love to help with the swap again. I vote for doing it just like in the past. It's been working out nicely.
Keep posting.

Yes, it has gone well the last 2 years so I guess we shouldn't fix what isn't broken. The only suggestion I have is if we can get another place like the first year where their was a covered area with lots of tables. It is so much easier to view the plants well when they are up on a table....or maybe I am just getting too old!!!!!And its good if we can get it for free. I have an idea of a place in East Greenbush if one of the helpers wants to email me privately , I can give you the info.

Hi all,

Nice to see the familiar faces ready to trade again this year! I have been a wintersowing fool this year and should have plenty to trade (Just shy of 200 containers). I can also help out with organizing if needed. I live in the Bellevue section of Schenectady next to 2 parks (Fairview and Hillhurst), which may be good spots for our exchange as well. Neither have covered areas, though, but I can get ahold of a big tent if necessary. Let me know what you all think!

-Channon
starmoon *)

Hey Channon! I was just thinking about you, and all the lovely plants you gave me, the other day as I was scoping out to see if anything was coming up in the garden yet. I'm praying that the Japanese Painted Fern you gave me and the other one I scored at last year's swap survived the winter. I see neither hide nor hair of them yet, but still have hope!

Anyway, I'm glad to see there is interest in another swap this year. I certainly don't want to change what isn't broken, but I do know that Shimla and I talked briefly last year about how we could improve the organization of the actual swapping. I read some ideas about doing a round robin type swap where each person quickly highlights the items they brought, and then the swap starts in rounds. Each person picks one favorite the first round so that hopefully everyone gets at least one of their top picks. The 2nd round each person picks 2 plants, and so on until interest wains and then it becomes a free for all of sorts, and those that bring WAYY to many plants start begging people to take them home!!! Just an idea to throw out there....

I definitely agree that we need more tables. I was considering even offering to host in my backyard....I thought it would be nice to have a bathroom, refridgerator, etc. available and even a place to escape if it got as hot as it did last year...I know some folks found the heat very oppressive last year...but my issue would be the fact that I have maybe 2 picnic tables I could get my hands on, and it just wouldn't be enough. People probably couldn't even bring folding tables with them because our cars are usually packed with plants!!! But, if someone has a solution to that dilemna, let me know. Otherwise, we'll have to scope out a park.

Lets keep talking about it

~Deb

You girls are all so wonderful at stepping up to the plate and making the 2006 Plant Swap happen!

I went last year with Kareen and everyone was so welcoming....I can't wait to see you again this year!

Jean

Need to get the ball rolling here. I could look into places around here (KInderhook) but I don't think this is as convenient for everyone as the area we have had it previously. Kareen mentioned E. Greenbush how would that work for the majority? I think most people are from
Albany and West but I may be wrong. How about we find out where everybody is and then agree on a centralized location.

What about the community center in Brunswick? Nice table area there.

Flowerchild...you have mail. Kareen

Hi, everyone!

It's adkmountaingirl checking in. I think I can speak for lnmp and myself (right, lnmp?) when I say we're interested in another swap this year.

First, I think we owe many thanks to shimla for getting the whole ball rolling and taking on the responsibility for planning our swap the first year and, then with fairydancer's help, last year also. It was definitely a big undertaking for just one person, so fairydancer's idea of having a committee help her plan the exchange would make it so much more manageable and fun for those involved!

We have to acknowledge that we have no control over the weather...it can be anything from cool and rainy to hotter than hades (as it was last year). It's pretty much a crap shoot, so a shelter or tent or something like that would help us be prepared, no matter what the weather.

I got to last year's exchange late so didn't really have a chance to socialize since people had already eaten and were already taking plants out to their cars. That's the part I liked so much from the first exchange...getting to know people whose posts we have been reading for awhile, connecting their GW name with a face. I met so many local gardeners ~ that was wonderful ! And since then, I've exchanged plants and advice with them. I also made a really good friend from that first year's forum, and I treasure our friendship.

Whoops, getting off the topic. I live way up north, so I think I am probably only 1 of 2 gardeners (hi, want_to_retire_did!) who live above Saratoga... so I will wait until some other location suggestions have been made. I know no one would want to drive all the way up here...LOL...it IS a very long drive!

Trying wintersowing for the first time this year, so hopefully I'll have babies to bring (keeping my fingers crossed ~ we'll see!)

So keep up the great work, fairydancer and committee!! Unfortunately because of a very demanding job, I can't help with the planning, but I will definitely be attending.

THINK SPRING, EVERYONE!!!

adkmountaingirl

A suggestion for a location could be the Duanesburg town park. It has a covered area and rest rooms. It's just off route 7 on Depot road. Has a date been set?

We went to a swap today not related to this board and it was great.......torrential rains and all. I am now very ready for another one even though nothing is potted yet.
I am looking forward to hearing the date and location. Kareen

Bumping this back up, is there any news yet on date or place?We just moved back in our home after an extensive 7 month remodel. To say our yard and some gardens are a mess is an understatement. I am not unpacked either so volunteering to work on the swap just isn't going to be possible this year but I do want to attend.I have been giving plants away to garden clubs and freecyle but will keep some if the swap is going to happen.

Hey Kareen,
Don't know if anyone has taken on the task of finding a place to meet. I talked to fairydancer to see if she knew if anyone was working on setting up the trade. She wasn't doing it this year and asked me to let her know if I heard anymore about a swap. I'm two hours away from Albany so I don't know the area and can't suggest a place to meet although I'd be happy to bring lemonade and cookies if you want to meet somewhere to exchange plants.
Aurore

Hi Aurore,
In Rensselaer county, location possibilities I am familiar with are Rensselaer Elks in East Greenbush, the fire house on Ridge road or the East Greenbush town park. In Albany I think there is a covered area with tables on the River walk between Albany and Watervliet.I believe Flowerchild mentioned one in Kinderhook . I know its a long drive for you anywhere up here .....thats a dedicated gardener for you ! We shall see where this goes. If we don't have one I wish all of you a great summer of gardening.

I am sure hoping that we can pull off a plant swap this year.

Last year was just great and I got to meet so many of you.

Jean