Tomatoz1, I'd love to get some of your beautiful iris. I didn't take many of the iris from the swap I had at my place last year and now I regret it....especially after seeing so many of the beautiful pics that so many have shared.

Next spring I should have a ton of containers to give away. Paulino's was selling plants for $1 several weeks ago and after 2 trips, I have almost 50 to plant. I've been waiting for things to cool down before I plant them so I won't have any to bring this fall.

With so few coming to this swap, I will bring a fruit salad instead of the brocolli salad. Looks like the weather should be great!

Hi Aloha,

I would like some Autumn Joy Sedum. Looks pretty! Mine is all brown now so will be nice to have some fall color.

The David Phlox looks gorgeous. How long does it bloom for you? And how big does it get? Is it spreading on its own or does it stay in place?

Thanks!

I love my Autumn Joy. I have put it in countless places. Very drough tolerant and pretty. I don't cut it down until early spring as it gives nice winter interest. How many plants would you like. I have at least 6.

David Phlox is very well behaved. It blooms about 4 weeks but can rebloom several weeks later if you deadhead it. It smells wonderful!

Thanks Aloha,

If you have 6 I will take 6. With our big yard it pays to do mass plantings. I think I will hold off on the David Phlox. I"m trying for all summer long white blooms in the bed I was thinking of for it.

Right now I've got my pink asters blooming in one bed and the Autumn Joy sounds like a great compliment in my purple bed or under the tree across the way.

Did you see the xeriscape tour is rescheduled for this Sun. at 9 a.m.?

David Phlox sounds like a beautiful white phlox. I would take 1 or 2, since I have a small yard. Thanks, aloha2009.

I’m assuming that everyone who hasn’t asked for my address has it from last year...I’m looking forward to Saturday, and to all the garden goodies!

it looks like it will be nice weather, so we’ll plan to do it all outside. I’ll stake out a shady spot for the plants to sit, and my picnic tables have shade, too.

see you Saturday 11am-ish,

Faith

Hi all,

I don't do dibs anymore, but in case somebody wants to check any of these things out before the swap, here are the things I'll have for swapping! I'll have 1 to 3 of each of:

Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ - darkest leaf Ajuga I know of!

Anemone sylvestris - windflower - spring blooming white anemone

Delosperma basuticum ‘White Nugget’ - my favorite iceplant!

Festuca glauca ‘Elijah’s Blue’ - ornamental blue fescue

Lamium maculatum ‘Pink Pewter’ - spotted dead nettle - creeping lamium - my favorite lamium!

Myosotis alpestris - forget-me-not

Stachys byzantina ‘Helene von Stein’ - "flowerless" lamb's ear

Ornamental Aloe ‘Black Gem’ – houseplant!

Pothos – houseplant!

I'll also be bringing a batch of two different unrooted Sempervivum - hen & chicks, along with an info sheet about what to do with them!

And, if I remember to get them out of the fridge on Saturday!, I'll have one small bunch of grape hyacinth bulbs--small ones!

Not positive about this yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be bringing banana bread with mini chocolate chips in it for the food!

Faith, just so you know, as always I'll be bringing the sign-in sheet and the "numbers" for picking plants. Also, I have 18 name badges I'll be bringing that are still left from a package of them somebody bought a couple years back--I've been bringing them to each swap I've been at since I got them! I don't know how many people you show as coming, but from counting on both of the swap threads it looks to me like only about a dozen, so hopefully it'll still be enough for this swap! I don't have any more, so if we go over 18 people we may run out! I'm hoping to get there real close to 11, but if others get there before me they can just wait to sign in until we get the sheet out!

Yes, it looks like the weather should be just about perfect! I'll see you all on Saturday!

Skybird

Thanks, Skybird! I have some name tags too if needed, but I think it will be a pretty small group—easy peasy.

I will be late to the swap. I'll be there around 12:45 ish. Hopefully I will make to the very beginning of it.

I'm a late entry. I don't do too much cooking, but I can pick up something if needed.

What i will bring is the end of the grape harvest. I have 10-11 small clusters of Somerset grapes.

I may have a Himrod grape vine to bring. I promised it to my neighbor, but she has not come to get it. I'll try to firm that up tomorrow.

This will finally get me to divide some long-overdue daylilies. These two for sure, maybe others:

https://www.hollandbulbfarms.com/stephanie-returns-re-blooming-daylily.aspx

https://www.oakesdaylilies.com/product/pandoras-box/

Both are under 20" and bloom a long time. Pandora's Box is cream, not white.

Jerry

DOES ANYBODY WANT a bunch of BARE ROOT Ajuga 'Royalty'??? I can bring a pretty good batch of it if somebody wants it, but, from past experience, "bare root" things don't go very well at swaps unless somebody already knows what they're getting and have a specific place to put it, so I won't bring any unless somebody says they want some! It could be kept in the fridge for up to at least a week if necessary! Mine is going "too far" and I definitely need to dig some of it up--if nobody wants it it'll just wind up on the compost pile! It's a really nice ground cover with "ruffly" bronzy colored leaves, can go in anything from full shade to full sun, but I recommend part sun!

If you want to see a pic and google it you won't find it! The closest thing to it that you'll find pics of is 'Bronze Beauty', that's the one that's commercially sold for some reason--but 'Royalty' is "prettier," darker and more ruffly than 'Bronze Beauty'!

IF ANYBODY WANTS SOME let me know before sunset tomorrow/Friday!

Skybird

Hi Jerry,

I would love some of Pandoras Box lilies. If there are extra Stephanie's Returns, I'd like some as well.

Aloha2009,

I would like to try some Davis Phlox if there are any left.

Thanks!

Skybird, do you think your ajuga would be good for growing between stepping stones? Or along a dry creek bank? Can it compete with grass or would it get totally overrun without a physical barrier? If the answer is yes to any of those, I’ll take some. If the answer is yes to all three, I’ll take lots!

Hi Faith,

It would grow in fairly wide cracks, but if it gets walked on a lot it would kill it I think! And I'm pretty sure that grass would grow into it without anything to stop it--mine is far away from grass, so not sure--but pretty sure! It does grow pretty "densely," but grass will grow into just about anything/anywhere! Is the "dry creek bank" away from the grass--if so it should work well there! I'll bring enough for you to try it to see how it's working for you wherever you want to try it! Will also see if I can get a well rooted start of something that definitely would work in cracks for you--I think I can--it'll be bare root too!

Skybird

Hi all, baby and I are out :( We need to head home for a funeral. Was looking forward to seeing all of you.

Skybird, if you have anymore black gem at some point I’d love to run up and get some from you. It was the one plant I lost with a newborn (it wasn’t with the rest and I forgot about it entirely). I really like it while it was allive and would love to give it another go.

Rossnagl, sorry about your loss and that we will be missing you this fall.

Jerry I would love to get some of both of your daylilies. The long blooming time confirmed by you, is exactly what I need. Please bring as much as you want as I will take whatever is left over after others have gotten their fill - I have a large area I would want them.

I was hoping to just update my post above but apparently you only have a limited time period to edit. I'm going out to give the following a good "drink" before we dig them out tomorrow morning...

Mstywoods - Snapdragons (3) & Dead Nettle (3)

Oladon - Snapdragons & David Phlox

Faith - Catmint - 1 large clump

mmmm12 - Autumn Joy 6+

Tomatoz1 - David Phlox 2

Garden Chloe - David Phlox

Let me know if I missed anyone.

Someone mentioned fire spinner ice plant. I would like one or more of those.

Jerry,

I will bring tons of Fire Spinner Ice Plants to share. =)

Rossnagl, anytime after you get back and want to stop by to pick up some 'Black Scallop' just let me know! This year is the best it's ever been--even after having been gone for four weeks, when I got back it looked really good--I was shocked! Email when you're back home and we'll arrange a time that works for both of us and I'll dig a small patch for you!

Take care,

Skybird

P.S. I'm assuming you mean the 'Black Scallop' Ajuga, not the 'Black Gem' Aloe houseplant! But I have an extra one of those too if that's what you really mean!!!

Aloha, if you have any extra phlox I’d love some, otherwise no worries.

Faith,

Thanks again for hosting the wonderful swap. I am glad to have made it there an hour earlier than planned. Thanks everyone for being so generous in sharing your plants. I will get them planted today!

Thanks Faith for hosting another wonderful swap at your home again! As usually happens, I came home with many more plants than I planned on getting - lol. Thank you for letting me dig up a few cattails and echinacea, too.

I hope you enjoy the pig planter :) If you're looking to name it, you might consider Maryhelen :) - that's the name of my friend who gave it to me many years ago, and who lost her battle to cancer about 6-7 years ago. She was an early childhood educator, and would have loved your backyard area for the kids!

Great seeing everyone who made it today. Thanks for all the great plants, food, and friendship!

Many thanks to Faith for sharing her expansive yard with us for the swap. Beautiful people, delicious food, generous gardeners. Thanks to everyone for sharing their plants. Many thanks to Greg and Leslie for tomatoes, Music garlic, and especially HOT peppers.

It's always such a fun day to share our hard work over the summer.

Thanks to Faith and everyone who attended. I really enjoy the people who are part of this group and feel I learn so much from the swaps and the on-line discussions.

It was so good to see all that were able to make it out today.

Faith your place looks amazing with so many creative ideas that you've put into place. A great place for adults and children alike. If you want more catmint or phlox let me know...you obviously have the space for more.

Thank you all for sharing. I actually have homes picked out for all the plants I brought home...that's a first.

Great day and great company!

Echoing everyone else at this point, but thank you, Faith, and everyone else! Like mmmm12, I feel like I always learn a lot and have a ton of fun. :)

It’s snowing and 0 degrees up here?! Crazy weather. They aren’t done harvesting so hopefully it turns around and let’s it dry out for a bit.

Celsius! 32F

Thank you Faith for hosting. Thanks to everyone who attended and shared.

Thanks Faith and everyone. My first swap was great.

I was talking with some folks about the organza bags I use to protect grape clusters. Here they are

Organza Bags

For those who got daylilies, there is a picture below that gives you an idea of the relative size. This pic is from this year and they were not blooming very well due to the crowding.

OK, I posted yesterday and it got lost somehow.

Thanks Faith for hosting. Had a great time at my first swap and learned a few things.

For those who got daylilies, there is a pic below with both that will help with relative size. It is from this summer and you can see that the bloom is sparse due to the overcrowding.

I spoke with a couple of folks about the organza bags I use to protect grape clusters. If you search the text below, you will see them. $15.50 for 100.

SUNGULF 100pcs Organza Pouch Bag Drawstring 6"x9" 16x22cm Strong Gift Candy Bag Jewelry Party Wedding Favor (Moss Green)

Jerry,

Thanks for the picture!

Thank you everyone for another great swap!

Thank you Faith for once again making your wonderful venue available for the swap! Of all the places we've ever had a swap, I believe yours works the best because of all the separate "areas" that work so well to keep things organized--and to keep everybody from tripping over the swap plants while they're trying to eat! I love your yard and everything you've done with it--and I love the view too, when I take time to look up at it!

Thank you everyone for all the great food! I had a little bit of most things, and it was all wonderful!

And especially, thank you everyone for bringing all the great plants--and canned goods, and produce!--for everyone to choose from! It definitely seemed like everybody had a good idea of what they wanted in their first few picks, and the rest disappeared pretty quickly in the free-for-all! For anyone who got any of my plants, since they were so recently potted up, I STRONGLY recommend that you leave them in the pots for at least 3 to 4 weeks to let them root out fully before putting them in the ground--and for the ajuga and any plants that had "large" leaves on them, I definitely recommend cutting off all but the couple smallest leaves to make it easier for them to root more quickly for you! If anyone has any questions about the plants they got from me, just post and I'll try to answer them!

Have a good winter, everyone, and I hope I'll be able to make it to the 2019 Spring Swap!

Skybird

Thanks for coming, everyone, and for the kind words—and for the plants, of course! I wasn’t able to work in the garden at all today, but I look forward to getting everything in the ground. These swaps have been so wonderful for increasing the diversity and color palate of my garden! And I learn a lot every time, too.

Whomever got the Oranges N Lemons rose I would be very interested in seeing it next year so please post pictures when it starts to bloom.

Skybird,

I think you got the short red fall blooming sedum that I forgot to talk about. Do you happen to know which one it is? I have 2 in my yard but do not remember the name.

mmmm12, I got the rose -- I'll try to remember to post pictures!

I didn’t take any sedum, mmmm, but I was talking to somebody, Greg I’m pretty sure, about one that was there. That’s the only sedum I noticed, so I assume that’s the one you’re talking about. As far as I could tell it was the kind of sedum I call “sprawling sedum!” Assuming that’s what it was, it doesn’t spread like the usual “groundcover” sedums, the stems just sort of flop on the ground and “sprawl” here and there! If the stems stay in contact with the soil long enough they will root, but they don’t do that enough for me to consider them to be a “groundcover” type of plant! For the most part when/if the plant is cut down it reverts back to the original size, and where the stems “sprawled” it’s just bare again! If that’s what your plant at home is like, then that’s most likely what you have! Cutting them down to the ground (less than an inch) will cause them to come back with more stems, creating a “fuller” plant. Since they bloom mid/late summer, it would be best to cut them down either in very early spring, or soon after they finish blooming. Mine—the dead flowers!—don’t usually look good enough to consider them “winter interest,” so I normally cut them down sometime in fall or early winter!

I assume there are multiple new variety names by now, but back in the day when I was still selling them (late 90s!) the two “main” varieties we sold were ‘Rosy Glow’ and ‘Vera Jameson’. There is no species, they just come labeled with “sedum” and whatever the variety name is. I have at least three different ones, but I don’t know the variety names of any of them—I got them all just as cuttings or plants from somebody who didn’t know the variety names! To make additional plants you can easily make and root cuttings like you can with any of the other sedums. Very easy to grow like all the sedums—hot, dry, full to mostly sun! That’s about all I can think of to tell you about them. For pics google either of the above variety names.

Hope that helps,

Skybird

Thanks! I hope it makes it. I think we have been rooting it for at least 2 months. But my guess is that High Country Roses leaves them in the pot alot longer. We have 2 Sally Holmes that no one took and so trying to decide if we should over winter them indoors or put them somewhere in the yard.

Thanks Skybird. That is very helpful. We put both plants in what seems like many years ago and they both come back but never did well. So the day after the spring swap we pulled one which was just a sprig and put it in the pot that perhaps Greg got.

The fact that it had grown enough over the summer to have flowers was very surprising to me as it never flowered in the bed. It is in the sunken courtyard that is a huge sun/heat challenge for pretty much anything.

Surprisingly the other one developed flowers this year also and a little sprig came up where the one we pulled was taken from so we are going to let them both have another chance. We will cut them to try and get fuller plants next year.

The only year they looked good was the year we got them. After that they kept dwindling to nothing but a sprig or couple of sprigs. They have refused to die and refused to really turn into anything decent but that is they way things go for many plants in my sunken courtyard. That is why I love the ice plants, rock roses and brooms. They don't die and they get to be really decent in that challenging environment.

I don't know how you've been watering them in the past, but if you want to try to get them going better I'd recommend watering them deeply every couple weeks for the rest of this year and next summer, then go to a really good watering about every three to four weeks the following year. Being sure they're going into winter with damp/wet soil will help them keep growing roots over winter to give you "stronger" plants next spring. To water "well" you need to be sure the water is going deeper than the deepest roots on the plants--that establishes a deeper root system so the plants can draw on deeper moisture when the soil it drying near the surface.

I'd also recommend that you cut off any non-blooming stems right now, cut them into sections about 2 1/2 to 3" long, clean any leaves off of the bottom, put them in little "bouquets" of 6 to 12 cuttings, and then bury the bottoms of the "little bouquets" up to about 3/4" from the top and let them root--water them well when you put them in, and then maybe every week (or when the surface is dry an inch or so) until it gets really cold out. You could either plant them in the ground right next to the existing plant(s), or, it's easier to "control the water" if you put them in a pot over winter and put them in the ground in spring. If in a pot--small pot!--saturate the soil when you put them in and then let them dry COMPLETELY and then saturate again--and repeat until rooted. With the warm weather we've been having you'd possibly have time to root them in a small pot before "real winter" sets in, and then plant them in the ground yet this fall or early winter.

If you looked at any pics you can see that they can be really pretty, so with your "hot and dry" spot I'd recommend you try to get them going better--it would give you some "variety" besides just the iceplants. When the stems get long enough to make more cuttings next spring I'd repeat the "little bouquets" part above and keep planting more near the original plants to help get larger plants more quickly than just letting them "multiply" on their own. If you do that two or three more times next year, by the following year you should have fairly nice plants--it's like a pyramid scheme because each time you cut them back and make more you have more stems to cut down and get more and more cuttings!

Skybird

Skybird,

Thank you for so much great information. I hate to say it but it sounds like this plant may be too much work for us. But it is good to find out what this one needs. I always feel I learn so much from you and the group.

We have a survival of the fittest philosophy and if anything can't make it with little maintenance and little water than we let it go it's natural way. We have another plant in these beds that is like a baby's breath. I had forgotten about it last year because it's drip had a problem and it almost died but this year it was fabulous. Maybe if anything dies out of these beds I'll remember and get more of this (if I can figure out what it is).

Your white ice plants from the spring swap are looking very nice. These are a great example of what we like. We have Table Mountain Purple which is also low maintenance and a low maintenance low growing yellow one. The low growing ice plants seem to need nothing! Just my type of plant. Then we have 2 types of taller purple ones that seems to have alot of dead seed heads in the spring. Oddly they look very different colors in the greenery but I would have sworn we only put one type in. Maybe we thought we bought the same one but it came from two different places and were in fact different. That one is not as good for us because it needs to be cleaned up in spring. But it is established so it gets to stay for now. :-)

Here is a picture of my tall ones that don't look so good in the spring and need dead stuff cleaned out.

Table Mountain Purple that needs no maintenance in the spring.

For the person who got the yellow broom this is what it looks like in the spring.

This is the white baby's breath looking plant that I forgot about and like. Anyone know what it is?

Thank you for posting the Broom pic, mmmm12 - I was the adopter! Got it planted in a sunny spot, and where if it does spread (I read the seed pods explode!) I won't mind it doing so in that spot (but will try to keep it in control).

Faith - when I was planting the echinacea that I had dug up from your yard, I discovered there were some bulbs in the roots/dirt. Any idea what they might be?!

Mstywoods, No worries on that yellow bloom spreading. We put 10 in and 10 they stayed. Never a runner or seed seen in 5 or 6 years we have had them. They do seem to be a bit of a slow grower. We just pulled it out because it was right in the spot we wanted to put a Hardy Hibiscus. You will swoon over the fragrance of the flowers.

Love the broom! I've tried growing those 3 times to no avail. Three strikes, you're out here. But it looks wonderful in your yard mmmm12!

Mstywoods, those bulbs are likely mini irises, although there’s a possibility that they’re glory-of-the-snow (chionodoxa). I guess you’ll get a fun surprise this spring! And I’m happy to christen the pig planter Maryhelen

Wish I had taken a pic of them before putting them in the ground! I think they are too big to be the Chiondoxa, and definitely bulbs not tubers. I'll let you know what comes up! And sorry I got some of your plants you didn't know you were giving away! And thanks for the christening :)

Greg,

What was the purple and white stripped eggplant that you brought to the swap? It was delicious and I want to grow that type next year.

Thanks!

Hi mmmm,

I can answer your question! The white and purple one is Listada de Gandia! Seed is available at Seed Savers Exchange--link below! Seed Savers is a really great company that's trying to preserve "historic" varieties of veggies, apple trees, grapes, and other things by storing seed for the day they may be needed if the current commercial varieties--often mono-culture varieties--become diseased and no longer usable, so buying from them helps with a "good cause!" (You can also tour and hike trails on their "farm" if you ever happen to be in Decorah, Iowa!)

There are also two other varieties that are virtually the same as Listada--Galine, an all purple one, and Rosa Bianca, a white with lavender and pink one! All three of those can be cooked just by peeling them (or not if you prefer!), cubing them, and sauteing/browning them in hot olive oil until they're tender--and they won't get "mushy!" They work equally well for other recipes! I grow all three every year and there's almost no difference at all--some years I think I like one slightly better than the others, and the next year I'll think I like a different one slightly better!

Galine is available from Fedco, and Rosa Bianca is available from Fedco and Sand Hill Preservation--another really great company that deserves support!--and Rosa used to be available from Seed Savers but they now carry one called Round Mauve for which I recently bought seed and am planning to try it next year--I expect it to be virtually the same as Rosa!

Sand Hill is a "kitchen table" business (also in Iowa) that also helps preserve different varieties--and if you're interested in tomatoes, they carry over 300 different varieties. And Fedco is just a good company with great prices! They don't deal in genetically modified seeds--none of those three companies sell GMO seeds!

https://www.seedsavers.org/listada-de-gandia-organic-eggplant

https://www.seedsavers.org/visit

https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/

Try any or all of those three varieties--you'll love them all!

Skybird

Thank you Skybird!

This is great info. Normally I am not a huge eggplant fan but this one had a smokey flavor that was so delicious! It was white with a very small amount of purple striping and I haven't been able to find a picture of it on-line.