The 2019 Raleigh Fall Swap will be held Saturday, September 28th 2019 at White Deer Park - Pine Shelter in Garner. The shelter is reserved from 1pm til 4pm. Swapping will begin around 2. Everything will be the same as in past swaps.

I know I probably sound like a broken record but this past summer has been brutal for the Johnny garden! Very little rain and super high temperatures. I have spent all my spare time dragging a hose from one end of the yard to the other and when it finally did rain I took a break and tried to repair the greenhouse in preparation for winter. So, no propagating has occurred. No seed starting. No plant buying. All I've done is water for the past 4 months. I have nothing to bring to the swap except things I don't have the time to take care of any more. We've had these types of summers before. I call it "Sophie's Choice" gardening - where you have to pick your favorite baby and tend only it because you can't keep all of the garden happy. Hopefully next year will be better.

We have three activities going on at the same time - the general swap, special trades, and the picnic. You are free to join in on any of them. The general swap is done in a modified Round Robin style where I ding a bell and you get to grab a limited number of plants and then stash them in your special hiding spot outside the shelter (most folks designate an area in the lawn beside the shelter). After a few rounds all heck breaks loose and we just grab all the left over plants. The special trade swaps are off to the side or in the parking lot and are where you exchange plants one-on-one with someone you have arranged a trade with. There will be a Special Trades thread started here on the Carolina Garden Web Exchange subforum to handle all the details. The only rule is that you need to keep your special trades away from the main shelter or else someone may take them during the general swap. The picnic is after the swapping. A Swap Food List thread will also show up where people can announce what they will be bringing. There are a few grocery stores nearby so that items can be picked up on your way to the park if you don’t feel like cooking.

As in the past we have no rules, you are free to haul anything gardening related to the swap and give it away - this includes live plants, seeds and bulbs, cuttings, pottery, tools and equipment. One thing that sets our swap apart from others is that we do not require you to even bring plants in order to participate. We always have way more plants than people. If you feel guilty taking something for nothing you can always bring food for the potluck picnic.

Here is the town of Garner’s web page about the park:

http://www.garnernc.gov/Departments/Parks and Recreation/Parks.aspx?ID=25

An easy way to get there is to take the Beltline to exit #299 and turn South (away from downtown Raleigh). The road you are on is Hammond or Person (it has two names). Stay on this same road as it crosses Hwy 70, by now it has changed names to Timber Drive. Take Timber Drive all the way to Aversboro Street and turn Right (this intersection has a Wallgreens, a CVS and a Lowe’s Foods). There is a small city sign showing how to get to White Deer or Lake Benson Park. White Deer Park is on the right. There is a church on the opposite side of the street. If you see a big wooden sign for Lake Benson you have gone one short block too far. Once you enter the park take the first turn to the left and drive until you see the big parking lot. Our shelter (Pine) is after the turn and right up against the parking lot.