Hi!
I had no luck so far at the International Trading forum. Anybody here interested in trading (international trade) with me?
Please check the following link: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1011688/
Hugs to everybody,
Ursula
Edited to add packing requirements:
Importing/exporting seeds to/from Chile is forbidden unless you spend a lot of time an money on a Phytosanitary certificate. Therefore, here are the packing requirements to smuggle Sunflower (or any other) seeds for my new garden. I do the same kind of packing for my traders.
1. Before placing seeds in the respective (labeled) baggie, please wrap them in aluminum paper (sure, you can re-cycle chocolate wrapping) and gently press the foil against the seeds. This will avoid any ralling/shuttling sounds while being handlend on transit.
2. Please DO NOT use the green Customs sticker - at least not stating 'seeds' but something like 'collectibles'
3. In the case of large seeds (such as Mammoth Sunflower seeds), please just evenly tape them against a piece of paper the size of the padded mailer. Write the name of the seeds on the tape.
4. Make sure to distribute the seed-packages evenly on a piece of paper and place them in a padded mailer (bubble mailer), so that the mailer looks as flat as if it contained just ordinary documents (no belly, please). If necessary, please use an additional sheet of plastic bubbles.
I look forward to trading with you!
This message was edited Jul 13, 2009 9:14 PM
Looking for ....... Have lovely seeds for trade!
i wish i had what youre looking for but i dont sorry good luck did you see whar thompson and morgan are having a seed sale .99 maybe you could get you some from there
I have tons of Mammoth Sunflower seeds, but they are not Russian Mammoth. I think I have some Teddy Bear Sunflowers. I will need to double check just to be sure.
I do not have any heirloom tomato seeds yet, but I will in a month or so. I am growing Giant Italian Beefsteak and Green Zebra. I'll have to look but I may have some Green Tomato seeds I received from a trade last year. I do not know if they will germinate as I bought my heirloom tomato plants at a local neighborhood garden sale. You are welcome to those seeds if I still have them.
I am going to dmail you if you still want the trade, I will be glad to send the seeds.
Ursula, I don't think members of NARGS ( http://www.nargs.org/ ), nor myself, will ever be able to sufficiently thank you for your gift. So, I certainly don't need any seeds right now, but I do have some of what you're looking for. Am sending you dmail.
karen
Moretz, thaks for your suggestion, but I doubt T&M would go through all the trouble to pack seeds specially for me to have them go unnoticed through Customs.
LilliMerci, thanks - I sent you a private reply.
Karen, you are such a great friend! I will send you a private DG mail.
Ursula...does the same procedure apply if you order from T&M in the UK? I ordered from them several times when we were overseas and they never seemed to express any problems with shipping me what I requested...In fact, their service was very prompt and I don't remember the green customs tag. Of course, things have changed over the past years, but it may be worth a try!
I might give it a try, txaggiegal.
Green Customs stickers are OK as long as they do not mention plant/bulb/seed LOL. I never use them to send my seeds out of the country because I tell the PO people the mailers contain pictures (yeah, I know, 'you go to hell the same for steeling as for lying').
Hugs,
Ursula
I truly believe the Lord forgives gardeners all sins...did he not start humankind in the garden?
I usually use the term 'gift' or printed material since I label my packets. Take care of yourself, Ursula....
Ursula, you can go to confession. I think they call it "reconciliation" now. :)
LOL! I had actually thought about putting pictures in the envie and labeling - photos - do not bend - on the outside of the envelope. That's how we used to send our international mail with pictures when I was a kid. But I couldn't find any pictures of flowers, only have pictures of my kids!
My post office has gotten paranoid about "live" material in the mail. Apparently, someone tried to mail a lizard. Yes, a live lizard, and it got out. I understand that there could be risks sending live plants or invasive seeds. However, I am considering labeling my boxes "yarn" and "art, fragile" like the other things I send without so many problems lately. (I also do fiberarts design.) I live in a small town without mail delivery. The post office knows everyone by name and occupation/hobby. I even shared some seeds with one of the clerks who asked about my "penpals". I am sending mail to a bunch of women, pretty soon they will be telling the cute guys at the sporting shop that I am "not their type."
They just "held" more of my mailings. I got there too late to see why, just got the little note, but I bet it is another quarantine. I hate to have to take them to another post office, but......
GardenQuilts,
I heard something similar in my PO. The mailers I buy have a small hole punched through them and the PO clerk thought I punched the hole in order to send live insects. The problem is somebody here wanted to export pet-spiders and save all the trouble/money with sending them properly packed and with the required certificates. That was very cruel to put the large (sample) spider in an envelope, considering that the regular transit time is approx. 2 weeks. I would never do something like that.