Think Spring! Seed Swapping DISCUSSION for Feb. 16 swap

Buttoneer--

I have several kinds of Morning Glories. Some of the seeds are from past Swaps
that I have never planted. I do think they stay viable for a long time.

I have not grown Grandpa Ott MG's in years--and they are still coming up every year in my bed.

What do you consider a "Tropical"? Gita

Buttonneer, I think I still have a sealed foil packet of Strelitzia seeds- want em?

We've got a Japanese Morning Glory Mix that we'll be posting on our Haves list, and I think there are also plenty of seed pods still on the Grandpa Otts that grew outside our morning room window this summer (no other "regular" MGs near, so I'm sure they'll come true).

I just need to do a quick estimate of how many packets we'll have of various things, and then I'll start a list on the other thread. I keep getting distracted... LOL

jill, your pine tree seeds came today.

Yippee!

I had an exchange with Robin at Summer Hill seeds yesterday. The free shipping offer that Terp & I just ordered with has ended, but she said she'd be posting some more new seeds, probably next week, and there would be another free shipping offer then. She has a knack for finding really cool seeds. So, go ahead and browse and get your wish list ready! I'll post when the offer comes in. http://www.summerhillseeds.com/

I'm going to start a separate thread to see if anybody is interested in ordering gladiolus corms. I'm assuming they can be delivered in time for whatever date they set for the spring swap, but we'll see what they say. We might do some lilies, too, checking into them. I'm also asking if it's OK to post some prices along with the link to the company I'm considering. More info should be coming soon! :-)

Jill, a separate thread for ordering spring bulbs will be great. I would love to have some oriental lilies. Thanks.

That sounds great Jill.

OK. I'll wait until I get a little more info, then get it underway. Right now, I need to go play a rousing game of "Candyland."

Sally, sure I'll take the Strelitzia & thanks much. p.s. remember that snake plant you gave me at Holly's swap? Well, I have another one & gonna take a piece off it & give it to you. It's similar to what you gave me but doesn't have the spots, just green on one side & dark red on the back of the leaf. And, yes, any morning glories would be more than welcome from anybody. I want to plant them on the fence around the vegetable garden this year & if they hybridize, all the more interesting. Gita, tropical is anything that is not hardy here, anything that grows in the tropics, including morning glories only we consider them annuals, not tropicals. Critter, I'll gladly take some Japanese MG Mix. Also, looking for sunflowers. I have mixed mine so will bring bags of that mix along, all colors.

This message was edited Jan 25, 2013 4:44 PM

ooh Buttoneer, you got a deal ! That other snake plant sounds awesome.
BTW, a 'houseplant aloe' offset you gave me couple years ago is really hitting its stride. Leaves are over a foot long, she's sharing a pot with a large leafed Motherof THousands, actually I think you were my source on that too.!

Buttoneer, would you (or anybody) like seeds of my night-blooming jasmine? Since I can bring some cuttings along pretty easily, I wasn't sure if anybody would even want seeds, but I've got some white berries maturing on the plant now just because I was curious about them. :-)

Also, I'll see if I still have a fat packet of mixed MG seeds that you could strew along your fence.. they're probably 5+ years old, but they should still be good, and I don't remember giving them away, so I'll look for 'em.

Jill, I would love to have some night-blooming jasmine cuttings. Is this the right season to root them? Or is it better if I wait till our spring plant swap?

Donner, I'll try to get some going, and I'll see. They rooted readily for me in fall. I think I'm going to stick cuttings of several things in 48-cell trays, dixie cups, whatnot... Maybe in potting mix, maybe just in damp sphagnum + moisture crystals. They should at least start rooting by swap time, and I can wrap the little root ball in press 'n seal just about as neatly as doing cuttings.

I bought a lovely "goldfish plant" gessie in fall, because it was just too pretty to resist (esp. at half price LOL). I cut it back by half last week and put dozens of cuttings in water (no time to pot them up; hopefully this weekend if I'm feeling better)... I can already see tiny white nubs that I think are roots starting to form. I also have dozens of offshoot plantlets (like spiders from a spider plant) on my Alsobia 'Cygnet' that I can snip off for anybody who doesn't have one going yet. It's a cutie. LMK!

My white variegated pothos is due for a trim, also... cuttings are easy to root, easy grower too. Red heartleaf philodendron has a few long trailers, also.

Oh, I love the goldfish plant. I used to have one, but gave it to a friend several years back when I kept going out of town (county) for long periods of time. It bloomed beautifully and the foliage was lovely too.

My Alsobia has also got buds on it now. It bloomed last year right before the seed swap, and it is doing it again. I should rename it "seed swap plant" :-). I gave Ruby quite a few cuttings last year. I wonder if they rooted for her.

I'd like a baby jasmine if possible and is the gold fish plant same as candy corn? Easy care? If its cake I'll try it as well.

I also have packets of morning glory seeds I think. Everything I have I'll bring which isn't much

Paul, they do look similar, don't they? I don't think they are related though. They belong to different families and genera - you can find that information if you google them.

That said, the goldfish plant is very easy to look after. I don't remember doing much with the plant. Give it a bright spot in the house, and do not let it sit in soggy soil. It likes some humidity. I kept mime in a bathroom that had 2 big south-facing windows. Since it is difficult to provide a humidity tray for a hanging plant, at least make sure you keep it away from the AC vent. Well, dry air from AC vents is not good for any house plant anyway.

OK! Lily group buy for Oriental & OT lilies is officially underway! See http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1295595/

I'll see what I can do with cuttings/rootings of various plants... please post what you'd like, and I'll fill as many requests as I can!

Critter, whatever you got (cuttingwise & seedwise), I'll take & thanks in advance.


This message was edited Feb 11, 2013 4:02 PM

Any interest in a group buy on pure suet cakes for bird feeding? Ronnie just gave a link, I am willing to order, with shipping they would be 2.50 each to you guys, I pay 3.49 at the one place I get them, most places sell the cakes with seed mixed in for around .89 to a dollar , but those don't last nearly as long for me.

dmail me if interested.

Hey Critter, I would be interested in a bag of those polymer water crystals, too! Thanks, Button.

Buttoneer I located the Strellitzia seeds, they are not a foil packet but a paper one from Pinetree, 2 yrs old but you are very welcome to try them

That's a great price on the suet, Sally! Those 79 cent or 99 cent ones have so much seed in them, and it seems to be mostly millet or cracked corn. Joyanna and I still have a pretty good stash of "bird cookies" from making a huge batch of PB suet last year.

Got you on the moisture crystals, Buttoneer... LMK how many pounds. $7 for about a pound, and easiest to measure into 2 or 5 pound bags (quart or gallon freezer bags, as I recall). I need to see what shipping is on the 55 pound box, might be worth just going ahead and getting that much to have available for other swaps this year, especially as I think various family members are about out of it also.

Buttoneer, thank you for the parsley offer! I'm going to wintersow them again this year. They had really great germination with that method.

I have some old MG seeds too. Never hurts to sow them in with the newer seeds.

I'll be posting some seeds soon. Many are the same as last year. And some "reshared" from last years swap takings. A few new entries. I'm sorry, it doesn't sound like much of a ''contribution.''

Here is link to last years Haves and Wants.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1237817/?hl=think+spring

I will C/P my list from last year and edit; I thought this might be helpful to some of you too.

This message was edited Jan 27, 2013 1:24 PM

Sally I don't have much either but we are coming mostly for the friendships. Oh and the food LOL
Going out to take cuttings from the Black Pussywillow, it's down right warm out there 32*.

I am hoping to finish getting all my seeds organized in the next couple of days.
I am almost there....Will post then. I am home all next week--NO hours, except Sunday.


Sally--great idea to c/p last year's list and then edit/correct.
Much easier than typing it all over again.
I have LOTS of seeds--so my list will be long. Maybe 10 are new.

Hmmm...Melampodiums are sold in Market packs--right? Easier to let someone else
do the germinating. I do love this plant. Have you ever grown it from seed?
How easily do these germinate and grow?

Gita

Melampodium is VERY easy to grow from seed, seeds are large ish and easy to handle. it self sows for me and I could share seedlings at later time as well. I didn't know they can be found in market packs.

Me too, coming to enjoy the company and food and few seeds is OK too.

OK then, Sally---will you give me a few seeds of the Melampodium, please?

OR--if it is better to have plants--I will be glad to wait till the Plant swap.
Thanks, G.

Sure, Gita, one or the other, I'll be sure.

sally, can you save me some Melampodium seeds, too? Thanks
Holly, can you save me a couple pussywillow branches>? Thanks, Judy

This message was edited Feb 6, 2013 8:26 PM

Yes sure!

Sally---

Just put up my list....read all other's too.
Would like to try to find a spot for some of your Amaranth "Hot Biscuit".

Also--just FYI---the triple purple/white Datura has been officially ID'd as: "Black Currant Swirl"
Now we can all have a name for it. Gita

Holly---

I came in on this late last year--but could you put aside a couple good cuttings
of the Black Pussy Willow for me?

Thanks, Gita

Sure will Gita

Buttoneer--

I got you down for all you asked for. Do you want me to put them all in your bag that Jill always makes up?
Or--do you want to just look for all the seeds you wanted in my box?

The Stinking iris will only have 3 seeds in the package. There were not too many.
None of us know what this thing will really be like. Earlier last year--we had a small catch-up get-together
at sally's and I dug up a clump of this plant and took it down there. Both sally and Coleup got a piece--and they will
grow it out and see what's what.

This has been behind my bird bath for years. Out of sight--out of mind.
I remember--years ago--planting these small Lilly starts there thinking they were babies from my Tiger Lily,
which used to grow in that area. When I found some small starts right by the base of the Tiger Lily,
I naturally assumed they were babies from it. I dug them up and planted them in my Yuk bed. There they grew
to about 8"--and i decided to dig them up again, and plant them behind my concrete bird feeder thinking how pretty
it would look to have Tiger Lilies blooming above it.

Well--I never saw them bloom--and so pain no attention.
Last fall--as i was cleaning up some dead Lily foliage--I saw these big, open pods with bright orange,
pea sized seeds in them. WHOA!!! After a lot of postind and wondering what the heck this was--SallyG ID'd them
after Googling for them.

Right now--in all this cold--the leaves on these clumps are still green and upright. They are thin, sword-shaped
and kind of "sharp"....and coarse.
I will be eagle-eying this clump to see what the blooms look like this spring.

Here is the clump as it looks now. Gita

Gita, just put them in the bag with my name on it. That would be great! Thanks! Judy

I have a request!

Does anyone have seeds for plants that are good *hosts* for butterfly eggs and caterpillars? I have flowers that the butterflies like but nothing for the other parts of their life cycle.

Something that tolerates wet clay and shade would be a great.

I have some milkweed seeds this year - they are hosts for monarch butterfly eggs and caterpillars. I ordered several different kinds. I don't know much about their growing conditions, but I know greenthumb does and he will be at the swap. I'll set some aside for you.