Round Up and Plant Swap at Jan23's in NJ on May 18th info

So glad to here that Pixie is coming, it will be very nice to meet her in person.

Most of you got the Group Blast Dmail I set out about the swap at Jan's. The group was 70 people! And there are another 100 or so members yet to receive a semi personal invite. Next group is new members since 2010 til now. Tee hee, Jan said she has lots of room! My apologies if I have 'forgotten' or over looked someone.

As the word goes out we may get some new people in the MidAtlantic Forum. Let's all be on our toes to give them a good warm welcome as they post here or on our other threads. Thanks.

So far, I have Regrets from:
blue spiral
Pippi
JBerger
Darius
Carolyn22

You are doing a great job Jan !

I probally will not have any extra plants to bring, I am always thank full if what i do have makes another year without getting eatin by the voles.

Shucks, coleup(she said blushing and pushing dirt around with her foot) you guys are doing all the work. I'm just letting you do it here. Heehee

Thankyou for reaching out and touching folks. It is much appreciated.

No need to bring any extra plants, marie_kap. Just come with bells on.

So glad pixie can come and add to the festivities and meet you in the flesh.

Thanks very much Coleup for sending out those Dmails! I've tried to do that in the past, but my efforts in the last couple years have been pretty haphazard, and I'm really glad you're doing it! I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces as well as new-to-me faces of folks I haven't met in person yet. :-)

I'll be there, hopefully with some tomato seedlings (although none of the WS seeds have germinated yet). Possibly my daughter Katherine will come with me, but that's not likely as it stands right now.

YAY! It's in New Jersey!!!

Nisi -Good to hear from you! We haven't seen you since Terri's two years ago. Glad you're gonna make it.

Yay for NJ heehee!! Looking forward to seeing you.

Yay for New Jersey. I lived there until a couple of years ago!!!!

Welp. As some of you may have read, it was quite a process to move a monster 15 year old winter sweet shrub 45 minutes south down 95. I was excited to get it moved and anxious. I was really really ready about a month ago but we waited for the perfect time, which never comes. It was finally a Friday afternoon and gorgeous out so we got to it. I was concerned about moving the shrub and rightly so. I forgot how large it was and started cursing myself for thinking I could accomplish such a task by myself and without a truck/trailer.

Gita welcomed me and obviously took notice of the look on my face. I do not have a poker face. She offered me a beer to calm nerves and we walked around the house looking at her plants. We walked around inside, I got the full tour. Her first job was done and I was ready at last to get going.

Thankfully, the wintersweet is a shrub and therefore the root ball isn't that deep. I used a spade shovel and chopped as much of the root ball as I could. I then took my very heavy digging bar and tried to pry the root ball away from the earth. At first it didn't seem like it was going to happen at all. I muttered some more curse words and walked around the plant in circles. On my second approach I used some blocks underneath the bar to help gain more leverage. Eventually it broke free from the earth.

Problem #2. The root ball is massive and wet. Gita suggested we remove as much dirt as possible and we tried. It still wasn't budging. We tried to make a ramp with the landscaping ties but our angle was too steep. Thankfully we figured out how to decrease the angle. After rolling the ball down the driveway even more dirt was knocked loose, making it manageable for Gita and I to lift in to the van.

HOMEWARD BOUND:
After another 30 minutes of relaxing and relishing our accomplishments I started to get anxious again. Gita was done, I was only half-way there. Much to my surprise I was able to pull out the shrub by myself and hoist it in to a wheel barrel. I had to put the wheel barrel on its side, lift the shrub it and right the wheel barrel up. I definitely struggled but I got it on the first try. In my head I knew that every attempt after would leave me with less strength, I made it a point to get it done the first try. I dug my hole which was much bigger then I expected (anybody notice a theme). I had to drop the shrub in 2 or 3 times until I finally got it to the right size. It sits on top of a hill and looks like it grew there. I'll have to add a picture of it resting in it's glorious spot later.

It was a pretty ridiculous adventure and I would definitely think long and hard before doing something of that magnitude again.

Thanks so much Gita!!

Ahhh, Paul---you made it and all is well.....
Besides--"Ridiculous adventures" are fodder for future funny story-telling....

Nothing ventured--nothing gained......
Just think of the sweet rewards you will have early next spring....

And--brace yourself for collecting all the seeds from the pods--around mid-August.
You will see--the pods will turn dry and look like peanuts in a shell.
I hope this "surgery" will not mess up its normal routine of making seeds....

You are most welcome. I am glad my WS will have a new, loving home.
Couldn't have given it to a nicer person. Gita

Some chronology of the Wintersweet....

Hi guys! WOW Paul, what an adventure! Look forward to seeing the pics of the WS in her new home.

I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to make it. =( I've got Mamma in Law and Grammy in law driving in from Michigan and they should be arriving the day before the Swap, to stay for about a week.
Grammy is 93 (just celebrated that birthday on Valentine's Day.. she's our Family Sweetheart!), and .. well... I'll just say we want to grab ANY opportunity to see her while we can.

I'll be saying prayers for safe driving conditions for everyone, and for PERFECT weather to enjoy the festivities.

I have a question, don't laugh ...well not to hard anyways. :)
HOW HOT IS IT MID-MAY?
I can tell you that in Maine it's black fly season, we still have snow on the Mt. tops in the northern part of the state, and I may have thought about putting shorts on but usually haven't got pass the thought yet. ^_^

All I can say is Whew!! Glad it is in its spot.

Bummer, speedie, but know that you will be missed. Spending time with the 'family sweetheart' and your MIL is worth it.

Heehee, pixie!! It depends. Could be in the 90's but not likely. Check in with that question closer to 'the event'. Sometimes we jump from winter to summer without much spring. The way this spring is going I really have noooooo idea what to tell you. Somebody else might have a better idea.

I made the first list of attendees at the top of this thread. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

By tomorrow you will think summer is almost here.....

Today--low 70's
Tomorrow--near 80*
I know I will be outside a good part of the day....until I "fade"....

Brace for the insanity at the HD or Lowes......people have been so impatient
with all these frosty nights and OK days....

Will need to bring out some of my seedlings--even if they are not potted up yet.
My shaded table on the patio will be perfect....

Gita

and then next week is supposed to be back in the 50's.... Hope it doesn't mess up my tulips again

Well--it will be what it will be---
Just watch your seedlings. Took all of mine out on my front steps this AM.
No sun at all--but bright shade is about all they can handle the first few times.
Be careful! But--you already know all that..... G.

Jan, I may be able to make it. Do we all get to wear nametags? How do you guys manage between real names and DG handles???

It's going to be 83 here today. I brought out all of my flats yesterday and put them in the arbor where they get filtered light; I don't even know if they'll need the greenhouse this year!

Greetings all - Yep, looks again like we have a group who are raring to go....mention a plant swap and lips start yapping.....I cannot wait. John and I will try our best to attend. So sorry that we will miss Sally that day....darn it.

I will try in the next few days to go to my front bed which we will hopefully dig up for the most part in order to treat for very invasive sedge grass and see what sort of plant I want to bring along. I know there are plants there that some of you like and want, that I am a bit tired of and want to get rid of....right off the top of my head I am thinking of Hardy Geraniums which I am not at all partial to. Will do a walk through and see what else I can bring.

I too will be meeting folks that I am not familiar with....I see several names here that I don't recognize....that makes the day fun though. So sorry that speedie and any others can't make it this time either.....you will all be missed.

I will check out the haves and wants list in a while after I figure out what we will have to bring. Right now, you good people enjoy the temperatures today.

Ruby

FYI
All of the Spring Swap at Jans threads are now stickied at the top of our forum.

This should help the organizationally challenged among us
(we know who we are! lol)
to always be able to easily find all Spring Swap threads.

Just look at the top of the forum.

When these threads have served their useful life they will be 'un- stickied'

WooHoo!! GG, yeah!! Glad you will be able to come. Heehee. You bet we wear name tags.

Ruby and John, glad to put you down as well. Glad you will be able to stay with kinfolk not too far away.

Thank you, coleup for stickying us. Cuz you know full well...my name is Jan and I am organizationally challenged. Yes, I am.

Ruby--

Will you be traveling up and back on I-95?
If so--you are welcome to stop by my house to take a break on the way back.
Sit down--chill a bit--have a cold beer...whatever---

Anyone else going South on I-95--you are welcome too....
I am just 2 miles off of I-95.
Gita

Woohooo! "After" party at Gita's! ;-)

Greenhouse Gal and Pixie and others here are some links to recent Swaps

Spring 2012 hosted by Holly and Ric
Rouges Gallery Pics http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1259327/



Fall 2012 hosted by SallyG
Pictures: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1280369

If pictures are worth a thousand words ours spell fun and friendship a million times over!!

Sorry I won't be able to make this one. Bobbin is getting his left knee replaced 4/22 & I'll be the nurse and am not in too great a shape to drive, let alone nurse Bob, and ole Bob'n won't be able to at all so that lets us out this year. Have fun, take plenty of pix and maybe next year. Button.

Button, dear. We will miss you. Continuing to think of you and your recovery and now for dear, Bobbin, too.

Judy, If you would like to do a few swaps Ric and I will be glad to run them for you.

I am not able to attend but please keep me on the list for future swaps! Melissa from Laurel Springs NJ

Sorry to hear, Melissa. Definitely another time.

response to dmail blast via Coleup

docgipe
NORTH CENTRAL, PA (Zone 5a)

Thu, April 11, 2013
04:28 PM
Thank you. I do almost no gardening. Getting to frail to fight the hoe handle. You may take me off your mailing list. You all have a great event. The image is a new to me...orange Christmas Cactus. It is quite different from any others I have. The bloom lasted a day or two into the second week. I will make an attempt to expand via rooted cuttings as soon as new growth provides the cuttings.
Dwaine Gipe

Coleup, Having the Haves Wants Thread on a sticky sure is handy. Thanks.

Will miss you docgipe! That surely is a beautiful color!

Thank you, coleup, for the heads-up about docgipe, who I definitely will miss.

was wondering how he was doing

Speaking of old friends, has anyone heard from Hart lately?

Doc says he doesn't do much physical gardening, but I'll bet he could sure teach us a thing or two if he decided to post here again. He was a memorable guest at the swap here a few years ago.

I will be able to make it, had to get someone to work for me. Won't have any plants to share but will enjoy seeing everyone.

Woot, woot!!! Great news!!!

Where are you guys getting those avatars? Never saw them on Dave's before.