After event questions and answers and chatting

Per Jan's request...
please post any questions on plants you received or food you want the recipe for on this thread

Thanks for a great day!!!

What a great day!
4 hours spent there seemed only like 15 minutes! I didn't even get a chance to talk with everyone

Some pretties from the garden

Thank you!

I know, Jen. Time flew by. Maggie had a super time with Madison! As soon as you left, Maggie was ready to go home. Heehee.

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what a great day it was indeed!!

Karen, I can't seem to find any info on Seattle Slew and Annie Welch dwarf iris'. Do you know what colors they are? I was so impressed with your set up - rinsed off clumps - and tagging operation. You looked like a pro from the flower show or something. Thanks so much for sharing so many plants from your gardens

I think the pink planter was my favorite!! and some candid shots

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love how swapping has gotten high tech, no more hand written lists, checking via iphone

last 2 I took

nice pics Jen, I missed the pink planter lol. We have a white toilet tank lid serving as a water source for birds - it's shallow - works great!

Heehee, Jeff thought I was crazy for putting the pink planter in the garden. Your pics make things look sooo good. It makes me look with fresh eyes. I'm thinking....is that my place?

So many happy familiar and new faces!! Looks like a great party, at a great place!

You were definitely missed, dear!!!

I am still giddy with excitement.

missed Becky too, I know.

If every body else has my weather- its a great cloudy day for working with all those swapped babies.

Coleup--woo hoo...now I'm so curious. Maybe Tuesday morning I could come down and get them?

The swap was really great. Thanks Jan23 for hosting it. So much wonderful good and so many nice plants. It was AWESOME. Thanks Coleup for the coleus which I didn't have and for the wonderful bleeding hearts. I hope I can remember who gave me what. Somewhere I wrote it down..... I think it was Sally who also gave me bleeding hearts. THANKS

I think I have made the pictures public now at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/sachirico/Jan23plantswapMay2013

Let me know if any problems accessing now. Also help me id everyone.
I'll fill in names as I get a chance.

Critter, just started a plan of action with your fabulous fig tree cuttings. I wrapped each one in damp, squeezed out newspaper and put them in a plastic bag in a warm spot next to our fridge on our microwave.

I'm following this guys guidelines on this video on how to propagate fig tree cuttings:
http://youtu.be/EXJIDtffrNw

His video is long, but worth watching. We'll see what happens. Your cuttings are all so nice. I guess you took them when the tree was dormant? Your fig tree(s) must be pretty established.

More great pictures. thanks Coleuslover.. People always look so genuinely relaxed and happy in these Swap pictures.
Great portrait of Diana and Harry.

I'm here! After all, why stop the online party? :-)

Robin, Joyanna has been wearing her so-beautiful necklace nonstop. She dutifully but reluctantly took it off at pajama time, and first thing this morning she was standing by my bed wearing a princess dress, asking me to help her with the clasp so she could wear it today.

Especially toward the end, everybody was asking when/where the fall swap would be. I'm willing to host one fall event, but not two... and I was figuring on having a "Fall Harvest Party and Bulb Sorting" event here. I need to figure out the scoop on fall bulb delivery times, and we'll need to figure out if we're ordering just from ADR (who may be able to deliver bulbs as soon as the week after labor day, but I'm not sure that will be true for all varieties of bulbs... definitely not for amaryllises, for example, if we decide to include them).

I'll happily host in spring, however. The good thing about hosting here in May is that, while we sometimes have "gnat days," the skeeters wouldn't be out in force yet... something I usually can't say by August/September. A "Harvest Party" on the other hand could be later in fall, when the bzzzzz bzzzz bzzz-ing swarm has been frosted!

Coleuslover, thank you and all others who gifted me with some new to me coleus and some old favorites like Cameroon and Glennis!! I ended up with 17 varieties! Hope you enjoy 'Swinging Linda' I love Cameroon for a hanging basket where the leaves can show off their rosy glow backsides. Pixie I love Glennis aka'watercolor' Yours will go on my front steps where the light conditions will bring out all of its color variations. If we do a fall swap i'll be happy to share cuttings for us all to try to winter over some favorites!

Can't wait to start playing container combos . Everything will take off now that nights stay warmer.

Believe it or not, my most colorful take away from the swap was not a coleus, but a gift from dear Ruby. Makes me chuckle every time. You go Ruby! (Pic 2 and 3)

hahahaha that's great!!!!

yes it is

Jen and I were chatting.. and I think we need to convince Jan to do this more often.. since it was the highest attendance RU .. I think.. that I have been to... seems her location is not bad for any of us to travel to

How nice to see pictures of y'all!!!! I was knee deep in boxes and unpacking all day - I much rather have been playing with plants :)

Joyanna has gone through at least 5 wardrobe changes today... tutu dresses, princess dresses, frilly tunics... declaring each outfit more beautiful than the last with her new necklace!

***

I wasn't sure where to share this, or even if to share it, but since I was just talking with you all yesterday... Well, today we're in shock
with tragic news from one of Jim's best friends. Their precious little girl was hit and killed yesterday evening when she ran out from the car into the parking lot, just as her dad was coming around to get her. They adopted her from Ethiopia and brought her home last Jan. I think her 3rd birthday was coming up pretty soon. She has 3 older brothers & a sister. They could all use an extra thought/prayer...

*** (another topic change)

Linda (SoS) and her DH Bill came by this afternoon to pick up the lilies she ordered in our group buy. I chatted with them both as we did a circuit of the back yard. She's definitely a fellow plant-a-holic, and Bill is her enabler much as Jim is mine, LOL. We had a fun visit, and you know everybody who visits leaves with a plant... in this case, a clump of the heirloom white yarrow that pops up here & there in my garden. Yes, I know, I totally forgot to pull up some of it for the swap! I'll pot a few for fall... :-)

How terrible! Prayers for the family

so sorry to hear that Jill.. just terrible

Jill, my thoughts go to the family also. And to Jim, and you. That sort of accident is every parents nightmare, and probably most every driver has had a close call of some kind with that.

Did you ever see an island as big as Jan's? That was incredible (especially when it was full of food, haha). How big is it? That is really great. You certainly do have one huge kitchen! Marvelous.

That IS the biggest kitchen island I had ever seen!!!

Thank you for all the pics of the day. I missed visiting everyone's areas. Bummer!!

Thank you also for the kind comments about Jeff's handiwork in the kitchen. I LOVE it. Who knew plywood could look soooo good. The island is 9 ft long. It did hold a lot of food didn't it? Knocking out a wall opened that area up so it is much brighter.

Heehee. I had a ball hosting and would do so again another time, but I think we should wait a bit. Good to switch areas.

Critter, how devastating for that family!!! Our thoughts and prayers are going out for them.

I can imagine Joyanna making costume changes to get just the right look to go with her new necklace. Too cute!! Maggie does a similar thing.

Jill - My heart goes out to the family of the sweet now angel.

Celeste dropped me home about 2:30 and I managed to plant everything except for the tomatoes. Karen gave me so many day lilies that I started tearing out ditch lilies and using the holes for the new plants! Now that is recycling at its best! My herb plot now has 3 kinds of thyme thanks to Critter and I love, love, love my new necklace and earrings from catbird. The chards from Coleup were so beautifully planted that I put them on the front porch just as they are.

Allison took Celeste and me to an amazing nursery with acres of greenhouses and plants and Celeste found room in her truck for just a few more plants! LOL My girl cat immediately nibbled on the lemongrass I brought her and Wallingford is sleeping in my overnight bag so I guess I won't be going anywhere soon!

Thank you Jan for the wonderful day and I hope we can all get together again when I have lost the weight from eating so much!

Peace and Plenty,
Memory and the cats

Glad you were able to get your plants planted, Memory. Thank you for sharing your birthday weekend with us. Heehee, I hear you on having t lose weight from the food. Wallingford knows how t keep you home. I am still running the day through my head. I really haven't had a chance to look through my new stash of plants. My cup runneth over.

Somehow I ended up with one of Gita's Brugs that has your name on it Paul and Happy sorry to say that I also came home with a yellow bleeding heart that Buttoneer had sent to you.
Jill, So very sorry for your friends loss. Can't imagine anything worst than loosing a child.

I'm just checking in real quick to let everyone know that I arrive home safely. I want to send everyone for everything, all those fantastic plants, Jan's hospitality, etc. I'll write more when I get a chance. We just got home a little while ago. I'm beat. Good night everyone!

Karen

Hi Everyone,
I had a WONDERFUL time!! Thank you all for the lovely plants and making this Northerner feel very welcome. ^_^
It was so nice to meet you all in person and put a face with a name.
I now have enough iris to encircle the pond area and will have lots of great memories every time I see them.
Jan's cup runneth over and so did my truck!!! OH, and the food was amazing, I tried to try a little of everything but alas, there was just too darn much. :)

Jill I just read the post, my deepest condolences and prayers for your friends family. How horrible!!


I'll post some pics I too, I was a good girl and did not hide behind the lens all day but still managed some pics. Sorry if these were already posted...especially the pink throne!! LOL

Some of the blooms in Jan's garden......

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Love the art work. :)

It was nice having faces to go with names.