About Mid atlantic Swaps

Thanks SS! I'm excited about the spring bulb swap.

SS and Critter, I definitely want to participate in the spring bulb buy. I need a few minutes to focus on it this evening after the house is quiet. Been a crazy day and I want to give it some attention.

Critter, thanks so much for your kindness in organizing this!!

No pressure, CatMint, but there are certain bulbs where we need a few more buyers to complete the group purchase at the wholesale rate! ;)

I'm very happy to help out with getting some of the bulbs where you all need a few more buyers! :-) am looking at one I think is the most recent list now...

Sally, do we have a tentative date for the fall swap? I need to schedule a couple of trips for September and I'd hate to miss the swap!

Sally, you don't need to "step up" as hostess for 2 fall swaps in a row! Maybe you can team up with somebody willing to have the event at their place but not quite sure how to go about it... you could help them with the pre-swap threads, learning the ropes, etc.

Gita! I bet if you volunteer to have it at your place (and you know we'd all like to see your gardens, including your so-called "yuk bed" which always looks pretty yummy in your photos!), somebody would help you with threads and links.

Alternately, we can find a public park with picnic shelters... if Frederick is a good central location between DC & Baltimore, there's a nice park just around the corner from me as well as Baker Park downtown -- huge beautiful space. I'm sure other people know of parks also.

I'm having fun with the fall bulb order. TODAY is the day to go to the "phase II" thread and post, please... we're trying to get the numbers on some wonderful naturalizing daffs, and after I finalize our initial order we'll be limited to their stock on hand state-side (meaning they might only have bags of 250, not boxes of 50, or some varieties might not be available at all).

:-)

Ahem...Apologizing in advance---

I don't think anyone should speak FOR Sally here--as it seems to be happening...

Some people are, actually, choosing the date before Sally herself
has decided on it. I know she said she would prefer a Sunday....

Some people want to have the Swap Threads already up and running--when the Swap is 2 months away.

I had a a nice visit with Sally and Mark here last Sunday.
I never got the feeling that she does NOT want to hold the swap.

Sally is a cool hostess--nothing much frazzles her....
She takes things in stride...and participants can relax more.
Lets wait to hear what SALLY wants to do. Fair enough?
Que serra....serra....

Jill--My yard is too small for a full blown Swap. NO GO!
Just not enough room for all the stations and tables.

I would be willing to hold a PRE--or a POST Swap Swap.
Just a handful (???) of people....That could be done here...

Just my thoughts here.....Gita

My small back yard: left--middle and right.

I'm a good procrastinator. I practice all the time...

Jill and Gita- I do appreciate both of you adding your support here.

It was really no problem for me doing the last swap. The great benefit is NOT hauling plants around. Besides the effort, there's less chance of getting milkweed moth caterpillar in your shirt while driving- as happened while I went to Jill's house the first time.
8 ^O
Itchy!

Everybody is central to a certain range of people. You all know I have a good sized flat backyard and decent shade.

Last chance- if no one else wants to dive in and claim it, by Saturday maybe? then I will do it, and pick a day. I know we'll have a great time!

Ric & I thought about it but we only have one weekend in Sept that we will be home. Actually we will only be home for about a week and a half in Sept. So we decided that we just couldn't do it in the fall.

Cool, Sally! I just didn't want you to feel railroaded if nobody else jumped in... and I'm sorry to hear about the caterpillar!

the caterpillar wasn't your fault- I BROUGHT it on milkweed!.

Sally, has anyone else spoken up to host this fall? Do you think you'll be hosting for sure? Just trying to schedule some work/trips in September.

I haven't been following all the threads very carefully, so please let me know if this was discussed elsewhere!

Sunday Sept 8 is what I am throwing out there. I do hope the date works for EVERYBODY, but that is sometimes not possible.
Pre and post mini swaps are always an option and actually can be very helpful and fun!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1327425/

Ric and I won't make that but with our fall schedule it would be very hard to get a date that will.

SallyG -- I probably can't make it either -- Labor Day is the 2nd and we are thinking (50/50) about taking off that week. We might make it back to town in time, but I am dubious.

Happy, don't travel Labor Day Weekend! Take your week off starting the previous Wednesday or Thursday, then return the Wed/Th following Labor Day. You'll miss the holiday weekend traffic AND you'll be able to come to the swap!

Great idea--I agree with Critter! :-) Too much traffic over Labor Day weekend, and it would be great to see you at the swap!

I third that suggestion-- but maximizing ''days off '' of work can screw up all the best ideas.

I know, but it all turns on when DD#1 can move back into her college dorm, and that is Labor Day Sunday, and whether DD#1 wants to go to New York with us (which I don't think she does). And DD#2 daughter will be visiting and will want to see DD#1. And we need to find someone to watch house and animals and plants. And the cottage we are renting rents on a weekend-to-weekend basis. But I am thinking of dropping DD#1 off at college on Labor Day Sunday as early as possible, then driving to NY (traffic shouldn't be too bad, and it's only an 8-hour drive), then leaving NY Saturday night to get home in time for the swap -- how's that? I still may drop plants off at SallyG's before we go on vacation, if SallyG is ok with that and with watering them. A lot of my plant exchanges will happen at pre-swaps so it may not be too many plants.

I HATE missing swaps. I'm still kicking myself for missing AspenHill's, and that was how many year's ago?

But I haven't sprung any of this on DH.

feel free to leave plants here anytime. And take your Bottlebrush buckeye.

Thanks, Sally!!!

I'm also happy to keep some plants and take them to the swap for you! :-)

Sally, in our Dallas area swaps, the thread monitoring job is split between at least 2 people. One keeps up with the on line swapping and another does the food thread and still another the after swap discussion. It's a good bit of work so splitting it up makes it easier.

Steady, that's a VERY helpful hint, thank you! =)

I've never hosted a swap, so my question is grounded in total ignorance, but what thread monitoring is needed with respect to the swapping? I can see with the food that someone needs to make sure the essentials are covered and that there aren't too many duplicates brought. I'm happy to "monitor" a thread and to do whatever else I can to facilitate swaps since my house isn't a good location for hosting a large one (too steep -- too many steps -- too busy a street -- not enough parking) -- I'm just missing what that might require.

My point is that I'm utterly eager to contribute, but I don't understand what it is I could do that would be helpful.

I just read through each thread, making note of who was coming or what was being brought for food to list in the first message. On the haves/wants thread I just checked that was all it was. On the discussion thread I tried to keep us on track and ease any ruffled feathers that might have arisen. If I kept at it daily or several times a day that seemed to work. I would have read them all anyway, so it wasn't a hassle. Oh and start new threads if needed.

happy, if you want, you can put up a FOOD thread sometime. That would be helpful; thanks happy, and steadycam for suggesting.

We did very well on Casual Thursday with a great assortment of munchies type food.

If somebody brings gizzards I will try them.

SheilaFW in the Texas forum creates thread that lists everyone's Have, Want, giving and receiving liist and posts links for each person who is swapping at the top of the swap thread. Anytime a person wants to edit their list, they just go to the top of the swap thread and click on their link, edit it and that way a person does not have to read thru the whole thread each time. you can just go to the "latest" post and see what's new. I'll see if I can find that and give you the number so you can look at it.

The thread # to illlustrate the above is #9435742

steady, I think we do something that has a similar effect by separating the swapping threads into one thread just for the lists (edit at will) and another thread for chatting. It does require a little nudging if people start chatting on the lists thread, but we're all pretty good about reminding one another if that starts happening. Links to have/want posts are a great idea, though!

I'm delighted to handle the food column, but having had tonight not one, not two, but THREE glasses of wine, I won't try it tonight!

I was just sitting here thinking I could use a glass of wine right now.

Definitely on the wine!

Ok, steady as a rock here. So I'll post and monitor and update the food thread for Sally's swap. Raring to go.