Spring Plant Swap 2014 Lucketts VA - Post Party

Thank you everyone for coming! What a great turn out and how lucky we got with the beautiful weather. The plants were plentiful, the food was great, and it was a good time with old friends and new.

I had such an awesome time. My goal of not leaving with any plants didn't pan out. Thank you, Joyanna for the teeny, tiny sedum. And the bag of glad bulbs, SSG.

Aspenhill, what a joy to share your little slice of heaven!!! I felt right at home. Thank you for hosting.

Looking forward to the next one

Terri, thank you so much for hosting. I was so happy that I could be there to see those I knew already and to meet Mid-Atlantic folks I hadn't yet met. I didn't expect to leave with a car full of plants, but I did and I can't wait to plant them!

As a relative newbie to this group, I have to say: you all have a beautiful seed and plant-sharing arrangement down to a fine art. It is so wonderful that extra plants can be matched up with people who want them rather than be discarded.

I want to thank you, Terri--and Mike and all your relatives for the amazing
"valet parking" you provided....SO efficient! So much appreciated....

Also for all the kitchen help they provided....what a CREW you all are!!
"The family that plays/works together--stays together"....

Much love and thanks. Gita

What a lovely day! Thank you so much Terri, and please let Mike, Suzanne, and everyone else know how much we appreciated their help today.

Ric and I had a really great time. So very nice to meet in person some of the newer members of the group. As always never enough time to talk to everyone but we had a great time.
Terry your gardens are even more lovely than the last time I saw them. Thank you and your wonderful crew for all the help.
Greenthumb & Ecnalg, What a nice finish for the day to finally see your lovely gardens. Thanks so much for the garden and house tour.

Robin Catbird, Mark, and I stayed a long time. We actually witnessed happymacomb sitting and relaxing LOL

Terri and Mike, thanks a million for having us all and all your preparation and cleanup, wow, so nice of you and the Crew.

Thanks everybody for sharing and taking my stuff, it was great to see so many and meet some new!

WOW!! That was so much fun! Darcy and I had a great time. Thank you so much to Terri and Mike for hosting. I too am thankful for the wonderful valet service :)

It was so nice meeting you all! What a great bunch of people to hang out with and be a part of. Thank you to everyone who shared plants with me, I really appreciate it. Now I have a bunch of planting to do tomorrow.

Oh yeah and I forgot a few things while there. I forgot the houseplant that Paul gave me and I forgot to check with Critter if I had any plants to pick up. Sorry!

This message was edited May 31, 2014 9:59 PM

Thank you, Terri, for hosting this wonderful event!!! I can only imagine the enormous amount of work you put into in preparation for the swap! Please give my thanks to Mike and your entire tribe!

It was great seeing everybody today. Thank you all for sharing plants with me.

As always we have THE best bunch of folks around. My friend Donna sang everyone's praises and was so excited to have plants to bring home with her (I REALLY need a larger car)!!!! I told her - this was family to me...that no, it wasn't just about plants...and gave her a few examples. I'm blessed every time I'm able to spend time with y'all. And no being there without TD (Becky) is not the same but getting to chat and catch with you all certainly helps!! Terri and Mike...there's not much that I can say that hasn't already been touch on. Please - please accept my heartfelt thanks for such an amazing day. Please extend the thanks the great group you had assisting you - what an extraordinary help they were all with smiles! The girls were still talking about the 'ride' down to the car :-) Hugs and love to all!!!

While y'all were swapping plants, I was watching hydrophonic growing at Epcot - checked my phone & got my little video message from John that Chantell sent! I had a huge smile on my face after thataone!

We did miss you Bec. Are you going to set up a hydroponic garden in AL?

I agree, totally, that DG is family. A very special family that just keeps getting bigger.

Yes Bec, we sure did miss you.

Terri, WOW. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home in the woods with us. You and your family did such a wonderful job of hosting that you made it seem effortless, when we know it was anything but!

Joyanna had a spectacularly fun day with Chloe, Mariah, and August! Whenever I glanced her way, she was just shining. Sorry she didn't pass out her Teeny Tiny sedums as she'd planned... she just didn't want to take time out of her running & playing. But she loved sharing her fairy garden!

Heya, Becky! Chantell showed me the photo you sent to her phone, so your wonderful smile wasn't absent... but a chance to hug on you and catch up would have been better! I saw that Epcot exhibit last summer & had to go through it twice, LOL... especially loved the setup with plants above, fish below.

Chantell, we are going to have to figure out how to get the girls together again this summer! You're welcome here any time, of course, but maybe we can find a "between" destination, some park or garden we'd like to see where the girls can run, LOL.

Sequoia, sorry that I totally missed getting your Montauk daisies to you! I'm going to up-pot them for fall planting, so hopefully a couple will find their way to you then. Glad we solved the mystery of where that Clivia should have gone! (After some discussion, it stayed with Terri, btw)

Paul, I think I was coming in as you were heading out, so your little "goodie box" went home with Happy.

Lol that's funny about the mystery Clivia. Glad it got a good home! I was sort of overwhelmed there so it was pretty easy for me to forget things in the midst of trying to say good bye to everyone.

Oh yes those first swaps are really overwelming. Everyone shoving plants at you and saying so nice to meet you and then running off to shovel plants into someone else's arms.

LOL, too true Holly. Then you get to know people and you wish you had more time to talk and not just about plants!

Yes, I felt I spent most of my time running around getting plants to and from people and did not have much time to chat! It was great to see everyone and meet others in person for the first time!

Thank you all for making Julie, Martha and John & family so welcome yesterday. We enjoyed chatting with everyone, too, and catching up with folks we only see at the swaps.

Terri and her crew sure make dealing with the enormous amount of incoming and outgoing plants much easier than it could have been. And how nice that all the gardeners are also great cooks!

I've been somewhat at a loss for words for such a great experience. I was joking when I said we should pack our tents and stay a week, but I could easily spend that much time getting to know everyone better. Gardner's have such a great outlook on life that our experiences transcend plants to include so many of life's experiences. It was a pleasure to share yesterday with so many of you.
Teri and Mike your family went well above and beyond in their efforts to make it a great day for everyone.

Howdy All - I just had to drop in and add to the chat about how enjoyable the day was for all who attended......Yes, we do not regret one bit our decision to close shop and have the opportunity to once again meet and greet some of the favorite folks in our lives.....I think back to the first Mid Atlantic Swap and those in between and each and everyone has been a very special high light of our year. When speaking to others of attending the swap beforehand I had to give a bit of background as to why you folks are so extra special to me.......it has now been about year number eight since I happened across this website while looking at vacuum reviews......yep, believed the Dave's chatters about the Dyson vacuums and have purchased several since.....

I didn't know the winter I started chatting here what the next year would bring my way.......a couple of years of one after another health crisis........the wonderful people on these boards went above and beyond what was called for I feel much of my recovery and health today is due to the love and acceptance I received from folks here.....I have to add that early on when chatting, it was nothing for me to open my mail box and have either thinking of you card or a package of plants for me....there were often other little pick me up gifts too....what a wonderful and caring bunch of folks.......

The first swap we attended we had the very great fortune to meet some of the chatters who like ourselves, are still making time in their schedules to attend these get togethers.....again, have never been disappointed with any meeting with any Dave's Garden member.......So, you folks mean a lot more to me than most of you will ever know......please know that even though our lives are full most days and we have very little time to be here and chat, many of you are thought of often as we recall either the great friendships we have with some of you, or stroll our yarden and see different plants which have been given to us by others of you....oh yeah, many of my houseplants came from Dave's member too and that is another chance for me to think fondly on you givers.....

For now.....thank you so much Terri for once again opening your gorgeous and very welcoming home to us.....things seem to have gone off with out a hitch and this swap will be talked about for some time I am sure.....

Happy planting to all.....that is most likely how I will spend my afternoon, though this morning we are tracing down a water leak from our spare bath that we came home to yesterday.....A day or two ago I realized the spare bedroom floor in an area was wet......I blamed the wetness on an elderly dog who has begun having accidents indoors.......yesterday when entering the room I realized that most of the carpeting was soaking wet.......yep, we have a major leak somewhere but for the moment are moving the many items stored in that room.....we are hoping it is not too very major and that John and a neighbor can address it rather than have to wait on a plumber to get here and further inconvenience the smooth running of our household.......thanks for letting me share....

Anyway, despite returning home to the leak, we had a super fun day and enjoyed seeing everyone again........we are hoping to do the same when the fall swap rolls around......don't want to miss another opportunity for such a fun day with you lovely people......have a great week coming up all......

Ruby

Cross posted with Ric, and just read his very right on target sentiments......we too could spend a much longer time at that beautiful country location......Terri, you have much to be grateful for and your decorating and home making talents can't be beat.....yes, we too seem to be feeling a sense of wonder, beauty and serenity due to our activities yesterday.....it feels so good to feel as loved as we always do after these events.......oh yeah Jill, it was super fun watching the children romp and have such a delightful time.....did my heart good to see it.

Ruby

Amen Amen Amen to all said above. My heart is as full with the simple beauty of you all and the goodness you brought together to share as my van and life and yarden is full with the bounty we all bring forth, each one richer by far with a little help from our friends. Can you imagine what sorts of 'plant swaps' those little ones will share and host? Wonderfull bedrock traditions we are laying down...Hope for the future firmly planted in the events of the day.

Much appreciation for your gaciousness Terri and kidos to Mike et al from Wayne and myself. Way said he could have wandered your woods for days and loves your paths every approach.
He liked your veggie garden too ! Thanks to all .

Gardadore, Bob and I stayed over at at nearby motel. It was fun to go over all the delights of the day during the ride home. Terri, every detail of your home is beautiful. The stoneware pottery in the glassed door cabinet was so captivating......I couldn't stop admiring it.

The gardens are spectacular and I knew immediately that the whole layout spelled "party house".
What an enchanting environment and way of life!!!

Gee, RRR, like your and Bob's is a sedate shack in the woods. LOL As far as I'm concerned, I love the attention you both pay to detail in beauty and functionality.

Terri and Mike: You are amazing, amazing hosts -- thank you for making us all so welcome and making it seem so effortless -- what perfection. And thanks for arranging the great weather and fabulous plants as well.

Yes, the weather was a top ten kind of day.

Agreed, Ric.!! RRR's and bob's is an wonderful place as we'll.

Thanks Terri and family, you guys really are such great hosts and we had such a great time! Only wish we could have been there earlier and that we had walked down to the gardens by the creek. Gorgeous property!!!! What a little bit of heaven you have here on Earth. Thank you thank you!

I have been outside since AM hauling with all kinds of "small stuff" to get it situated...
Finding room for this and that....getting distracted and doind something else....etc...
Doing the avoidance dance of actually tackling a whole bed and planting it with
the plants destined to go there.......Willl do at least one of them today. I promise....

Talk about "finding room"---I, finally, decided to dig up the big clump of Bigroot Geraniums.
One of the 'distractions'--but needed...
Of course--it is NOT like you can dig up one big clump! It comes apart in sections...
trailing old, straggly roots behind them. CAN'T throw these away!!! Sally, for one,
LOVES them! So--I potted up 6 lg. pots with several sections in each.
.NOT attractive (to me) straggly.. sprawlimg....
I really needed that corner of this bed for other things....
This Geranium just took up too much space in this small bed...
Done!

Now--the same ongoing mystery--3rd year in a row.....Geesh!

Some of you may remember I have talked about seeding Angelonias and then getting
Dwarf red Coreopsis--a pretty flower in it's own right--BUT I wanted Angelonias!!!
The seeds were labeled as such! BoooHooo---

This year--I seeded my double yellow R. Hirta--and bragged on here how they ALL came up!!
Hope I haven;t shared the seedlings with anyone--because, they are---one guess---
Dwarf Red Coreopsis!!! Bummer!!

I was looking forward to having ny Hirta in the back of a couple beds...--and I planted "them"
here and there---thinking how nice and tall they would look in the back--------HA!
I am digging them up now....I feel SO cheated!!!

I will just buy a couple envelopes of REAL Angelonia seeds and go with those...
It better NOT come up as Dwarf Red Coreopsis!!! A really pretty border flower--
with 1" satiny red blooms.

Look! How can anyone hate these? I just have a lot of them now...

G.


Glad I have some R. Indian Summer from Typ.

Gita, thanks for the heads-up about the red coreopsis potential--I love coreopsis! :-)

I have R Hirta Denver Daisy (purchased last year as plant) and R Hirta Indian Summer (seeds from Typ). I'll be happy to share any seeds and/or offspring with you! So far it looks like I have several of the Indian Summer coming up -- at least right now there are several tiny seedlings!

Jeff if you didn't want the Clivia you didn't have to take it! Come on now. Lol.

Gita I have a four pack of R. Hirta I literally sent you a DM 2 minutes ago because I couldnt read the tag.

I just answered you on the D-mail. G.

Gita, it's too bad you didn't get Angelonia, but that's a very pretty coreopsis!

Donner, the mostly-eaten parsley you gave me is already growing new leaves. :) I hope it gets a few more leaves before the caterpillars find it!

I only have a handful of plants left to plant out. Whew! Every swap, I bring home fewer plants home. I hope to one day only give away plants and bring home nothing! LOL

Thanks to all of you, my herb garden is coming along beautifully! I need to decide on garden labels asap.

LOL Gita, Guess what is getting too big and need dug up. Yep, It's my big root Geranium. I took like it but it has to be at least half the size as it is right now.

Hehehehe, SSG. That was my goal this time. However, who could resist a teeny, tiny sedum. Thank you, Joyanna. And a bag of glad bulbs, thank you SSG.

If everyone wants to only take plants, why call it a swap? Either change the event to plant pushers, goes with addicts pretty well, or recruit only newbies with empty yards and impressionable minds. I think there will always be something I want to change or something new to us to try. Why even Ruby ended up leaving with a tray full of just little things. LOL

All I can say, as one who consistently takes more than she brings, is that I owe a huge thank you to everyone. Last year I had a completely empty dry shade back area in my yard. Now, thanks to you incredible swappers and some local give-aways, it is filling in with huge swaths of hostas from Muddy's, Roses, Gita's and Blossomgiver, some Canadian wild ginger, Muddy's ostrich ferns and Holly and Ric's hellebores and Gardadore's carex and Sally's buckeye (which I'm so excited by) and Sally's bigroot geranium and a special medal for Aspenhill's group buys, and on and one -- I'm still looking for the perfect spot for Blossomgiver's Ruby Spice but it'll have a place of honor -- I think the back is maybe 1/4 filled in already. It looks so different and magnificent (or at least it will be when the plants fill in because I have divided them to within an inch of their lives) and I am so grateful! A special shout out to ssg who keeps bringing home my overflow! I could never ever have done it without all of you, and every time I look at the back I think of all of you and remember how indebted I am to each if you and how this would never have happened but for our Daves Garden connection.

And then there is my awful front hill which is now brimming with life. And looking at it I am reminded of those of you with sunny gardens who have shared with me -- daisies from Donner and geranium Biokovo from Critter and Liatris spicata 'Kobold' from Catmint and Chrysanthemum Pacific from Gita and Iris from Sally G and on and on ....

So from those of us who take more than we bring (well, I did bring well over 100 plants -- I think 33 separate varieties but I know for a fact my car was way more full on the way home). I love you all.

Oh, and one more thing. What I especially value about swaps is getting the plants that are doing so well in your yards that you are really ready to get rid of them. Those are the pass-along plants that are tough as nails, and that I have better odds of not killing than the ultra expensive fancy plant store plants I try not to look at!

Happy, would love to see your garden and see how it's been beautified in the past year!

This was my first spring swap with MAF, and I can't believe all the beautiful plants I got, and am so grateful to all of you. Yesterday and this evening were so much fun planting them all. Photos once everything settles and as things bloom! :-)

Happy--

That was a very touching testament what DG is all about.

Well said! I think we all fell that way.

Gita

Catmint -- you are welcome any time! It is still a garden only a mother could love -- the back yard has lots and lots of tiny plants with a foot of dirt between each of them waiting for them to fill in -- and the awful front hill has had some casualties so there are some large swaths of bare dirt. I have the plants to fill them in but haven't had the time yet. But I can see it! A huge difference from last year.