Suzy, are you getting a lot of requests for 'Pink Candles' celosia? I've still got a bunch of older collected seed that should be fine, and I could toss in some packets as "extras"... That plant is not stingy with its seeds!
Spectacular 2007 Cottage Garden Seed Swap#3
sorry... I directed that question to Suzy because I wasn't sure who had/wanted the celosia...
Well, the good news is, it looks like I'll have plenty of basil seed to share this winter... The bad news is that this morning's seed harvest was a bit damp, so they won't be dry in time for the swap. In addition to the Italian Genovese basil that I am sending for the swap, I got seeds from purple, lemon, lime, 'Minette', cinnamon, thai, and sicilian. I have an entire cake plate covered in additional Italian basil seeds to dechaff! That should prevent "idle hands" LOL.
I think my swap seeds are all de-chaffed. The dining room table is full of seeds in various stages from freshly harvested to bagged and labeled!
I filled up the seed baggies I had on hand, and I need to pick up some more. I can't remember if we've discussed this, but the best source I've found for those little zip-top plastic bags is at WalMart -- in the craft department, 100 of 'em for a buck.
Yay! thanks, garden6! I'm loving my celosia, but I don't have pink, and it's my fave :))
There is a homemade secret santa swap going on in the Round Robin forum here is the link: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/777280/#new
This message was edited Oct 23, 2007 4:39 PM
critter, do you find that your basil plants stay pretty true to their flavors when the seeds are open pollinated like that? just wondering if you regularly plant from your own seeds. It's neat that you have so many kinds. Do you have a favorite?
if anybody's interested, I just bought some 2x2" seed baggies online (2mil thick) on sale for 3.95 a case (1,000). I got 2 cases, with tax and shipping came to $16.22 for 2,000 bags. and I got them in 3 or 4 days, delivered to my door. these are the ones with the white strip for writing on. the regular price is 5.13 a case. here's a link
http://www.echopack.com/itemdetail-1045_2_x_2_2_mil_white_block_ziplock_bags-1045.htm
Critter, I'm not sure if your question was answered, or not about the Celosia. I only have 3 people's packages, so not many requests at all -- YET.
Gram, That's a good price. A lot of my tiny seeds might be 100+ seeds, but they look like nothing in my 2" x 3" bags. :)) I wish they looked a little fuller! When you see my seed packs, you'll see why I am dragging my feet buying those...I have slips of paper inside the packs.
I have a whole room and closest filled with seeds in various states of drying. OMG! It is such a mess -- every flat surface is covered with plates & bowls, including the floor. Some are perched precariously and others are in the walk path. It's just an all around mess, and I get it cleaned up by Christmas, but last year my sister had a family emergency and I had to host Thanksgiving at the last minute for 12 (ok, I actually had 2 weeks notice, but that's last minute when you aren't ready for it) ....this seed room is right off the dining room, and it was soooo lovely to have people see my big mess.
Suzy
LOL... my seed room *is* the dining room (and the adjacent living room)... If Thanksgiving happens here rather than in NC (which really could be a last minute, as in a day or two notice), I'm going to be scrambling!
Here's a peek...
suzie
Have not looked in Dave's for a few days as on Monday I drove to Indiana. I thought I could get my seeds organized and mailed to you before I left, but it never happened. Sooooo....I put everything I needed, small seed bags, seeds, lables together in a large shopping bag and packed that with me to go to Indiana. Rained when I reached Anderson....been raining since. Yesterday my daughter and I drove to Southern Illinois to her farm house for a few days to clean out the attic of her mother in law who passed away a year ago....so will be out of touch for a few days. When I get back to Batesville I will work on the seeds. I brought your snail addy with me along with your phone number, and not sure if I will mail or try to get it to you in person.
Wind, not to worry I have your Sea Holly with me......
Regarding the Liatris, I usually wait for the flower to dry completely on plant...looks like a brown brush, and you just pull off so easy. I did not bring any Liatris seed with me, but I do have some in my seed stash home in Michigan. If by chance anyone wants any and did not get any from this trade, I will send out for sase.
Deann
Rachel, did you HAVE to tell me about the secret Santa swap (you little enabler, you). there are actually 2 of them, darn it. I'm trying to talk myself out of it, without much luck. It's sooooo tempting :0) I know I'm going to have way too much else to do, but it's so much fun to get those little packages.
my 'seed room' is my house. I have my paper plates, container lids, etc. all over my kitchen counter, dining room table, coffee table...you name it, it's covered LOL. I could put them in my sewing room where I have a large table, but I like to pick thru them or work on bagging when I'm watching TV. The only way I'm getting away with it, I remind DH how many wonderful plants (free!) I got with my wintersowing last year. He was pretty impressed with my instant cottage garden.
I was using the 2x3 bags, but the 2x2 were on sale and they're big enough for all but the largest seeds.
ps I will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner, but only for us and DS and family (6 people). well, maybe my girlfriend, and possibly my aunt & uncle...so it could be 9. guess I better start thinking about moving this mess out of here ;-)
Precarious stacking?? not at all
LOL grampapa!! How did you get in my house and sneak a photo of my desk? Thats really what it looks like right at this moment!!
way to funny-I am also doing Thanksgiving-but not on my desk :o)
Heehee - how many of us seed-pigs can dance in Suzy's big red can? Y'all move over :)
Did anyone come up with what to do with pentas seed? I have some turning brown so will whop them around some to see if anything gets produced. Anyone have any better ideas?
Am catching up...have read #s 2 & 3 plus haves/wants...am giving priority to sending what I've noted anyone may ask for...have some not mentioned
Y'all really make me feel better about the tool shed decor hogging my tiny house. DH prizes his morning "mouse" in the garden, though, thanks to the horticultural adventure that DG has turned our gardening into. (We are owned by 2 cats, JT & St. Ray, so "strolling" has become "mousing" here).
Have been lost in a Never-Never Land between leaf node and leaf node since July trying to trace and code MG vines with cut sections of colored plastic straws in order to correctly label pods by their proper cultivar names. Maybe I'll never be done, but have emerged for this swap - y'all are a hoot to be around - you're taking the pain out of the pending frost - many thank yews.
karen
My cats are sorely disappointed that I finished packaging all of my seeds. Now they have to go back to the boring old cat toys!
Critter, you are wonderful! I showed your picture to DH - he was complaining about my seeds taking over . . . now he understands I am totally 'normal' lol
LOL... tell him that's only part of the table... not to mention the buffet... or the plates of basil seed on the coffee table in the living room. I don't know about "normal," but it's at least "DG normal!"
A little update on the swap.....I now have seeds of 4 people and they are packed in such CUTE little packages, I am so impressed! I am dmailing people as their seeds come in. The seed totals are between 30 and 50 each for the 4 people, and there are very few duplicates among individuals. Of the 4, 2 people said to send potluck and 1 was more specific -- by color, and 1 was very specific -- by things that people posted they were sending.
Deann, That's fine...you can also put your daughter to work and get them done & packed in half the time! hahaha. I wish I had an old grandma attic to go through -- sounds like fun!
Bluespiral, a labor of love on those MGs, that's for sure!
Gram, start putting some plates and bowls on your sticker sheets (in the photo) and you have more what mine look like -- kinda leaning. No pictures or you'd know how bad it truly is.
Critter, those little bowls all neatly arranged isn't a mess at all. I only wish mine were as organized.
Cats! OMG if I had cats I would be in a world of hurt. At this point I'm afraid of a breeze if I open the door. BUT tonight Mr. Clean is out of town and I can pull stuff out and start dechaffing and packing, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Suzy
Okay, I'll be waiting :)
Here is a link to the new thread....#4 !
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/783789/
thanks, garden6. I've made a mental note. (I've got about a billion 'sticky' notes in my brain...I'll probably never see it again LOL)
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who hasn't got mine in the mail yet. I'm close. won't be more than a couple more days.
Suzy, 2 minutes after I took that picture, I probably did have plates balanced on top of my labels, or I had lost my labels, or I had brought half a dozen other bowls of seeds in from the kitchen counter...or...I went outside and collected 10 more sandwich bags full of stuff!
Grampapa~ don't use stickies and don't make too many mental notes...you must have a gardening diary to jot down all these notes for future reference!...A gardening diary, the best advice my DM gave me....even though she had notes and stickies all over the place even on the seed packets themselves!! I started out with a composition book till I bought a nice thick floral composition book on sale at Wal-mart.
that was a joke on my poor tired brain. I actually have pretty nice gardening software that I keep all my notes and history of all my plants in :)
I think we can go ahead and say they seed to be in the mail by Oct 31, as opposed to they have to be here by then. Does that ease the work load for anybody?
Suzy
Thank you Suzy! That's a big help. I was figuring to have everything in the mail on Monday, cutting it close anyway... but they're calling for a drop in temperatures here Tuesday, so my weekend is going to be filled with preparations for frost!
I've made a start on filling packets, but there are many to go! At least the seed is pretty much ready to go into them, and I've got some labels done. :-)
Yeah, we are on thread 4, but I wasn't sure everybody would see it. :)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/783789/
Yes.. that is a good date! I'm on the new thread too! :)
thankyouthankyouthankyou, Suzy, for extending mailing our seeds through October 31 - I too expect to be a little pressed by last minute preparations for frost in a couple of nights.