Seed Swap Plant List

Whoo, Hoo, Cathy! Your little seedlings are looking good!

Last year I carefully planned out my seed beds. This year I am actually throwing out the seeds after lightly tilling the beds. The only planning/designing is that I am planting the taller plants and the vines in the back of the bed against the fence and the others everywhere else! LOL!

After reading your posts, I went out and looked to see if anything has sprouted. Oh boy! There are little seedlings everywhere in the beds. I won't know what they are until they bloom, but I love surprises! LOL!

Hopefully this cold front won't kill my baby plants. I have more seeds from the group seed swap that I will plant in the Spring. But it has been so warm here, I just couldn't resist.

Melody - Great to see you posting! Check out this thread and the video links to some short clips of my little hummer at the feeders. I have been wearing the red shirt you made me! Love it! Thank you again. I am happy to read that you are healing well and not in a lot of pain. Each day you are recovering a little bit more and before ya know it you will be recovered and back to running around on your feet again.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/796376/

This message was edited Dec 30, 2007 9:04 PM

Grrr! That was the last thing I wanted to read, Becky -- about lightly tilling and throwing seed out! LOL! My most hated job is transplanting from the jugs or pots to the ground. My knees and hands and back and ankles kill me afterwards. It is totally unfair that you can do that. :))

On the other hand, Melody is in such a state that I guess I should feel lucky I *can* do it (even if I am in pain afterwards) :)

SV, LOL! We're having the most mild winter I can ever remember having. snick! You must really be a Florida girl!

Suzy

SISSY is the word I use! If it goes below 72, then I need a sweater. Pathetic isn't it?

LOL! Let's just say I felt bad saying that and changed it to "girl" at the last minute before hitting "send".

Nov & Dec is the worst for me, but from now on the days get longer, the sun comes through the windows (even though they are currently filthy) and I can live until March when I once again get a hankering for a trip to Florida.

Glad you're getting the hang of the macro pics Cathy. I have motives...

NOW we'll work on PlantFiles!

Those lovely little seedling pictures need to be added to PF! Do you know how to do that?

I went to the PF main page and up in the extreme right hand corner there is a green 'search plants' button. Use that if you're not sure of the proper botanical name. Type 'coral bean' in the window. You'll get all results for the word 'coral' and the word 'bean' but the first ones in the que are the plants that are known by both. Select your plant and it will be taken to the proper page. scroll down to near the bottom and it will say, 'add an image' you do it just like adding a picture here on the forums. It will ask for a short description. I just usually say something to the effect of ...Coral Bean seedling, growing in late Dec, south Florida, USA. You have the option of adding a detailed comment later. That part is found where the 'add an image' link is found. You can add a comment on the merits of the nectar and wildlife benefits.

Now, if you know the proper scientific name, you can skip the long list by hitting the green button near the middle of the PF home page. It will say, 'Click Here To Search For Plants'. That will take you to a more detailed fill in the box thing. It will ask for common name, family, genus, species, cultivar, that sort of stuff. You do NOT have to fill in every blank. That is one thing that people think they have to do. Just put in Genus and Species if you know that. You will then be taken to the correct page, and can follow the instructions just like before.

With all of these wonderful seeds we got in the trade, we could make a real big contribution to PF. So many times, people forget that there's more to a plant than the pretty blooms. We need to see the seeds, seedlings and immature plants. Seed pods are great too. All of this will help newbie gardeners be successful. So many times we get the question..."where are the seeds on xyz plant" "what do the baby plants look like?" That makes up a big percentage of questions I answer. If we can point them to a resource right here on DG showing the full life cycle of the plant, it would be a huge help.

In the comment section, a list of the cats that favor it for food, or it's nectar qualities would have everything right there.

I plan on taking pictures of all my seeds before I plant them.

People searching for such information may not be a DG member and their search wouldn't find this Forum, they would land in PF first. This would be an excellent way of introducing them to us.

What 'cha think?

Can we do this???

I agree, Melody, 100% about having immature plants, seedlings and seeds pictured in plantfiles. That would be most helpful. In fact, had it not been for the picture of the Echinacea seeds in pf, I would have kept parts of the chaff and thrown the seeds away. Commenting on the various butterflies that nectar or use t the plant as host would make for an excellent resource.

Your motives are great Melody. I'm going to take more pictures of seedlings of the various things I've planted and will be planting, as well as the seeds. It's good practice on the camera too. I will try to get some pics into Plant Files, following your instructions will make it easy!
Cordeledawg, I agree with the bf & cat resource, the more info the better!
Cathy

If you have any problems at all adding pictures or comments, or see a problem with any of the information already entered...(PF is full of well-meaning mistakes) please let me know. I can help walk through most any question, or get corrections made.

Becky, I looked at your hummer video and can't really tell which one you have, but I'm guessing a Rubythroat. The Roufus will have a cinnamon/brown back, while the RT will be very green. So, I'm going out on a limb and guessing female RT or immature male RT. The RT is more likely to have ventured to south FL, as the Roufus is more of a western species. They only breed and nest in the western parts of the country, and just 'sight-see' during their off season. Regardelss, I'm so glad you now have joined the hummer-watcher ranks!

Glad you liked your Hummer Karma shirt, hopefully I'll be back into the art shortly too. I did dye some silk scarves for Christmas presents. They weren't exactly the process that I had envisioned, but turned out pretty. Got a new tool from Mom where I can do discharge prints in reverse, which means I can use the bleach to 'draw' on the denim. I'm envisioning jeans with bleached out hummers and butterflies flying up the legs...and it's entirely possible now!

I'm actually getting back into the swing of things and feel pretty much like myself today. I am completely off any pain meds, and can 'shuffle' around with a walker to get between places to sit or lay. The foot that had the surgery is the best one. I use it to stand up with and to hold most of my weight. The other one that didn't get any pins hurts if I put much weight on it at all. The tendons and ligaments are damaged more, and it's just going to be troublesome.

This is the first day that I can actually get my thoughts together enough to post much, and I'm so thankful for my laptop. Maybe I'll be around on a regular basis shortly.

Melody, I am so glad you are on the mend. I am spending more and more time in plantfiles and hope I will be able to make contributions of pics too. The pics are so helpful with all the new skills I am learning here.

This is a pic of one of the Brugs you sent me Deborah. It is leafing out and growing quite well in the basement at around 66F in front of a west window.All the other 16 Brugs mailed by DGers to me,who never,ever thought I would even have one, are doing very well in their pots down there. I just love them.

Lucille

Good going, Lu!

Thank You Deborah! The Confederate Roses are leafing out too! I am having a wonderful time with these cuttings from all the DGers. I did not get any bags of soil for Christmas☻ so I am using this wonderful compost that is under the White Pine Tree. I have buckets of the stuff. It is such perfect-looking soil and has been there all these years waiting for me to find it for my Brugs☺

Have a wonderful New Year everyone. This is a very special year for us as my DH will be retiring officially Feb. 29th. He is almost retired now as he has enough vacation to stay home till the 29th. He certainly has earned the right after 42 years☺

Lucille, that's fantastic! Great job with your brugs, they are such an easy addiction, aren't they? We are actually getting rain here today, which we desperately need.

Melody, I added two pics to the coral bean entry in Plant Files, thanks again for your encouragement.

I am on an organizing mission today, wish me luck... going to tackle the bathroom closet and medicine chest among other things. Saving my seeds for last, they are the best part!

Cathy

Thanks Cathy. That may be the very reason why they are so addictive,such small effort and such huge results☺ I do wish you luck. Our house is a mess because I always do the dirt,seeds and cuttings first☺then I am so pooped,I can't get the unfun stuff done.

Maybe you will motivate me to get at least the bathroom closet done. I can't find my fav. towel anymore it is so disorganized. Nah! I am going to go bake Chocolate Mound cookies instead...................sigh.......................milk and cookies,gotta love it☺

Ohhhh, you are tempting me with the lure of milk and cookies.
I'm having a pep up snack of leftover fajita from Chili's last night, our big New Year's adventure after replacing the toilet in the main bathroom. Yes, I know we live an exotic life down here in Venice. I was in bed by 10:20, then of course up at midnight when all the racket began.
I usually start seeds on the kitchen bar too, DH is such a good sport, moving the seed box to get to the sugar for his coffee. hee hee
Maybe just one cookie...

Sounds like pretty opulent life style to me Cathy☺

DH had to wake me up to see in the New Year . His Idea of big excitement was to watch a guy jump his motorcycle in the air to set a new record. I barely stayed awake through it all and the cat and me beat feet as soon as we could without seeming rude☺UH OH! My DH has been nice too,so far,about seeds all over the table and counter top ,bless his heart. Lucky us☺...... and sometimes the dirt too,I can be very messy bout that around the kitchen sink☺

How can one warm cookie do anything but good for us Cathy☺

It was two. :-)) Turtle Supreme cookies, cold from the fridge, since the bottom coating of chocolate on the cookies was melting at room temp down here.
I did discover that I can hold, and eat, a cookie from one hand while going through the medicine chest, seeing what goes and what stays! Mission accomplished.

Dirt just settles to the bottom of a cup of coffee, just like grounds...

ROTFL

The cookies sound tempting, but just got through eating a big meal and having a cup of French Vanilla Foldgers...mmmm!
I also got into the organization mood today. We cleared out a place in the garage for misc stuff from the pantry that isn't used. Moved a lot of stuff to storage where I plan on storing stuff until I have a super sale this spring. Took a look at the posibilities of changing the pantry and installing wire shelving. Took the plunge with a hammer and pry bar to the shelving and walla!!! We have so much more room; old shelving was 24" wide and unused in the back. Now to go get the shelving. HD has a commercial running on HGTV this week saying their storage system items are 20% off. Guess we will go check it out.

Sheila, sounds like you'll have more room for potting supplies! Just picked up a couple of small plastic containers, now I'm ready to tackle the linen closet and the never ending supply of batteries and light bulbs that attack when you open the door!
Started some more seeds today, I can't wait for the cold front to pass so I can plant some of the seedlings from the last batch of seeds I sowed in November.
Cathy