Mark your calendars...

Prepare my elephant! I'm trying to catch up on the chats I've missed, and I find all sorts of hilarious loonacy ;-)
Happy New Year, one and all!
Those of you interested in the DBG Spring Sale, mark your calendars! My copy of a recent DBG publication shows it as May 8 and 9, the Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day.
I was sucked into the holiday vortex, and am now catching my breath. I've got a pile of gardening catalogs, singing me siren songs of fantasy gardens...
Putting on a pot of lentil soup, cuddling up with a blanket and my kitties.

May? Will it ever come? I woke up to a light snow, fog!, and sheets of ice this morning. Decided to stay in! Nice to hear from you, Trisha. Hope you had great holidays.

Welcome back, Trisha G. I have been wondering where you were. Believe me, I understand about the holiday vortex. And I will mark May 8 & 9 on my calendar. Isn't it new to have the sale on two days? I am going to try to go. Maybe I can get some of the Albuquerque-Santa Fe DGrs to come too. I will also see about going to Iris Colorado to see Lowell Baumunk's garden. Kenton wanted to do that one -- and maybe some of the rest of you would like to come as well.
Thanks for the heads up.

I was thinking about you and the sale yesterday, Trisha. Glad to see you around. I've been quite silent but lurking over the holidays as well. Can I join you for lentils, kitties, and seed catalogs?? Sounds great.
I'll be at the sale with bells on, if nothing else gets in the way, crossing my fingers. Heard you were hosting this year, Trish? ;) I'm already saving my pennies for the sale. Can't wait!

Betty, I have a 'iris blooming season tour of growers/retailers' (Iris 4 U, C &T, Long's...can add Iris Colorado!) set up for late May/early June if you want to join me(no specific dates yet). I should post my plans...because DH was not as excited as I about the whirlwind! lol Wouldn't mind some *interested* company.

Also, I was wanting to invite you all to the Colo Spgs 'Water-wise' plant sale put on by the Horticultural Arts Society in late May, but I have no definitive dates yet, usually late May. I was amazed at this sale last year...dozen varieties of penstemons and the rose and daylily society sell at it too. I can't compare it to the DBG spring sale (but it's way better than the fall sale for perennials) I was thinking about having lunch or something, maybe going to demo gardens and/or some local nurseries. Anyhow, I'll post when I know more, but I'd love for you all to come down here and take some pressure off Denver gardeners for a change.
Sorry, I'll stock hijacking the thread with my (premature) cabin fever...

Well, it isn't my thread, but I don't mind the hijack a bit. I would love to come both for the DBG sale and if you will add Iris Colorado, I would be delighted to do the iris tour with you. You can let DH off the hook if you like. I have taken classes from Lowell Baumunk of Iris Colorado and admire his work. I would also love to see Iris 4 U. I won a drawing for one of his introductions last year and he sent me two more as freebies! I even know one I want from his place. I would very much enjoy Long's and CT as well, though I know less about them. Just let me know the dates. Will they all be the same?

Well from what I can find, Iris 4 U is open May 17-June 17; Long's May and June, and C&T by appointment during bloom season (May and June?) so it would just take a day or weekend during that time period that I was planning to go. Iris Colorado was not on my original list because on his website it says, 'sorry not open to the public' but if you know something I don't or have a connection, I would jump at the chance to see the garden.
Also on my list are the Elmohr Iris Society sale (local chapter, late July/early August) and to visit the Loomis Memorial Garden which is apparently some rare test garden, also here in CS. Should I just start another thread for this?

Back to the DBG sale, I sure hope you can get some NM gardeners to come with you. It sure is worth it. Didn't dahlianut say she'd come this time around????

Hi Trisha, I'm kind of new to this forum (not DG)... I might be able to make the trip to Iris, Co... could probably convince DH that it would be a great motorcycle ride from here (we do the loop from here to Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, Durango, and back here often...according to Google maps Iris isn't far from that loop...). You'd be surprised what I can fit in the BMW motorcylce saddlebags! Keep us informed!

Brenda

bsavage, it would be wonderful if you came.

art -- I don't know where it says it but Baumunk says by appointment. He may not have as many irises as some of the others, but he is an important hybridizer. More important to visit that Long and C&T. I just checked his website and also saw that his garden is not open to the public. I have sent him an email asking if we can visit. I will report back when I know. Anyhow, yes, I would like to go with you to Iris 4 U and one or more others. Let me know when you think you would like to go. The nurseries will have some idea when that will be. We just have to shoot for a day or weekend and hope we are right. If we are anywhere near the right date, we will see a lot -- even if we don't hit the exact right date.
Anyhow, I am up for the iris visit and the DBG visit which may not be the same day. I am still trying to figure out why the DBG sale is 2 days. Does anyone know?
I will let you know when I hear from Iris Colorado. Do let me know when you have a good idea when we should see the others.
I will try to bring 1 or 2 Santa Feans. Maybe roybird will come and maybe my friend Santa Fe Trail will come -- she doesn't post much but she does love the DBG and its sales and all of you.
Thanks for looking into all these iris places. I am really interested.

I've noted the date for the DBG sale and plan to come if I can. The past couple years I've had to go to Alabama on business for the entire 2nd week of May, leaving on a Sunday to get there, so that may interfere. Hopefully not.

Pajarito, maybe we can go together. I will try to save the date although it does seem far off now. Sigh. Sounds like photo ops will abound!

Oh, roybird, you will have lots and lots of photo ops not to mention fun with the DGers. This has always been a great deal of fun. We seem to have awfully nice gardeners in the Rockies. I always spend too much money and never regret it!
I suspect the iris trip will be later. We could do both if you can get away. I would like to see these iris places. Iris 4 U is a great iris seller and breeder. So is Iris Colorado. I have heard good things about C&T and Long's as well.

Are there seeds????? I can't bring plants across the border. Thanks muchly.

There is seeds when we all bring out seeds to trade at lunch!! Don't know about the sale though...

Oh, and this group has been ahem, *known* to acquire some seeds during the DBG tour, lol. But I guess that might only happen at the fall sale. hehe

Good news art_n_garden ^_^

It really does sound like fun!

I think we should make the decision to go, roybird. We can drive and share expenses, taking either my truck or your car or if Santa Fe Trail ( Teresa) comes, she would drive -- she has a 4 passenger vehicle.
I broke the news to DH a few nights ago that I would be traveling around the US a lot in the spring and he handled it very well. Of course, when the reality of losing his live in cook closes in on him, he will be grumpy. But I can just say, but you said it was okay in January!
Actually, he has no reason to gripe. He is working on 6 plays right now -- in 4 of them -- short ones and he will be in the theater every night for the foreseeable future. And he is doing a complicated sound design for one of them so when he isn't at the theater he will have his earphones on and will be completely incommunicado. I will definitely remind him.

I think I should come too. Keep me posted on what you guys decide.

My poor, little baby car probably couldn't make it up those mountains; so it's the truck or the other big vehicle. Split gas and expenses. Didn't I meet Teresa at the Rose Show? Very nice person. I'm in! I wrote it on the calendar in ink!

I think you should come, too. I am decided. I will come with or without others, but would rather bring other friends.

Yes, you did meet Theresa and she is a fun person to be around and an excellent gardener. You all will be great pals. If she doesn't come, we can use my truck. Unless something changes, it will be fine.

O: O: I'm getting exciiiiiited. drumming fingers, waiting to see how it goes with paj and DH. I will discuss with DH tonight and call the seatsaleguy.

Great! I told D.H. I'm going. He's fine with it. We won't be gone long. Paja, yours is in 6 plays! You won't see him much for awhile. Mine is signing up for more video editing classes and in the middle of his consulting job, where they ignore everything he recommends but do pay him regularly! Hard to say what May will bring. Hopefully, beautiful gardens! Photo Ops!! Get your ticket, Dahlia!

Dahlianut: "Luv remember when I told you about the great garden show and get together in Denver last fall? Well, they are having one this spring."
True Luv: "You should go."

I'M IN!!! Roybird let me know where you're staying and I'll book there too. Will someone please please remind me to phone the DA to check out the seeds I'm bringing so I don't go to prison. Is there a 'Denver for Dummies' website with maps? Otherwise I will get lost for sure as I've only changed planes there before. Does anyone want a Canadian Rockies rock for their garden? Dmail me if so. Roybird will you please bring a small NM rock if you have room cuz I don't have one yet. I also need a CO rock so if someone can please point me in the right direction when I get there I would appreciate it. I'm sure I will have more to share but it's hard to think when you're doing a dance of joy ^_^

Yay dahlia and roybird and paja!! That's super exciting!! How much fun!

Can you stand it art_n_garden? This is going to be WTMF.

Sounds like a blast, all! Please let me know when you're doing the Iris, CO thing so perhaps DH and I could meet you there, for the rest of it, I hope to see LOTS of pics!

Are you saying you can't make it to Denver for the Spring Fling bsavage? It sounds like you can't and that's totally ok but I'm not sure cuz I have no clue about what the Iris CO thing is. Thanks in advance for clarifying luv.

Denver is a long way for me, and isn't the Spring Fling in May? Or am I completely confused?

Yupper May and yupper a long way away for you to Denver so no worries. We shall just get together another time ^_^

Well Denver is a 7 hr. drive from the Los Alamos/Santa Fe area. I doubt it is much farther from Dolores. Do try to come. I will start looking for a reasonable hotel.

I'd love to host our get-together after the DBG sale, unless someone else has their heart set on it ;-) mtnmama? greenjay? The spring DBG sale has been two days as long as I've known about it, bc it's a big event. Our gang always goes on Saturday, since not everyone can (or wants to) take Friday off work.

art_n_garden, count me in for iris sales and the water-wise sale. I'm an avid xeriscape gardener and would love a good source.

Seems crazy to be talking about plant sales now, but it is cheering me up!

I find it very refreshing to talk about plants. I have some indoor amaryllis that are starting to put out buds. They know its spring! Obviously I will not compete with you for the job of hostessing the DBG bunch this year. But Penny and I will be there.

This is exciting! Thanks, Paja, for the hotel search. I have only been to Denver once before, many years ago. It would be great if all of us from out of town could stay at the same place. I will bring rocks, remind me. I like rocks. Rocks, rock. Paja, if we take your truck will we have a load of horse manure? That's good stuff!

Bring on the plants! I am looking forward to meeting all you foreigners (not from CO) that I didn't meet last fall!

I'm so looking forward to finally meeting everyone too. O I finally get the iris thing. You are talking about an iris sale in Iris, CO. They should change the state name and then it would be an iris in Iris, Iris

Lol, dahlia. That's super exciting, I really just can't stand it :)

That's great Trisha, I will definitely keep everyone posted about the two other sales. And I was thinking about you and your pinion the other day...haven't forgotten about it. I know that Diane was thinking about maybe passing it onto someone else this year, what with all her family goings on. I don't want to speak for her, but I know she has been spread pretty thin. I dmailed her to check on her but I don't think she has been on for a bit...so maybe we'll hear from her soon.

Dahlia! Are you driving down? I'm right on I-15. -- Julie

I was thinking of flying BUT if I scooped you up in my little red roadster would you come to Denver too????

I've really never ridden a red rooster. Does it take much skill?

Seriously, it depends on my work load. If I'm cranking out translations, no. If there's a lull, yes.

Either way, you could overnight here on our futon. Then you'd get to meet Piper the yoga dog. --Julie

Thanks for the offer picante. It's probable I will fly, as I will have a crammed greenhouse at that time.