2016 HL plant exchange
I've already sent out an email to past attendees of the plant exchanges but wanted to find out if there was any interest by others.
In the past we've met, socialized, gotten to know each other, and in the end maybe even split up a few plants. ;-) The emphasis is definitely on the getting together and making friends. Actually having a plant or two to exchange is nice, but absolutely not required. In fact it's become a tradition to bring a baked good instead. I don't care what anyone else says, my stomach says "heck YES!!" to that.
I know I have a number of perennials that would just go to waste if I didn't give them away. There are columbines growing everywhere, I have cone flowers where they aren't supposed to be, overwhelming irises, and even a fall clematis outside its bounds. These have to go somewhere. ;-)
If there is interest we can arrange an event. In the past that's been between Mother's Day and Memorial Day. It could be arranged for Sat the 21st if it's good. But I'm thinking maybe at this point to try June 4th to give us time.
Is there interest? It's also OK if there isn't, I'll still try to arrange some exchanging outside an in-person event.
GC GC - I am very interested, but lack flowering plants to contribute yet. Lots of herbs to trade, though, if they qualify.
DannyC DannyC - If I wasn't explicit enough, you don't even really have to have plants at all. But herbs? Absolutely everything qualifies, that would do quite nicely. So would some fantastic crumb cake. ;-) It's all good...
Interested here - would contribute something sweet - but can't do the 21st...
the plants you gave me last fall are coming along nicely!
4catmom 4catmom - Outstanding. Glad to hear the plants are good, remember to thank 'Colette' as well. She was the original source of Solomon's Seal. We'll see what timing we can do, like I said I think June is actually better than the 21st. But let's see what everyone else wants to do.
I'm interested but don't think I have anything to share yet. I just started planting in front of my house 2 years ago from plants I got at the plant exchange back then. I would love some tiger lillies, any colors. June would probably be better for me.
Bessie I can't do June 4th, unfortunately. Or the 11th for that matter. The 21st of May does work for me, but it seems I'm the only one there.
GC, flower question, is it normal for the irises not to send up flower buds the first year after replanting? Or did we do something wrong? There is greenery coming up, but only 1 flower bud.
Tracy (mobile) We would be very interested. We just moved into a new house in Hackettstown and the yard was very neglected. We have cleaned and mulched the flower beds so far. But we are in need of plants/flowers, etc. So much to do to get the yard in shape and I'm a bit of a novice. I would love to meet up with others from the area to see what grows well here and get some other advice on plants. A sweet treat is right up my alley, I'm way better in the kitchen than in the yard! :)
MomOfTwoBoys Sounds great to me, although I'm in long valley.... Keep us all posted! Would love some coneflowers as the ones I planted from seed have not materialized yet
LVRes I can do the 21, and Tracy, my irises have not sent up flowers yet either. Would love some columbine and may be able to give some rose of Sharon's if anyone is interested in them.
Njchia LVRes - Everyone is invited no matter where you live.
Tracy - Doesn't sound too unusual. Some areas of irises I have don't have much yet, others do. And if only one or two come up, don't worry as long as it looks healthy.
Anyone interested in playing host to the group? Someone who has hosted before has offered, and I could as well. But we've done it before and wanted to give someone else a chance if they wanted to.
Thanks everyone, looks like this may get off the ground after all.
I'm interested and can work with those dates that GC posted originally (May 21st and June 4th) as of now.
Sadly, I don't have much to offer.
emaxxman Tracy, my irises are starting to bloom, it depends on the variety. GC is right, as long as they look healthy there's probably nothing wrong. And there is no skipped year for blooming. I have lots of Lilies of the Valley to share this year, as well as Solomon's Sea. Probably lemon balm, too, and hostas.
colette Colette - thanks to you to for the Solomon's Seal................GC gave it to me last fall and it's beginning to fill in...........
I have some variegated hostas too. I moved them in the fall but apparently didn't get all the shoots because some babies popped up.
That's what I really like about an exchange. It's not just getting the plant, but it's later passing along something someone already passed to you. At first we didn't even know the right name for Solomon's Seal. And now we get to shared it with everyone.
Glad I put this out there, if it were based on response to my email to past attendees, there probably would not be an event. Barring any unforeseen changes, I'm suggesting June 4 as the official date. That should give us plenty of time to organize as well as more plants should be ready to transplant by then. How about 2:00 PM in the afternoon? I'm not totally set on the location. I'm inclined to host it myself since the alternative is someone else who's hosted more than once already. So the location may change - I'll do like we've done in the past and send out a PM to all the people who want to attend. It will have all the particulars, directions, etc. I'll post here before the email goes out so everyone will expect it. I'll do that *before* the holiday, as well as a follow up email the week before the event.
If you can't attend in person, not to worry. In the past we have done pickups before, and then set aside a share of plants for delivery later.
So thanks everyone, it looks like we're on. I'm changing the title of the post now to make it official.
GC - Count me in for June 4. It gives me almost four weeks for my herbs to spread. Looking forward to getting some perennial flowers. Thank you for organizing this.
njchia - The columbines are just starting to bloom now, I think if we wait until June 4 it might be a bit late. Do you want to get some of those now? I have so many to the point they are invasive. Even with giving them away some just get wasted. If anyone else wants those, give a yell here, or PM me.
MomOfTwoBoys - Most things do well around here, but I'll start with what I've found difficult. Delphiniums, lupines, hollyhocks (because of rust), and lithodora have all died off on me the very next year. Others might have luck with them, but I never have.
The best growers of all are usually the native plants, cone flower, daisy, day lilies, black eyed susan, butterfly weed. Plenty of others like bee balm, phlox, penstemon, liatris, iris, coreopsis, foxglove, salvia, and heliopsis have all done well for me without any special fertilizer or watering. The only issue I've had is the deer eating day lilies and the tops of the phlox. They don't seem to eat the whole phlox, just nibble.
You might just check a website or two for stuff that looks good, then you can post here if any one has experience trying to grow it locally.
Iris June 4th I can not do unless it was early. But I could absolutely drop off some plants early and pick up some plants later. Is the orange flower you posted oriental poppy? They have them at hatchery hill school and they are GORGEOUS. I've been googling to figure out what they are. I would love to get some of the columbine from you GC, if you don't mind sharing some early. I got some bleeding heart from someone last year, it's not ready to split, but it's coming along really nicely. I'm very excited. I'm taking a whole grassy area over and turning it into plants. It's a little overwhelming, but it's so exciting to watch it come along. I've found that while the deer devour the regular hostas, they don't seem terribly interested in the variegated ones.
njchia - We'll see about the time of day, which I'm not 100% set on the afternoon. I figured that was better for most people. But if not, I have no problem with something like a 10:00 or 11:00 meeting time either.
Yes, those are oriental poppies. That section is care of joyful, I have another area with ones from chickadee. They're orange but they come in red as well. Most fields in Europe I've seen that are full of them are the red variety.
Njchia: I have a full bed of those poppies you are admiring. Some have already started to bloom...If you would like to have some slips before the exchange...please message me on HL...
joyful I saw the post regarding a facelift for the gazebo in town. No, I do not have anything to do with this at all but thought of it when I read this thread. Perhaps we could accept some donations for the gazebo as well. I would be happy to donate some myself. I just thought this would be a nice thing to have HL help make the town look nice. Here is the link to the thread.
http://www.hackettstownlife.com/forum/744602
JB400 Already offered for the pocket gardens as well. If the goal is to have the gazebo ready for the holiday, then the exchange (June 4) is too late to be collecting then. I'd be happy to help collect & deliver donations towards that. But I suggest we do that separately from our meeting.
wolf featherYou're welcome Njchia, sorry I couldn't have been there to say hello again in person. But you can see just how many of those columbines I have, and how big they are. That didn't even make a dent in how many I have that just pop up in the wrong places.
wolf feather - It's going to be June 4, we have a first time host that I think everyone will like seeing the garden. I will put out an email to anyone who has said they want to attend with exact location and directions. That first email will be right before the holiday, and then there will be a follow up reminder email Wed or Thurs right before that Saturday.
You are welcome, NJchia...It was so nice to see you again and hope you have good luck with the poppies...
Lorraine GC - do you still have poppies available?
I may be interested in trading some plants as well, I have many, and a few that need to be thinned out... working on getting my beds back in order!
MG MG - Joyful is really the one with the poppies. If you want some, I suggest doing it right away. They're not always easy to transplant and it's only getting closer to the point where they're past prime. I wouldn't wait until the exchange on June 4 to get those. Send her a PM by clicking on the envelope next to her name. If I can help, let me know. Otherwise you can definitely still come to the event either way.
This exchange sounds wonderful! I am moving to the area in a couple of weeks, and the garden at the new house is just decimated. Would love to meet fellow gardeners and get some advice on where to begin!
Looking forward to meeting y'all!
Hike Hounds I'd be interested in the plant trade, but have a birthday party that day...and I may have some things to contribute, depending on of they've got buds, so I can tell what's what!
Good news, more iris buds have arrived! Can't wait to see them open.
I'm so disappointed I won't be able to attend this year's Plant Exchange. We have a 1st birthday party in Connecticut.
I hope everyone enjoys.
GC, just mentioning that I never got an email as a past attendee. I would still like the information just in case anything changes. Thanks!
MG - We can always identify them for you or figure them out later. We'd be happy to take what ever you have and distribute among the attendees.
I mentioned this on the 2016 Garden thread, but the same date as the exchange on June 4 has two other great perennial events - "Perennialfest" at Donaldson's Garden Shop, and Well Sweep's Open House.
I've checked the timing of the agendas and I highly recommend two specific talks.
Well Sweep has a yearly "what's new and exciting" talk where they go over a number of excellent plants. Very good for people who don't know what to grow as well as experienced growers looking for something different. That talk is at 10:30.
Then at Donaldson's, Monrovia rep Chris Rubino always has a great discussion of various plants, what grows easy, what is deer resistant, and what will knock your socks off. ;-) Also highly recommend, at 12:30.
It brings in cooking as well, but also don't forget that Jay from Pandan Room/TOPO cooks and serves food at Well Sweep that day. He specifically cooks with herbs available from Well Sweep and some even grown right at the restaurant. (check out the plants growing around Pandan, herbs as well as some clematis)
I'll be sending out the email for people who want to attend June 4. I'll sent it out on Wed. It will contain directions to the location.
About the meeting time - is everyone OK with 9:00 AM? In order to give people time to get over to Well Sweep or Donaldson's if they want to, we need an early start time.
If you want to exchange plants, but can't attend, that can still be arranged. I'll either pick up/deliver your plants or I'll figure out some where for you to drop off/pick up.
I know I've traded emails or spoken with some about who is coming. But so far I have on the email list that I will send out:
Bessie
Emaxxman
DannyC
4catmom
MomofTwoBoys
NJChia - I'm thinking the time will be early enough
Lorraine
Hike Hounds
iris
LVRes - Are you in? Wolf Feather
If there is anyone else please let me know. If anyone's situation has changed and can make it now give me a yell. Anyone who wants to exchange but can't attend, PM me so we can make the arrangements.
MG - Did get at least one recent PM from you, I sent a reply a little while ago, let me know if you didn't get it.
GC - I'm in on June 4 at 9:00 AM. A full day of education, even with herbs for cooking. Thanks for organizing this.
I just sent out the official announcement and location/directions to anyone listed above via email. I do not have 3 emails, so those three will go out shortly via the HL PM system.
If you do not get the message or you want to and haven't stated your interest yet, yell real loud. ;-)
I've officially heard back from only a couple of people. If you would please, either post something here on HL, or send me a private email if you plan to attend. I'm trying to get a reasonably accurate head count for the host.
Another reminder email will go out in a day or two.
If there are any plants on people's want list, or if there is any discussion on what plants people are bringing, this is a good time to start it.
In addition, if like DannyC you want to talk about food items, it's also good to talk now.
Thanks everyone.
On your other thread, I offered Eggs Benedict and Pizza Frita for breakfast at 9 AM on Saturday. Do you want this food or not?
If I did not have another obligation on Saturday the 4th, I would be there but I did do my part and gave out a few of my poppy plants to some HLers this year prior to the exchange. I would have also have liked to meet DannyC and really not because he might be bringing Eggs Benedict or pizza frita. Lol!!!
"not because he might be bringing Eggs Benedict or pizza frita." - Yeah, right joyful. I know better. ;-)
DannyC - could the Eggs Benedict be bite sized? When other people bring baked goods, there can be a lot to eat all at once. I'd be very happy to try either of those things if it was just a taste. Making both, plus bringing some herbs, would be a very large contribution to the effort. Thanks for that, but just one or the other is as much as I personally could eat.
GC - Yes, I can make mini Eggs Benedict, with only one poached egg, bite sized, open-faced on tiny English muffins, but still with all the great flavors, especially the hollandaise sauce. Pizza frita is hand made to any size, with savory toppings like tomato sauce and Locatelli Romano, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, or sweet with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Your choice. Just want to help everyone have a good time. I have a full kitchen to prepare everything, and a nice set of Pyrex dishes with insulated containers to transport everything to wherever it has to go.
Danny that sounds amazing.
I will be there. Looking forward to it. I will have some rose of Sharon saplings (I have tons!)
omg - do I have to fast before Saturday - I'd be happy with a little coffee and a plant--
looking forward to this
I have purple coeflowers and black-eyed Susies that I will have fore sure...may be a few other items...but those are the 2 main ones I have that I can share.
Sorry, folks - I got some alarming news this morning, and just got packed up for what may be an extended stay at a NYC hospital. GC is aware of my situation. Have great fun at the plant exchange on June 4.
Dansker Wishing you the best as well, DannyC for everything to be OK and you will soon be well.
CraftBeerBob 
Old Gent Thank you for your best wishes. Surgery is done. They took me early. Been awake for 4 hours. They cut out my gall bladder and half of my pancreas, as part of their regimen for pancreatic cancer. But what the hell, I would be in good company with Steve Jobs, Patrick Swayze and Luciano Pavarotti. Lots of pain, but what I dislike the most is that freaking tube up my nose. They got me up to walk already...ugh! Probably not able to make GC's plant exchange, but hope you all have a good time. That is what this is all about, not me.
So glad to hear this is behind you now, DannyC....you have been in my thoughts and prayers. Now, just do not overdo and get well soon!
Mariann 14 hours ago (8pm or so) DannyC had just gotten packed up for a trip to the hospital and then 11 hours ago (11pm or so), he had driven to the hospital in NYC, been admitted, had major surgery, went through recovery and was awake for four hours? That must be some hospital.
ianimal Hi, GC. I never got an email about the location on the 4th. Could you send it to me, please? Looking forward to it. Have a great day!!
Oh, my goodness, I just read the posts from and about Danny. Get well soon. I will be praying for you. :-)
All yesterdays post were after surgery, while still groggy. Sorry I sent them and the confusion. Enjoy the plant exchange.
Are U ready to exchange??? ;-)
Any last minute needs, just PM me.
4catmom - Thanks but I organized the *meeting*, organizing the *people*? pffftt
oops - posted in the wrong thread - great to meet fellow HLers --- see a beautiful garden -- eat too many sweets -- and bring home some new plants --- Thanks to all involved ---and please think good thoughts for my plants...............
We had brownies, and cupcakes, and cats, and dogs, and Minnie Mouse!!
What a good time with a great group of people.
Now the real 'work' begins - planting all of this stuff. The 'fun' begins in about 2 months when you try to figure out what the stuff you have is. ;-)
Thanks, but I'm not the one to congratulate. Big, big thanks go out to that great host we had, and the great peaceful back yard garden.
For those that want more info on the phone app Nellejoy had, I looked it up and downloaded it. It's called My Garden Answers, web site at gardenanswers.com.
Seems to have both iPhone/iPad and Android versions.
The organic product I mentioned for those aphids on the heliopsis is "neem oil":
http://www.lowes.com/pd_86891-316-HG-93179___?productId=3276665&pl=1&Ntt=neem
I put a cap full in a bucket of warm water, then load up a squirt bottle. Also helps with fungus. I use it on the bee balm and phlox when it gets powdery mildew. You have to keep at it, spray at least daily for a good 5 days for the mildew. Aphids only need it once or twice.
GC - Thanks, very timely. Aphids are just starting to attack the leaves of my now 7 ft. climbing red rose with about 40 blooms top to bottom. Want to save this baby.
DannyC please post a picture of that climbing rose, I would love to see something so pretty!!
JrzyGirl88 4catmom - Back to the hospital with - guess what - an infection. I'll pm you with my address from the joint and you can stop by any time. Would really like to serve you some good home-made food (and not show you my scars, very unappetizing).
JrzyGirl88 - Got lots of nice pictures, but having trouble uploading them as email attachments. I'll work it out and post them asap.
DannyC - The forum is not email, so you can't do it that way. You have to click on the link that says "Add Photo" first. It then changes into a button that will says "Browse". You click that, and then select the picture.
Or if you want, email me the pics, you have my email. And then I can upload them for you.
Thank you to our most welcoming host for yesterday's plant exchange. I got a lot to plant and as in the past, will hope for the best once done. I had a nice visit, enjoyed meeting some new people, always enjoy those that I already know and love expanding my limited gardening knowledge.
Danny- an infection? I hope it's not serious and you have a speedy recovery. Seems like the hospital released you way to early after having major surgery..you may have a malpractice suit on your hands. Get well soon.
positive Danny, I'm going to be in PV sometime tomorrow visiting my aunt, I'd be more than happy to tend to your roses while your in the hospital. I'd hate to see such a gorgeous 7ft fully budded plant die from neglect. I'm here to help. PM me when you get a chance.
positive - Thanks for the offer, but the rose is well tended to: cultivated around the roots, with a three month Bayer rose fertilizer dose, plus "neem oil" to fend off aphids, and rain every other day. It should be good for a few weeks at least, if recent history prevails.. Amazed at how relatively low maintenance this plant is.
positive - Thanks for asking, but this thread is about plants and gardening, and it is not fair to GC and friends to talk about anything else. If you must know, three more days of IV antibiotics and I should be OK to get back to cooking and gardening joys.
It's okay Danny - caring for your garden while you're incapacitated is not inappropriate for a garden/flower thread- waiting for you to pm me your address so I can enjoy your huge rose bush
But my neighbor just called me and said the morons working for PVPOA just cut down most of my herbs, thinking that they were weeds. They left the blooming dianthus, but everything else green has been whacked away. Arrrrrrrrrrrrggghhh!
DannyC may I pick your brain, please. For years we have planted garlic around our knockout rose bushes as nd have not had a problem, until this year. Something [don't know what-cant see anthing] is eating the leaves. Can you please tell me what I can use to stop this pest?
We missed you at the plant exchange. Hope you are on the mend.
Wow Danny that sucks! You are really having a bad week..it can only get better at this point. Hey at least your rose bush is still in tact and you can still show it off to your PV friends.
positive - These are the same jerks who cut down the rose to the roots 15 months ago. It came back as red instead of pink. My daughter and son-in-law just did a damage assessment and say the plant assassins did not even do a good whacking job, with about 1" still remaining on most herbs. I'll bring them back..
4catmom - Not sure that the whackers will be able to read and understand the small flags. Thought about more draconian measures, such as an electrified barbed wire fence, but pets in the area rule this out. ;-) This herb garden cost me over $250, plus a year of painstaking care, even through the winter. What do you think my chances are for being reimbursed by the PVPOA?
Danny, we're you able to resolve your herb massacre issue with PVPOA..also did you get a chance to email your rose bush pics to GC? Sorry but after your description of your roses..I've become intrigued. I can't wait to see some pics.....
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