Hi Storygardner,Princess Mimi and Xarolent and Steph98. I was just reading the posts on the thread from the swap and when I was reading them I had started from the very last posting and scrolling upwards.I had felt like I missed out on the best part of my gardening life missing the swap this year because of my knee surgery.I was so excited to read what everyone did and what great plants were exchanged and just wanting to get the full experience of the fun and excitement I always take away with me after attending the swap through everone else who posts their delight at being there.I sure missed you all.Then as I got closer to the top I started to get confused and was wondering what was going on,Then as I read on I got real sad and felt so awfully bad for the girls I addressed this post to.And their children.How awful and hurtful for all involved.Chemicalrxm5,You should be so ashamed in all your beefing.You came to a swap with expectations of Grandure.It's a swap for peets sake.I have brought at different times 250,300 plants sometimes less.I never have gone with the expection of bringing home that many in return.Who would want that many plants?Oh right! You would. The first time I came to the swap was 5 years ago,I brought 273 plants and went home with 21 or maybe 25 plants.I thought I hit the Jackpot.I loved everything I took home and I met wonderful people and had Great food and I even got lucky and won a door prize.The people welcomed me and my friend Sue with open arms and I've been hooked ever since.You could take a lesson from the kids.This is a fun and learning process for them.They need the guidence from their parents to know the difference from one plant to the next, So if the parent says to them, thats a good plant in my opinion thats teaching them one plant from the other.They won't be children forever and this is a good way to educate them in something so wonderful.It's teaching them the value of the earth,Where our foods are grown and most inportantly,How to share.Something you are short on. You may have scarred these children with your petty bickering over a plant or a door prize.I think you owe these children an apology and ask for their forgiveness.Any time children are involved in plants and planting and gardening we all should be grateful for the teachings at home who have taken them down this road and kept them from drugs and such.I'm proud to know kids like them!!!So I say to you,God Bless You,Be Healthy and Apologize. Granny57x

Completely out of space so no newbies for me this year----previous ones are establishing nicely, although I think I may have lost some of the (luckily cheaper) ones that I tried in the ground due to our unusually cold winter. Mainly I grow in very large pots as the ground where I live is VERY poor---dry and stony and only a few inches deep on top of a stone shelf so only especially hardy ones go in the ground for lanscaping alongside hardy geraniums. I have LAKE EFFECT, the first year I was not impressed at all, I thought the colour was FOUL, but last year it was really nice and is coping well with British weather (much better than I am) so it is one worth keeping for a few year even if you don't like it initially.

Ok, I know I'm a little late on the Thank You, but it was 7 pm when I got home Sunday, so I pretty much ate dinner, and went straight to bed. Yesterday, I wasn't home, and this morning I've been planting tomatoes. Glad I didn't do them sooner, as the low last night was around the freezing mark, and I know a couple of folks here lost some of their tomatoes. My toms. and peppers were safe in the garage. I just hope that's the end of the frosts this year! Anyway, like some of you, I forgot spots with the sunscreen, back of the calves, and tops of the feet. Also, forgot my hat, so my scalp was burnt too. Laura, I think your pictures are awesome! Way better than the ones of everyone's butts that we usually get each year, LOL!!! I think you should be the designated photographer from now on. It was great seeing some familiar faces, and meeting new ones. I love the picture of the two Bonnie's meeting for the first time : ) Thank you to everyone that earmarked things for me. I realized though that it's not really all about acquiring more plants when we got to the free-for-all part, and I didn't really feel the need to grab everything in sight this year. I just enjoyed the chance to visit with other nuts that share my passion. Well, I've got to head back out to the garden and start planting peppers, and you know that's gonna take a while! There's still a ton of wintersown seedlings to get in the ground, and the high is forcast to hit 86º by Thursday, and amazingly it's not windy today, so I better get busy! Looking forward to the next one! Bonnie

Lars, I just re-read your post. I really like you & this statement didn't register at first... "...but I imagine that there were a lot of people from out of town there." Were you implying that, as the other team, there were many Bostonians & New Englanders there & that if THEY would have rioted you wouldn't have been surprised? I hope that's not what you meant...'cause while I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise, New England has lost their reputation as "long-suffering losers" & have some experience nowadays with winning championship games without doing tens of millions of dollars in damage to Boston or somebody's else's town. New England Patriots: 2002, 2004, & 2005 (Super Bowl Champs) Boston Red Sox: 2004 & 2007 (World Series Champs) Boston Celtics: 2008 (NBA title champs) Boston Bruins: 2011 (Stanley Cup) We surely understand how Vancouver feels. The Red Sox, the Bruins and the Patriots delivered many calamities but zero championships for a LONG TIME. But this city has ridden an unprecedented wave of success over the past decade. The Bruins' victory in the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday night made Boston the first city to win championships in all four major sports within a 10 year span. Like the other trophies, the Stanley Cup will go on "tour" throughout New England so all the loyal fans can touch it & snap a picture. Yesterday, it was pushed through the streets of Boston in a baby carriage so fans could admire. :) It's been a LONG time since Boston's won the Stanley Cup & they were the last of our four teams to get their championship...they knew New England was counting on them to deliver. Fans were too happy to destroy anything. They were too busy kissing people they'd never met before! :) /tricia