Hi Sue, I like Facebook for keeping up with my church and non-gardening friends, but I love GW for learning, and reading about the activities of my "dirty" friends. It is disappointing when friends get lost on another site. I don't post much, but I am a daily lurker, and there has been many day that an interesting discussion or funny conversation has made my day brighter. Hugs, Beth

I'm with you Sue.

I don't do any of the "social network sites". don't have a need to either. Got more than I can handle with GW, a couple of health sites, e-mails.

I keep up with those that post here, on the health sites, and my long time pals here at GW.

It is sad that some of our old pals have gone to only facebook now and aren't here anymore or here that much at all.

Oh, yeah, I have enough trouble remembering all the passwords that I have to remember. Last thing I need is to add another one.

Just not enough hours in the day to be able to add any other sites to the mix.

Fran

daffodillady,

Did you plant any new daffodils yet this fall? My name is Sue, and I am a Daffodil Addict.
I'm sure there are a lot of good aspects of Facebook, like you said, church and non gardening friends, but when I want to talk gardening, or even know what is up with my cyber GW pals, I'd just as soon read it here, or on their Member Page blurb.

Yep Fran, not enough hours in the day, or interest to add another site to my already busy life. I 'frequent' a lot of forums here, so if one is slow, I just go to another one.
I've been known to talk to myself too.

Sue

I don't. I have about 8 forums here I check out daily and that's enough for me.
jim_6b

Hi Sue,
I facebook. I had friends from college that were searching for me. If you have a lot of long distance relatives and friends, it is great. Some people play games and stuff on Facebook, I don't. I like to read what is going on in people's lives and see their photos. It works better than emails for me for that purpose.
Remy

i've gotten into touch with some of my old high school buddies, my church friends and my family all post something everyday and when i have something to add i will. i don't play any of the games, i just don't have time for that with having to teach the kids and try to mrs. homemaker! **grin** geeze trying to teach talla is a full time job! if she don't wanna learn! but the facebook is cool for that also, because i get into touch with some of the people who also homeschool, or who have homeschooled their rugrats(a loving pet name)!! LOL and they can give me ideas to help with talla. so it works out great! i love coming here, i mostly lurk sometimes, til i see something i just "have" to comment on! **big smle** ~medo

Hi Sue!
I just recently got on facebook at the urging of family..my nieces FB all the time- I also have been 'hookedup' with some more distant relatives that I didn't even know were on the web which is very nice!

I don't understand a lot of it yet, but I enjoy their posts and photos...
I don't play the games either-
I just check in there and read, similar to what I do at GW-

by the way, I am looking for some heirloom tomato seeds and I want to try a bush shell-out bean this next summer-
got seeds???? I have not posted on the GW exchanges yet, because my haves/wants are SO outdated- hope to get them fixed soon...

talk to you soon
Linda

Hi Linda,

I know I have some nice striped stuffer seeds saved from 2008. They were quite unique. I'd be glad to share or trade some later, once I get all my daffs planted and my seeds prepped and mailed in for a big swap at the Round Robin forum.

I hope I didn't sounded like I was whining about Facebook users. I can see where it is really nice for some folks keeping in touch with some people. It is just disheartening to have lost touch with some gardening friends. Example...an old GW cyber friend recently sent me an email with a sweet baby pic. All it said was Announcing (insert) baby's name. What? Who's baby is it? I emailed asking who the baby was. No reply yet. I wonder if the only way to find out is to join Facebook. Maybe she will pop back in here on GW one of these days and give a bunch of us a heads-up on things.

I'm glad a lot of folks seem to be able to Facebook and still be active participants on the boards here. medo, I know you are quite active on a lot of forums here and 'our' Remy almost singlehandedly keeps the Seed Saving Forum going. I have learned a lot by reading
so many of her great replies there, as well as elsewhere.

Here is striped stuffer
{{gwi:33046}}

and here is Romeo (also have saved seeds from 2008) The tomato is on a dinner size plate. It is one 'huge' paste tomato with few seeds.

{{gwi:33048}}

Sue

some of the people on facebook i do see on there, they do play alot of the games, they must be fun, i know my hubs will sit for a few hours and play them things, so i like to tease him, "hey hon, ya know the one thing i LOVE about when you come home from work?? (him) whats that? (me) when you get on that computer and sit for a few hours and play on them fb games for ever and pay no attention to us!! its sooo lovely!! **big onery grin** of course sometimes i get the finger LOL " all in play, i'm still trying to break him from his bad finger. LOL
anyhow i say my thing to him in onreyness. LOL i never have to remember so many passwords because i keep everything the same. medontdo for all and the passwords the same, all very long so in case i come across one thats a long one then i won't have to change them. LOL or remember a new one. i kinda like that romeo, i be that striped stuffer would be good with cottage cheese in it! :') ~medo

Sue,
I don't think you sounded whiny. About people who have left- It is just the way it the world works I think. Lot of people have come and gone long before Facebook or other sites I think. Some of them posted a lot and/or traded a lot and then disappeared. Then some of us have been here for years and never go away like you and me : )
"'our' Remy almost single handedly keeps the Seed Saving Forum going" Thanks for noticing : ) I started answering because so many posts went without an answer or a really incorrect answer. I felt bad. It isn't a hang out forum so people aren't around to see new posts. So I would check in once in while, but it seems to be my job now, lol.
Remy

Then some of us have been here for years and never go away like you and me : )
Other than the friends I have made through the IN Daffodil Society, I can't really say that I have any 'real' gardening friends in real life. A couple of friends grow a fair amount of flowers, but they can't talk real garden talk, if you know what I mean...don't know the names of things, things of that nature.

Yes, Remy, it does appear to be your 'job' at Seed Saving. Every once in a while I know the answer or can field a question by searching for an old answer of yours. I'm so happy they finally got the search fixed on that forum.

I really wonder if the folks who left, if they just quit gardening or what. Besides the sharing and trading here, I like all the banter, be it about gardening, the weather, or someone whining about Facebook, or something...lol

Back to making some daff labels. You have yours all planted? I'll bet you do.

Medo,
Yes, you had best gets hubs bad finger fixed. If you don't, it might get him into trouble sometime....when he least expects it.
If you would like to try either or both of those tomatoes, just drop me an email in early Dec...not before as it will get lost in the rubble in my email in box. I'm so behind on everything...sigh.

Sue

LOL i know that feeling, only mine seems to be organizing this house, **grin** my little tornado unorganizes as soon as i "organize" it, although when we get to my mom's she can really organize like you would not believe!! i was **shocked** to say the least!! and amazed!! she did not develope that from me!! that's all my mom!! **grin** and i will drop ya an email the end of dec! :') i hope! **big smile** ~medo

Hey Sue,
You sent me some of the Romeo Paste Tomatos last year and I have to say that's one big honking SOLID tomato.... very good taste and the dehydrated really well too! One tomato took up an entire tray.

Thank you for sending me the seeds.
Andrea
Appaloosa909

Hi Andrea,

Glad to hear they did well for you. They were seeds I saved from plants grown from commercially purchased seeds, so I wasn't sure they would come true. I had only heard that they would come true and did not know from first hand experience.

Did you get some seeds saved? I know there were very few in even the biggest tomatoes and I had to totally dissect the tomato to harvest just a few seeds. They make really really thick juice and are great for 'chunky' home made salsa too. Holler (early Dec) if you too might need some seeds.

Here is Romeo cut into quarters
{{gwi:33050}}

And a cross section view.

{{gwi:33051}}

Well, off to try and make some accomplishments this AM.

Sue

Hi Sue,
thanks for the offer of seed..I will get back with you when we both get 'caught up' on things :))

have fun with your daffs and seed exchange
best wishes, Linda

Sue,
Most times I think the member stops posting and is fine like Romando. Once in a blue moon, I see a Name That Plant post by her. I think she got burnt out on trading. She acquired way way more than she could ever grow.
Sometimes people get too involved with their kids and stuff and are too busy. I have a couple GW friends that attend the local spring swap like that. They are interested in gardening, but don't post anymore. I'm lucky living here that I've made friends with people in person that I've met on the internet. Plus I'm in the Rock Garden Society now. I can see you being out in IN that is a bit more difficult. You know I've gone all the way to Cincy for the CHOPTAG party too. Maybe one of these years you'll come all the way here for my party : )
Some people are the type that they have an interest for awhile and then move on to another interest. My uncle is like that. He gets all gung ho on a subject, but it only lasts a few years. Sometimes it is weird and you wonder did something bad happen like the one member with witch in their name she started a seed bank. She was very involved with people here. She had a huge really cool RR and was all set to do another one, and then suddenly she was gone. People couldn't reach her by email. Then of course once in awhile it is something bad like they've had financial difficulties even losing their home, sickness, or death.

I have all my daffs planted except for 5 that I got from the coop. I have a few tulips too. I'll get them in on Tuesday weather permitting.
Remy

ohhh i know how that is, i'm one of those people! i get interested in something for a while, then after a bit i get bored with it when i find something wayyyyy cooler!! **grin** hubs was really happy when i found gw by accident because it was the first thing that i have stuck with for more than 3 months, **big smile** usually i find something, i'm happy with it , then i find a flaw and now on to something else! but how can you find a flaw in God's work? and so much knowlede to learn?? and to teach my kids?? its like an ongoing trip! **big smile** ~medo

I facebook to see the pix of my family....I sneak for the most part.

now on to cone flower questions .....

Hi Sue and all,
"I've even been known to talk to myself" LOL!! Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only one sometimes rambling away to myself....
I recieved a trade at the fall swap of about 20 bulbs- supposed to be a mix of daffodils and red Naked Ladies.That should give me two pots of daffs. But other than those, since I've moved, and am gardening strictly in pots for the next few years, I'm not able to go crazy with all of the plants that I would like to. Three autumns ago, I had planted out over three hundred assorted daffodil bulbs and another 200 hundred mixed bulbs- with the intent that I would have a four season bulb garden. Several months ago, I went back to the old house and dug around in that bed- and only came up with a handful of bulbs. Between one year to settle in, two summers of severe drought, and the deer and squirrels, they were all gone0-: Now I am concentrating mostly on daylilies, iris, hardy amaryllis, cannas, hedychiums, and crinum. The majority of what I have are NOIDS, but I enjoy them anyhow, while drooling over pics of the hybridizer's fancies, and repeating to myself... someday... someday... someday. There are several gardeners in my local life. Only one likes the DLs and iris as I do, the others only do houseplants and tropicals, so not much conversation there. I did not know anything about gardening at all when I logged on to GW just over 2 years ago....I have learned and enjoyed myself so much as I stumble along. My DH thinks I have lost it when I see a plant or a gardening style or garden junk or ? when we are out driving. I imagine that he feels the same way about plants that I feel about Crimson Tide football- LOL!! I love following member's conversations and discussions, especially those with pics.

Hi Sue,
Yes, I saved seeds... traded some already too! :) Thanks for the offer.

I think I took the seeds out of all the tomatos I dehydrated. I wasn't looking to harvest too many seeds this year.

Thank you again! Are you joining the Christmas Card Robin?

Andrea

does anyone use MyFolia? It's kind of a cross between Garden Forum and Social Networking site for Gardeners :-)

I love the way you can track your seed swaps etc on there. It's a bit time consuming to set up at first.. but makes things so much faster later on.

Here is a link that might be useful: MyFolia

Hi Sue! I'm one of those who hasn't posted much lately. I "lurk" occasionally. I haven't gotten out of gardening - just haven't had time lately. My sister was diagnosed with cancer last summer and she receives treatment in another state (TX). With all that travel, everything else seems to have fallen by the wayside. I miss all of my gw friends and would love to have time to trade again! Puts new perspective on the phrase, "For everything there is a season".
Hope everyone is doing well. I hope to be back into the swing of things soon enough:) Nik

I didn't used to Facebook, but now I do. I got sucked into FB this Fall by relatives.

Certain of my close relatives stopped keeping in touch with me and said that if I wanted to know what they were up to i needed to just join FB. So, I reluctantly joined.

Just like Nikki, I sometimes 'lurk' without posting on GW, for months on end...

Mainly this happens when I get hit by one or more life crises. Crises that will put my GardenWebbing on hold include:

*Family getting military orders to move overseas, which caused me to lose garden space...We were all packed & had sold our home and were in the airport when the orders got cancelled at the last minute and we had to suddenly find another place to live in the same city we thought we were exiting. None of the affordable places to live had any garden space! :P

*Looking for a job in a state 2000 miles from where I was raised, to increase family income so we could afford a place with a garden-- This search was hampered by culture shock and racial discrimination. Racism isnt supposed to happen here, but it happens anyway.

* Finding job after 5 months then losing said very hard to find job 2 months later, due to global recession.

* My husband's surgery to repair an injury

* My own severe illnesses and surgeries--I had more than one health emergency last year, possibly due to all the stress.

*Grieving loss of family member (includes loss of pregnancy).

* Going back to college, then having to drop back out due to economic and health factors.

Last year (2009) was insanely stressful for me because I had all of the above crises occur within one year! They say God never gives us more than we can handle. And I handled it alright. But sometimes I wish God didn't trust me to get through so very much, LOL ;)

These are the sorts of situations that can easily throw my life out of wack and require me to take a break from GW.

It just happened this past year that I needed a really LONG break because my life had just gotten too harsh for me to even keep a garden.

Well, I'm glad to finally be back and to have a garden again. :)

yep,I do and I love it!!!! I love that people can hang out "in my room"and chat with me,write on my wall,check out my stuff,ect. and visa versa.Yesterday I was hanging out with a driver from northern ireland,and the night before that one from ontario!!I don't play the games but get tons of stuff from my friends which is cool,cuz' I know that I crossed their mind!!So anyone who wants to come and hang out in my room,you are very welcome!!!And I still come in here!!!

I don't facebook. I work with someone who facebooks all the time. there are pix of her grandkids, other kinds of personal info, etc. You can't talk to her about work because she is too busy looking up people she knows or even people from work. I just don't get it, but of course I don't get the texting instead of talking either. LOL!

I don't have time for something like Facebook and I would be scared to have pictures of my grandkids on facebook, maybe I am paranoid....there are a lot of crazies out there.

Countrygirl,
There are a lot of crazies out there, but only people who are your friends on facebook can see your pictures on facebook. So like I made a photo album of my brother's wedding and my relatives and friends around the country could see them and make comments like we do here on GW, but no one else can go on and see them.
Remy

I facebook :) its a good way to keep up with your friends. i have GW friends on there as well.
i just got into a funk this year n didnt keep up with my gardens or anything else like i did in the past. the seed/plant trades n swaps are my favs. n comming to GW was like going shopping with no money or going to the candy store n not geting to sample anything lol
i do have some seeds i collected:) gotta job:) i hope to be trading again this spring. n face it GW is the best place on the net for trading so ill be popin back in more often. also going to wintersow again this/next year.

I Facebook. I put off joining for years because of paranoia about having my students finding me. Once I found out that I could set my profile to private and only allow certain people to see me, I felt ok about it. I have reconnected with some folks from high school. The best part of it for me has been the ability to keep up with some of my guinea pig friends. We all belonged (some for years) to a particular forum and had become really good friends. Without a word to any of us (mods and admins included), the webmaster pulled the site. We started our own group on FB to be able to keep in touch.

another thing i like about facebook, is that the friends i made here, i can take up there and keep in touch, we kinda keep in touch with each other there with each others lives by posting our "thoughts" or whatever we're posting and writing on each others walls, and such, although i've never went into someones room, **grin** and hung out. that owuld be interesting. i do chat with people off and on. thqt is cool! i have with linda (ibartoo) and sandra (quitlitngfox) which is really nice, to know that we have more in common than just the plant! **big smile** `medo

I have found that I keep in better touch with my GW friends, other friends and family because it's a quick way to stay in touch. You can make it a whole lot bigger thing than that and get addicted, in a sense, but I have chosen to only do a couple things. Mostly I just post my own updates and read the updates of my friends. It take a couple minutes a few times a day at the most. If you get into games, etc, it can be all encompassing.

Blessings,
Angela