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gonativegal

Garden Swap 2012 for Chicagoland

gonativegal
12 years ago

Hi everyone,

I spoke with Ellen aka Lindalana a few days ago via email. She will be hosting the swap at her home in Skokie for the Chicagoland area on Friday 5 - 7 PM Memorial Day weekend. So if you want to post what you will be bringing or post some plants or seeds you are looking for please do so to get the list started.

Ellen also mentioned you can email her directly at oerickson@gmail.com for directions if you haven't been before. And you may see a general email from her as well for those that on her distribution list.

Look forward to seeing familiar faces and new folks as well.

Comments (41)

  • sheltieche
    12 years ago

    It has been another year and gardens are in bloom. Things are changing as always. My beds are getting remodeled due to putting fences and space for doggies. I am not quite sure yet what is going out but have plenty of Silene Purple Prince in bloom, some bluebells that don't have space, valerian tall white.
    It will be our 6th plant swap and we had great times in the past five years. So those of you who live within driving distance to North suburbs of Chicago welcome to stop by May 25, Friday eve, 5-7 pm or so.
    We usually have pretraded area of "reserved" plants thus this thread for people who have extras but not sure how many to bring/ dig. As usual everything goes, plants, seedling snd divisions. Separate table for garden related items.
    Bring what you have extras, take what you like to grow- is our motto. Don't forget to invite your gardening friends!

  • gonativegal
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I am bringing the following so far but more to come I am sure:

    Yellow daylilies
    Orange Coneflower
    Native Clematis C. virgiana
    Nodding Onion
    Sedges
    Wild Geranium
    Columbine

    More still coming as I dig

    Ellen, I would love some of your Purple Prince. That one is so pretty.

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    I so love this swap. I haven't been out in my gardens much yet to see what needs to be dug as I've been spending all my time prepping my rented garden beds for planting, but I know that I started extra zucchini and pickling cucumbers for those who may want some. I also know that my hellebore plants drop seeds like crazy and have volunteer babies all around them so I could dig up clumps of those (they're hybrids so the outcome will be a surprise!)

    I would love some orange coneflower. Always looking to add orange to the garden as it's my younger daughter's favorite color.

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    Hi all!

    I had started all these seedlings early to bring (tomatoes, peppers, annuals, etc), but when I went on vacation last week, I forgot to ask someone to water them and they all died. =(

    I don't have much, but here is what I have if anyone would like some:

    hostas - green, arrowhead-like leaves
    hostas with white trim
    ditch/tawny lillies - be warned, they're invasive
    chives - I have a couple i can split
    strawberries - what i picked up last year at the swap has gone wild! I can bring quite a bit.

    Gonativegal - I would love an orange coneflower! i'm trying to get more variety of colors in my garden, and i love vivid oranges.

    I'm approaching first year in the house and a lot of what i planted from the swap last year has returned, but i need to branch out into more reds and oranges i think. There is some stuff i have no clue what it is, but I'll be happy when it blooms in the late summer.

    Also, i have a mulitflora rose bush that i'd like to get rid of. if someone would like to come get it, let me know. Otherwise, i'll dig it out and toss it.

  • LilBlossom
    11 years ago

    I'm coming! I'm coming! Of course, I forgot all about this, and sowed only JUST enough for myself. But I can sow some stuff to bring with me. I'm thinking mostly vegetables, if people want that :o)

    I couldn't make it last year as I was so bloated from my pregnancy, I was on a lot of bed rest at the end of it. But now I can leave the kids with the hubby and come on my own :o)

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    rolrod,
    I was hoping that you'd have more of those green/white hostas available. I was overwhelmed by the generous bunches that you brought last year so I only took a few and left the rest for others, but when they came up this year I found myself wishing that I'd had more.

    I'm glad to hear that the strawberries did well for you. I hope that they produced berries and not just runners.

  • sheltieche
    11 years ago

    gardens are taking over. Hopefully link works. Pond is going away, whaaa...
    https://plus.google.com/photos/112000753062688170365/albums/5734352727029410497?banner=pwa

  • amoeba-meba
    11 years ago

    Hello everyone!

    Here is what I have to share...

    DIVISIONS:
    Catmint 'Walkers Low' nepeta x faassenii (non-invasive)
    Salvia Nemerosa 'naeumanarc' (blue)
    Salvia Nemerosa 'pink friesland'
    Spiderwort (either 'pink chablis' or regular magenta pink, foliage looks the same and got mixed up when I was potting)

    SEEDLINGS:
    Blue Balloon platycocon grandiflorus 'astra blue'
    Rose Champion (Rose Campion)
    Pink Lupine
    Purple Lupine
    Montauk Daisy

  • amoeba-meba
    11 years ago

    gonativegal:
    Could you bring a columbine for me?

    Ellen/lindalana:
    Could I have a silene purple prince?

    Thanks!

  • LilBlossom
    11 years ago

    Actually, I take that back! I am not bringing any plants. I'm just going to show up with these cool biodegradable pots I got at Menards and some bags of compost if that's ok. I need plants, plants, plants!

  • sheltieche
    11 years ago

    As always I have seedlings of geranium phaeum Lily Lowell and double celandine poppy. Will have plenty of extra toms.

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    @happygardener - I will definitely bring more. I've transplanted some, but there were so many! I have one big group left that has to go so I can expand my patio.

    I will take hostas of other varieties if I see them; I wouldn't mind mixing it up in my shade garden a bit more.

    The strawberries are producing this year! They're still green, so I'm waiting. Last year they just spread and spread! But i'm revamping the edible patch this year, so I'm going to cut back on the amount of strawberries. I'm assuming they'll spread again and that'll be fine after i clean up the patch.

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    does anyone have lamium they can spare? I have a shade garden where i want to use it as ground cover. will that work? I'll take as much as I can have (it's a decent sized space).

    Thanks!

  • LilBlossom
    11 years ago

    Rolrod, I have TONS of the stuff. I literally rip it out of the front yard, in an attempt to get it out. How much do you want and what colours? I have variegated ones and the flowers are pink, white and yellow.

    I can also bring ivy if anyone wants it. The Lamium and ivy are fighting for the front beds, and ivy is losing, so it's going for the house instead. :oP

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    LilBlossom ~ Thanks! I don't know the variegated kind, but i like the pink flowers, which I think makes it the standard variety? I'll take a ton, please!

    I should post pictures of my garden. It still needs work because it's only our second summer in the house, but it's coming along nicely. The neighbors are quite pleased with us.

  • LilBlossom
    11 years ago

    Yellow flowered one. It flowers a bit earlier than the pink and white.
    {{gwi:380430}}

    White Lamium
    {{gwi:380432}}

    Pink Lamium
    {{gwi:380433}}

  • jq_sen
    11 years ago

    I live in vernon hills.
    I loved reading this forum and this is my 1st year. I would love to come. I am looking for Rose of sharon, Clematis, Columbine, geraniums and any other plants people are generous to share.

  • gonativegal
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hello everyone,

    I will be coming but I wanted to know if any one knew if Annette was coming. She usually brings the vegetables.

    I am looking for the narrow sweet italian peppers and tomatoes, plus any eggplants and basil as well.

    Thank you

  • pitimpinai
    11 years ago

    Hi Everyone,
    I forgot that the Friday before Memorial Day falls on May 25. I went and booked a flight to New York that evening. So I cannot hang around as long as I normally did.
    I'll come early morning and help out until around noon.

    I potted up:
    - Red Twig Dogwood
    - Hydrangea 'Annabelle'
    - Korean Feather Reed Grass
    - Northern Sea Oats
    - Lamium maculatum - pink (Rolando, I can pot some more this weekend for you)
    - Some short sedum
    - Rudbeckia triloba
    - Aster

    I got tired of potting up things. :-(
    I would like some vegetables (Peppers, Eggplants). Does anyone have any?

    Ellen, that little Solomon's Seal multiplied. I have 3 little shoots this year.... A precious little thing!!
    So has that tiny hosta.
    Thank YOU!!!

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    Would anyone have any extra seed potatoes by chance? I thought I'd be able to get them from our farm this year as I did last year, but it didn't pan out. I'd love any that people have to share. I had a big garden bed all set aside for them and now, no potatoes......

    Rolando: I have some volunteer columbine that I can pot up for you. I don't know what color they will be as I have a lot of columbine, but I am sure that they will be pretty :o)

    gonativegal and pitimpinai: I know that I had brought a bunch of veggie seedlings last year since our CSA had extras and they gave them to shareholders. Unfortunately they didn't do the seedling offer this year so I don't have them to bring. I do have some extra cucumber and zucchini seedlings that I'm bringing and I can probably pot up some basil seedlings too, but they'll be tiny. Alternatively, I could bring a couple pinches of basil seeds if you want gonativegal. It grows easily ad quickly and it might be more successful to just direct seed. I'm pretty sure that I have seed for sweet basil, lemon basil, lime basil, lettuce leaf basil, and cinnamon basil (which I think is gross, but everyone's different).

  • pitimpinai
    11 years ago

    Thanks, Happy. I would love cucumber & zucchini seedlings. If I leave before you get there, please leave them with Ellen. I will come by on Monday to pick them up.
    I have some tomatoe seedlings but I am sure Ellen's will be much bigger. Mine are only an inch tall & I have no idea which variety they are.

    Thanks much.

  • gonativegal
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Happy I will take some of the cukes & zucchini seedlings as well. And a couple basil if you have it to spare or the seed whichever is easier for you to bring.

    Ellen I looked at your pics - everything is even more lush then last year.

    Mone if you are picking up stuff next Monday then I will leave you the Jack. It is small but healthy I just have to pot it up.

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    LilBlossom ~ I like your white lamium. I like the more silvery leaves. Thanks!

    Mone ~ You treat me so good! I'll take some Annabelle too, please! Thanks!

    I'm hoping there will be tomato and pepper seedlings since none of mine made it.

    Can't wait until Friday!

    Rolando

  • sheltieche
    11 years ago

    Happy, have seed potatoes ready to go. Mone, so happy you are coming!!!! even that only in the morning, got eggplants and some cukes but no peppers this year bummer, had to use giberrelic acid on mine to germinate and got just few.
    People, invites that went in say 4pm - 7 pm so come in when you can. If anyone comes earlier I will put you to pot things up as things progress I have not been much in darn garden so plants are dug up but not potted.
    Lil, there is usually great need for lamium lots of people want it so if you have extras to spare bring it!
    Serena, I have tried to contact Annette but she got married and moved. If anyone has her recent email please contact her for me too!

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    How slow would tomato and pepper plants grow if I started them now? I was holding out for the swap this year since my batch of seedlings died, but now it's looking like most people don't have tomatoes or peppers HAHAHA. Should I just start my own? How do i get them to grow quickly? :D

  • sheltieche
    11 years ago

    you are probably bit late with peppers specifically, they need to be started mid March for our zone. I have extra toms and I know couple of other people bringing some.
    Happy, I have orange corydalis- corydalis ochtensis var raddeana, it does grow about 2-3 feet, from Gardens North seeds it is kind of rare for us but really reseeds well once you have it.

  • stage_rat
    11 years ago

    Hi, everyone!

    I will be there, and I will have a few little cherry tomatoes (4" tall, but will get BIG!) and basil sprouts. Let me know on here if you want something set aside for you. No peppers, sorry. My "Ellen Perfect Peppers" didn't sprout! :(

    Other than that, a bunch of random stuff from my garden that I think you've all seen before: anise hyssop, valerian officinalis, purple joe pye, feverfew, a nice oak sprout, wild quinine, raspberries, catnip, phlox.

    See you tomorrow!

  • dorisl
    11 years ago

    "Serena, I have tried to contact Annette but she got
    married"

    Congratulations Annette! I had a feeling this was going to happen when I met him last year. I knew he was a keeper!

    :)

    BTW, Im bringing some Cup Plants, Lemon Balm, mum cuttings, both rooted and not, Maybe some chives if I have time to dig them tomorrow.

    Ive got blackberry lily seeds and walking onion baby bulbs.

    Couple of RedBud seedlings and there might be a few more if Ihave time to dig tomorrow.....

    And Mone, Im sorry that Ill miss you tomorrow. :) Have a good trip!

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    dorisl-I would love a red bud if you have one to spare.

    Okay,
    Here's my list. Please check if I missed anything that you wanted:

    Mone-I will bring you cucumber and zucchini and leave them for you to get on Monday. I also wanted to ask you, I have a willow that I got as a cutting from you several years back. It's not about 6' tall in a large container but I'd like to look for a permanent spot for it. Do you have any idea how big it might get so that I can find a suitable location?

    Gonativegal-I'll be bringing you cucumber and zucchini as well as a variety of basil seed. I would love an orange coneflower or two if you have them to spare. Also, if you ever get another Jack, I've been crossing my fingers for several years but haven't gotten lucky yet (a girl can dream).

    Rolando-I have 3 small heirloom tomato plants (Goose Creek, Cherokee Green and Cherokee Chocolate). They're yours if you want them. I also dug up several volunteer columbine and you can have those as well if you'd like. My brother is coming to the swap and he may have some peppers and/or tomatoes. I'll ask him to set some aside for you if he does. I'm looking forward to the hosta. Thank you!

    Lindalana-Thank you for the seed potatoes. I'm very excited. As for the corydalis, it sounds like a lovely addition unless it reseeds invasively. My bed seems very open to enthusiastic re-seeders so I'd probably better avoid it if it reseeds too vigorously.

    Everyone-I have potted up:
    chocolate mint
    apple mint
    columbine
    centaurea mantana
    clara curtis daisy
    Mums (can't remember what kind)
    zucchini
    sedum-autumn joy
    tricyrtis
    hellebore (as well as having fresh seed that I harvested Tuesday).
    and maybe a few other odds and ends. Please let me know if there's anything that you'd like set aside for you.

    Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

  • amoeba-meba
    11 years ago

    Hi Happygardener23:

    Clara curtis daisy and tricyrtis sound really beautiful!
    May I have one of each?

    Thanks!
    Amy

  • stage_rat
    11 years ago

    Yay, Doris is coming!

    Doris, could I have some Blackberry Lily seeds, please?

    And HappyG, may I have a Clara Curtis daisy? I am bringing a couple pots of green and white hostas, do you want me to set them aside for you?

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    amoeba-meba and stage_rat I will have Clara Curtis for you. Annette, I would love the hosta. Thank you.

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    oops, should have read ameoba-meba I have a clara curtis AND a tricyrtis for you.

    Also, Rolando, I made an error, I do not have a Goose Creek tomato, the third tomato is a Pineapple (tomato that is, not an actual pineapple).

    Lastly, I forgot that I also have several rooted elderberry cuttings if anyone wants some. Don't know exactly what kind as the bushes just popped up in the yard on their own.

  • happygardener23
    11 years ago

    Obviously I have too much time to think about the swap today, but I had a thought and figured I'd ask....my rented community garden plots don't have water on site so I have to haul my own water. If anyone has (safe, not used with chemicals) containers that they no longer need that could haul fairly significant quantities of water, I sure could use them.

  • sheltieche
    11 years ago

    As always you guys made that swap terrific!!! Thank you everyone!
    I have some stuff left for Mone and someone forgot plastic bag with toms and nepeta etc, Let me know if it one of people here.

  • pitimpinai
    11 years ago

    Hi everyone,
    I am sorry I just checked these posts now.

    Rolando, did you get 'Annabelle'? I would have set it aside for you had I checked the posts. If you missed it, come by my house this weekend or on Monday. I will dig up a bunch for you.

    Hope everyone had a great time today. Thanks Ellen & Esther and everyone for bringing me things. I will come by to pick them up on Monday evening.

  • LilBlossom
    11 years ago

    Rolrod, did you get my Lamium? I was pretty late at arriving (6:30pm), and had to leave fairly quickly as I hate driving in the dark.

    Anyway, thank you everyone for all the new plants! I am currently taking a break from putting them in the ground.

    I do have a question though: I got some perennial sweet pea and there was like no root to these plants. Am I supposed to root them in water? Or directly in the soil? Any insight would be helpful! :o)

  • rolrod
    11 years ago

    I had no idea this conversation was so active the day of the swap! I missed all the Friday chatter.

    Happy, sorry i didn't respond about the tomatoes. I did manage to pick up six different ones, however, for which i got in trouble. *big grin*

    Mone, I didn't get any Annabelle's. I'll maybe drive over this weekend. My patio is getting finished today and then i'll have plenty more room where I want to put the Annabelle.

    Annette - I didn't say bye to you because i couldn't find you! As always, wonderful seeing you!

    LilBlossom - someone saved me Lamium, but if you got there at 6:30, we must have crossed paths because that's about the time I left. if it's still at Ellen's or Esther's, I will drive back for it. I have plenty of space.

    I didn't pick up too much this year, though my mom did. I figured i'd have to defend the quantity of plants I brought home and decided the fight i'd take on was over the tomatoes. HAHA

    OH, on that note, if I just bought an heirloom tomato, could i just pluck out the seeds and plant them? is it really that easy?

    Thanks all!

    -Rolando

  • linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
    11 years ago

    Sounds like it was great!

    Sorry I couldn't make it this year: I was out of town. By next year, all the plants I was saving up to share will be twice as big!

    I am absolutely loving the ones I got in previous years. I'm not sure who provided them now, it's all starting to blur together, but I am enjoying the results!

  • gonativegal
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    A little late was on vacation the day after the swap but thank you all for the great plants, especially Happy for the zucchini and pickle, basil and Annette and Ellen for the heirloom tomatoes.

    We were a bit late but DH and I had a great time!

    I wish we could do a late summer swap again.

  • pitimpinai
    11 years ago

    Hi Everyone,
    I finally went to pick up the cukes, Zucchini & Mayapple from Ellen's house.
    Thank you so very much, whoever brought them to me.
    They were lovingly planted.....
    I got 8 ....yes, 8 Mayapple!! whoohooo!

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