2021 Fall Plant Swap - Chat
What: 2021 Fall Plant Swap
When: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Where: The home of Bob & Sheela (CrystalSalt) in Eldersburg, MD
Registration Begins: September 5, 2021 Mid-Atlantic Gardeners 2021 Fall Plant Swap
Trading Begins: September 19, 2021
Trading Ends: October 6, 2021

There are two threads set up for the Mid-Atlantic Gardeners 2021 Fall Plant Swap.

The first thread is to let everyone know who is attending and what food or beverage item they are bringing for the pot luck lunch.
2021 Fall Plant Swap - Details and Updates/

The second thread is for general chat about the swap. This thread also contains information on how the swap will be conducted.
2021 Fall Plant Swap - CHAT

If you've never been to an in-person swap, don't be shy! After all, where else can you go and hang out with a bunch of people talking about plants with enthusiasm? Of course, we can't forget about the food!

Swap Date: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: Noon until . . .
Who: NGA Members and their guests (scroll down thread for list of attendees)

As with past swaps, we will be using the Seed Swap tool here on the NGA site. A link to the swap will be posted when available.

Useful Links:
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What you've bought/dibbed
What you've sold

Swap Control Panel
Swap Events Log (Adds, Deletes and Dibs)
Complete Swap List


FINAL Update: 08-Oct-2021 @ 07:20pm

Attending (User ID, From):
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© Bob & Sheela, our hosts (CrystalSalt,Eldersburg, MD)
© Rick (RickM, Derwood, MD)
© Francine, (TanteFrancine, Falls Church, VA)
© Frenchy (Frenchy21, Falls Church, VA)
© Lisa & Eric (5601Lisa, Washington, DC)
© Robin B & Joyce ( ? ) (RobinBunch5, Odenton, MD)

Pot Luck Lunch... Who's Bringing What:
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Francine: Madurese Chicken Satay, Longton (Pressed Rice)
Frenchy: Ham, potato and cheese casserole
Lisa: Tex-Mex dip
Rick: Larry's Beans, Drunk Blackberries
Robin: Brownies
Sheela & Bob: Chicken BBQ, Pakoras


Misc Stuff... Who's Bringing What:
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Frenchy: Table
Rick: Name tags, Raffle tickets, cups/plates/bowls, Plant pile name tags w/ hangers
Terri: Tent canopy

With all of this talk about cleaning up the yard, digging, dividing, etc. I figured it was as good a time as any to start thinking about the fall swap.

I have picked a TENTATIVE date of Saturday, October 9, 2021. This is very subject to change based on discussion.

Also, note that there is no host. It's a bit too early for that, but not too early for people to start thinking about it. It, by mid-September, no one has volunteered to host, we can have it here at my place in Derwood, MD. This is the same place that the Spring 2021 swap was held.

You're right, it's a good time to keep dividing & potting in mind! I broke off some sedum stems while weeding and of course potted them up.

October 9 works for me, and if we're getting bulbs from ADR, we should have most of them in hand by then (exceptions being amaryllis and sometimes oriental hyacinth, both harvested later).

I can't offer to host this time, as house and garden need a whole lot of work after this past year. Family first, but the house and garden both suffered as a result.

Hello, I really enjoyed our spring swap which was our first event here and I'm willing to have the swap at our home this fall but it's a little early for me to say for sure right now but we can certainly keep my home in mind for the fall swap. We live in Eldersburg which is north off of route 70 and between Balt and Frederick, a little near Mt. Airy if that helps. It's the opposite spot from Rick's place and more country than city, so it might be fun for everyone to explore something different. Oct 9th is a good date for us too.

Sheela, good to see you posting! I'm so sorry I missed the spring swap (family). I'm looking forward to meeting you this fall! October 9 is on my calendar, and I'll be there, whether north south east or west from here.

Mark me down tentatively - I need to see if I can scoot a photo session to the 10th. ;)

Yay! Thanks, Sheela. Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your place!

Thank you for hosting the Fall Swap, Sheila! Looking forward to venturing out to the country and seeing your garden and all our plant friends.

There's an excellent butcher in Mt Airy with delicious locally-raised meat, super fresh eggs, even great frozen veg's and sometimes pints of oysters. They are open until noon on Saturday. You'd have to bring a cooler with ice, but might be worth a stop. Even if Jim just wants ground beef for his spaghetti sauce, he'll make a run out there. Price is higher than Aldi's or Walmart, but you can taste the difference in flavor. http://www.wagnersmeats.com/

At one point last spring, @RickM mentioned ordering polymer moisture crystals. Did you get some? Do you have extra? Small or medium size? I like a mixture of both for planting shrubs and long-lived perennials (the big ones persist a few more years). Looking at the dense patches of stilt grass in our lawn, I think I'm going to have some big bare spots to reseed in spring... scratching in some small crystals may help with that.

Also, does anybody need Extreme black sharpie markers (best I've found for writing labels UV and water resistant, last for years for me) or silver/gold metallic Sharpie markers (for writing on black nursery pots, legible for at least a couple years outside in the sun... if you write on dirty pots, you need 2 so you can switch between them)?? I know some people swear by certain paint markers or even good old pencil... I also have 1.3mm mechanical pencils I can get, the extra wide point is good for writing on mini-blinds. Sometimes I use Extreme Sharpie on the front for the plant name and pencil for details on the curved (and slightly protected) back. Pencil also works on zinc labels, haven't tried it on the colored ones, but I have zinc labels from 15+ years ago where the front laser label has finally faded but I can still see the pencil on the back.

To sum up, if you need Extreme Black Sharpie markers, Gold or Silver metallic Sharpie markers, or 1.3 mm mechanical pencils, I can get them... usually for about $1. Since I buy in big packs, it's a much better price than buying 1 or 2 on your own. I can also split a pack of clear laser address labels, best I've found for applying printed labels to those zinc garden markers. LMK if interested, and I'll put them on my trade list. Just leave the $ on my plant pile.

Hey, before I send off a begging tree-mail, I thought I'd beg here LOL... Does anybody have an extra baby or two hanging from a curly spider plant or a hawaiian spider plant? Those are both ones that I lost this past year & miss. Thx!

I will be coming and probably bring my sister Joyce.

I plan on coming. Not sure yet if my sister in law Bonnie will be coming too. She came with me to the spring swap and really enjoyed it. She works some weekends so will have to check her schedule.

Eric and I will be there.

It is funny this time. No one seems to be ready or willing to start with WHAT they want to share with us their FAVORITE FOOD that they are able to make for themselves or family. Maybe they are waiting, like I do, what favorite food I have that I am proud of that I can make for myself or for my friends---no family here unfortunately---I have so many potentials: snack food or in Indonesia, something to add to some veggie 'salad with pressed rice' food called rempeyek; a salad with beef and veggies and pineapple, with homemade dressing; a cake that I have never made with whipped cream and fruits; a fruit drink that I had once shared at a swap, and someone who did not know that I made it recommended to me!----I think it was at your house Jill!----or Chicken satay, but they need to be eaten warm because otherwise they are no good at all, same beef or veal satay; ---or 2 different rice dishes that I like, 1 is white, and the other is yellow, made with coconut milk, eaten elaborately or less elaborate with just sliced egg crepe and fried shallot, or a snack made with sticky rice with a shredded chicken center-or a Japanese sushi in a dish without fish---Chirashi sushi that I also like very much, a now retired Japanese co-worker used to bring that when we had parties, and I begged for the recipe, or egg & tomato Chinese dish that I also like very much---a new acquired recipe----

I think I said on the other thread that I'd bring some kind of pasta... I know that gives me a lot of leeway, LOL. But I just ordered a pasta attachment for my kitchenaid, so that opens up some additional possibilities, like lasagna made with egg noodles or spaghetti with roasted tomato sauce. Or it could be olive pasta salad with fresh mozzarella. Guess I'm waiting to see if we need a meat dish, a veggie dish, etc. I might bring a few samples of my (!!) blue ribbon winning potato candy...

@critterologist Yes, you were the only one who mention about the some kind of pasta. Wow, we are going to get HOMEMADE pasta, that is very special. Is there something in the Kitchenaid attachment that can make a Bucatini or a Greek Pastitsio. I am so curious how they can put a hole in the pasta, the Pastitsio is bigger than the Bucatini. Bucatini is my favorite pasta. I have not tried the Pastisio yet. Ha! I just searched online, and I now know how I can make bucatini and macaroni if I want to pay almost $200.00 for the set of the Extruder Attachment set. Amazing---- I got acquainted with bucatini at the old Argia that is no more in the City of Falls Church. They had my favorite Bucatini All Amatriciana. The recipe for 2 uses guanciale, that is fried after the garlic has been fried and taken away, the guanciale cut into small cubes is supposed to be very garlicky, then when they are crisp, add the Marziano tomatoes, and hot chili flakes. Salt and pepper and sugar . Then the Pecarino cheese. When the bucatini has been boiled all dentista,, place into the pasta, and add the Pecarino cheese. It tasted fresh, a little spicy and I loved it----II miss Argia, they used to have steak Mignon enough for 2, called family style, and their Tiramisu was very good. The original owners were Itaians then they sold it to people from Nepal and I think they were doing well, but I thiink they wanted to go back to Nepal, as their children grew older---I had not been there for a while, and all of a sudden they were gone!

Hey, looking forward to seeing you all but I am getting nervous on hosting as the time gets closer - I can certainly not compare with Rick's place or match his hosting skills! I just wanted to offer up another spot but I will need lots of help if we are going to make it work at my place so be prepared to make this a joint effort, and Rick if you still want to host the fall swap, please feel free, I just wanted to offer a break for you!

If we do have this at my place, I will need help - I don't have any signs and hangers with everyone's names to put in the yard for people so Rick please come early and bring yours, and I will need people to bring folding tables and chairs too and help set up and clean up please, if many people can pitch in I can make this work. And we will need an alternate rain date in case it rains. Thank you all!

We *might* get homemade pasta. Not sure how much time I'll have to experiment, as I'm up in Pittsburgh the week before the swap. (Jim will be holding down the fort here.) The kitchaid attachment makes pasta sheets (you can vary the thickness) and offers 2 different size cutters for the sheets. It does not extrude the pasta (which is how you get more shapes, including shapes with holes). Emeril offers a $200 machine for mixing and extruding pasta that's also a "slow juicer" (not sure what that means) -- I had insomnia the other night and saw part of an infomercial LOL.

Don't sweat it about hosting. The main thing is figuring out ahead of time what should go where -- food, drinks, plants, people (where you can fit tables, chairs, canopies). That way when people start arriving you can just point, rather than trying to wing it.

I can bring a table and half a dozen ugly but very sturdy folding chairs. I think Terri has a table also. I'll check with Terri to see how much room we'll have (eg, how many plants are coming along for the ride!).

Can somebody offer to make signs? Nothing fancy, just a piece of posterboard taped to a stake (shims work).

I think Terri has a 10x10 canopy (don't you love how I keep volunteering her stuff? LOL). If we can get another canopy or two, we shouldn't need a rain date. Who else can bring a canopy? Crystal, can we set up food inside your garage maybe if it rains?

Either Rick or I should be able to put our hands on some nametags. I have plenty of colored Sharpies.

Sheela, relax. What your feeling is normal for the first time (or three) that you host a swap. As we get closer, people will start offering up support stuff like tables, chairs, etc.

Since I have full access to the list of who's coming, I can definitely do the individual name signs and bring my hangers. I most likely have name tags left from spring. I also have plenty of raffle tickets. (I can even put my hands on them!) I can bring the extra mugs that I had from spring.

I can bring some hand sanitizers and extra masks if anyone wants/needs another layer of comfort.

I'll try to remember to bring list of who is getting what from whom.

There will be plenty of hands at the ready when the day arrives.

This is a very cooperative, hands-on group of people. Very different from the garden club in NC that my MIL once belonged to, where people showed up, expected seats, drinks, snacks, and listened to a presentation (also arranged by that month's hostess). Of course, they also went home after an hour. LOL My in-laws were visiting one time when I hosted a swap, and Mom was floored when people were still here after 4 hours and obviously planning to stay a while longer. She went upstairs for a nap! (Not to worry, you can get rid of stragglers just by saying, well, it's about that time...)