Here we are at that time of year between giving thanks and looking forward to the new year. I haven't much history on this seed-swapping platform - just enough though, to bring attention to members in this swap whose seeds fulfilled their destiny in my garden this year. Their seeds grew into healthy plants, bloomed, and released once again, a new generation of seeds I've made available for this swap. There's a special magic that comes with these seeds. May the circle be unbroken. A full-circle thanks goes out to to:
@bxncbx for Baby Red Bachelor Buttons
@StitchWitch for Rattlesnake Beans
@ishareflowers for Lobelia siphilitica 'Alba'
@theflowerlady for Silvery Rose Strawflowers
@feebean for Black Russian Sunflowers

Gosh, I only recently threw away the name slips that came with my seeds from last year's swap, and now I wish I hadn't, because this is such a nice idea, @DeerXing. So, I will list from my database what did well, and hope you all might remember yourselves in my list. May your gardens be as abundant as mine was, that would be karma working properly.

Ammi visnaga, Green Mist - I think this might have been @ishareflowers
Anchusa, Dawn Mix - maybe @Bluespiral?
Aster, Nova Mix - this one did really well for me
Coleus, Colocha Sunset - @poisondartfrog?
Cotton, Egyptian, and Cotton, Sea Mist Green - these I know were from @StitchWitch. I'll never have land enough to be serious about growing cotton, but the flowers are beautiful enough to grow a pot or two.
Parsley, Green Pearl
Purple Majesty Millet
Rosa chinensis - this has only recently been moved from pot to in-ground, so I will be eagerly awaiting blooms
Rose, Henry Kelsey - I'm betting this was from @AudreyDee. It's still in its pot, and has bloomed (once) red. It's looking like it might be a climber, so I am thinking about a permanent home for it.
Shasta, Madonna - these I'm pretty certain were from @ishareflowers, and they are blooming fabulously in a pot in my back yard.
Zinnia, Bonita Yellow - @ishareflowers? These are blooming now in a pot with Purple Majesty Millet. I thought it might be a nice combination, and I got lucky; it is.

There's a lot I haven't planted yet, although I don't plant much in the summer here, it's too hot. Many others I seeded and they germinated, but pesky critters - mostly squirrels and slugs - decided I was planting a banquet for them.They keep me on my toes trying to outsmart them!

I had some great seeds from last year's swap.
One nice one was the Snapdragon Oriental Lanterns from @kywheeler. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus 'Oriental Lantern')

@AudreyDee offered China Doll. I now have a 4 foot plant.

Ipomoea Flying Saucers from @janinilulu

Salvia Violet Riot, from @ishareflowers
And many more. I appreciate all of the ones I dibbed last year, those I've already grown, and some that I have in queue to sow this year.

Awesome seeds from great gardeners!

@poisondartfrog could this be 'Crazy Legs' Zinnia? It was such a beauty in both color & form.


My gardens contain so many gorgeous plants received from many generous traders here and on the old gw. Pics to come, if time permits.

It is, Janine. They were a little variable, but they are gorgeous.

@janinilulu , that is a beautiful Zinnia!

@DeerXing , did that stand of lobelia I sent have blue and white mixed? I collect from those plants separately, the seeds of the white blooming are actually white, the seeds of the blue are a pale reddish orange. If it was from a pack labeled as white, I'm thinking that they reverted. I apologize if it was not what you were expecting.

I have some beautiful plants from trades as well.

This is salmon sunset 4 O'clock from Mary jo



This is rudbeckia chocolate orange from janinilulu.

This rudbeckia caramel from poisondartfrog

Those are all great. I think I need more Rudbeckia in my life, so back to the list.

4 o'clocks are fascinating flowers - is it so bad they're 9 o'clocks in my garden? Ever since the deer took a mighty munch out of them one year, I've been shy to raise them again. Maybe with that new spray I concocted this year, I'll give 'em another try! Back to the tradelist I go! 😀

ishareflowers said:
…did that stand of lobelia I sent have blue and white mixed? I collect from those plants separately, the seeds of the white blooming are actually white, the seeds of the blue are a pale reddish orange. If it was from a pack labeled as white, I'm thinking that they reverted. I apologize if it was not what you were expecting.

Please no apologies, Lisa! Sure enough, blue traits rule, but oh! What a blue! Was I going to cull or cover that color? No way! Thank you for introducing L.siphilitica to my garden. 'Alba' or not, the bees are happy, and so am I. 😊
Posting screenshots of 2/2022 swap and video freezeframe of bee on blue. I'll examine the color of those seeds I collected and let you know what I find.

@DeerXing , I'm glad that I took the time to put that in the comments. Sometimes, it's a matter of time and sometimes I just simply forget. 😂 I'm happy if you're happy! In my garden, the hummingbirds go crazy for the lobelias.

@ishareflowers: I used up the seeds I received from you in '22. Here's those I collected from my '23 stand of blue and white. I do see a few pale seeds in the mix.

@DeerXing , I'm with my granddaughter today but she's busy with Mr potato Head so I took a peek at what's going on. I don't think what you have there are lobelia seeds unless you have magnified it x 100.

When I get home this afternoon, I can send you a photo, they're dust like seeds.

@ishareflowers, 100x, and then some. I'm in love with my iphone. 🤣

DeerXing said: @ishareflowers, 100x, and then some. I'm in love with my iphone. 🤣

Seriously though, that is impressive!

@DraDiana - Better than a jewelers loupe. Zoom!

Nicandra physalodes, Splash of Cream..
originally from ishareflowers 😀 thank you so much for sharing this seed with me! It's a favorite I grow every year for greenery in bouquets. Gets taller than this but I don't have pics of the mature plant.

I had good luck with cosmos this year, thanks to @ishareflowers and @janinilulu.



I also had some petunias to die for thanks to @RoseA32, @Jlee160, and @poisondartfrog.



Also, lisianthus and tuberous begonias, which I often have problems with, both did very well for me, thanks to @kywheeler. I've decided that the secret to germinating fine seeds such as those of begonia is to let the seedlings grow close together for a while before transplanting them. That seems to help prevent damping off. And I added a gravel mulch to my container of lisianthus in an attempt to prevent the cats from lying on it. It didn't deter the cats much, but the plants seemed to like it!





Thanks again, everybody! Of course, not everything did as well. We will not discuss the vegetables. But the problems there were not due to the seeds but to the sow-er!

@janinilulu




@maryjoz5




@poisondartfrog

@SameOldBrandNew



@janinilulu


@janinilulu



Just a few....

@Bluespiral



@Bluespiral

@janinilulu , this is Bill Archer var. Borage. They died for some unknown reason shortly after I took the photo. 😞



@Joolie

So cool Lisa that you know which seeds came from who! These pictures show so many beautiful flowers, I bet your gardens are gorgeous! So grateful for everyone's seeds I received from this swap and from the knowledge I obtained about collecting different seeds and that some aren't viable (some grasses) etc!
I told my husband this was the PhD of swaps and I was not of that level. But I am learning! So grateful for everyone's patience for my mistakes. Looking forward to winter sowing and some beautiful flowers next spring and summer!