This will be updated on an as-needed basis throughout the course of the swap if there is important information you need to know.

It looks like we're still growing in membership, which is fantastic! I'll be sending out a tree-mail as the swap nears (i.e. soon) to make sure everyone is on the same page. Until then, keep doing what you're doing and please tree-mail me (or post in the FAQ thread) if you have any questions.

Based on some on some of what I've seen in the threads, it looks like we have some International members in here that I have not had the privilege of speaking with yet. Welcome!! I just wanted to post a reminder to anyone not living in the US, please make sure you contact me with your address via Tree-Mail (please do not publicly post it here) so that I can get an estimated shipping cost (/swap fee) for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon. My intention is to also post a reminder about this when I send out the Tree-Mail soon.

Am busy getting all the seed pks ready that I'm offering for the swap. When do we may l them to you?

Agoo said:Am busy getting all the seed pks ready that I'm offering for the swap. When do we may l them to you?

If you're asking about mailing....that happens after the trading is over, so you know what you're sending in and who gets it.

I think I sent this via tree-mail to you, but in case I didn't, this has a lot of answers to your questions that you have or will likely have. I hope it helps!:
http://garden.org/ideas/view/D...

DND, do you mail the return seeds in a flat rate box or envelope?

It depends on the number of seeds and how I'm shipping them...I prefer to use boxes, but sometimes they fit better in envelopes.

You have to be a little careful with envelopes-the automatic machines in the post office can crush seeds. The big envelopes with bubble wrap incorporated into the envelope can work for small seeds. I have had seeds crushed in the mail.
Right now a small flat rate box is $6.80, and you can fit tons of seeds in it.
For those of you near the Host DND who is in Michigan- the USPS also has a regional rate postage which is a little less, but they don't advertise it and it's a bit hard to find out about, you might ask at your local P.O. when you go to get the little flat rate box. My local postal worker told me about it when I mailed something to a nearby city in a medium flat rate box- she said it would have been cheaper. The flat rate boxes are free, then you pay the postage when you mail it. I am not sure if the regional box uses the same flat rate box or not.

Dnd, i just wanted to know if you use flat rate for shipping back.

Mary and Lisa, please note that I have moved the shipping conversation to a different thread ('off-topic chat thread') since it doesn't match the purpose of this thread ('important notices from host'). I have tagged you both in that post so that you can find it easily.

US Start Times by zone...

Garden.org's server time is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which is AHEAD of members in the US. When GMT hits midnight, November 2nd (the swap start time), it is still November 1st for US swap members. Let me re-phrase/repeat this: If you live in the US, the swap starts on Nov. 1 for you.

Here are the conversions for US start times...

For swap dates November 1 - November 5 , we are still in daylight savings time:
Eastern Time: 8pm
Central Time: 7pm
Mountain Time: 6pm*
Pacific Time: 5pm
Hawaii-Aleutian Time zone: 3pm

*Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) stays on standard time all year and, thus, will be on the following schedule for the entirety of the swap...

For swap dates November 6 - November 9 we are on standard time:
Eastern Time: 7pm
Central Time: 6pm
Mountain Time: 5pm
Pacific Time: 4pm
Hawaii-Aleutian Time zone: 3pm (I believe...)

Thanks for that info Libby!

I decided to do a notice here instead of a more formal Tree-mail, so I hope everyone sees and receives this!

Today is THE day! The swap starts this evening. Please try to get your remaining seeds in at least an hour or two before the swap trading time begins. (I always recommend having them in by the day before, but even I am adding more today...I cite Halloween as my reason for not having everything done ahead of time. )

Don't forget to go back in the swap and rate any last-minute additions people have made so that you can be sure to see them on your wish list when you go in tonight and claim dibs. If you have already gone through all 70-80 pages of seeds previously, the best way to see the last-minute additions is to click on "View recent events for this swap" and go back to the point where you last viewed the full list.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask! I'll be on and off the swap page from now until the swap starts this evening, so I should get any Tree-mails directed my way. Remember, this is for fun! Things may happen. If you are having difficulties claiming dibs or anything else that you think may be a glitch, please let me (or Dave, where appropriate) know. The first time tends to be a bit nerve-wracking for new members until you get the hang of how things work, and that's okay, you're not the only one. I'm here for you if you need help.

Dear DogsnDaylilies;

I am still struggling with the correct time for the seed swap for my time zone. I have visited two sites to try and pinpoint it, but could you please help me with this? It is my understanding that in my time zone, which is EDT (Cleveland, OH), that I am four hours ahead of GMT time. Is this correct?

Thank you for your help and consideration;

Queen Dreama

Dear Dogsndaylilies;

I just looked again. You have listed in the information for this seed swap that November 1st in the states is on Thursday. Today is November first here in the United States and today is Tuesday. I am utterly and completely confused now with this whole time zone/scheduling thing. I am afraid I am going to miss the seed swap completely.

Could you please give more updated and correct information for this seed swap, including actual times which it will begin? Or is it 24/7 once it begins? Please- help?

Blessings;

Queen Dreama

@QueenDreama the current time on the swap server is 5:46 pm November 1. You can see this is you leave go back to the original seed swap homepage (where you would have to click on this swap to enter). At the very top of the page is the current GMT time. This way, you don't have to do any calculations (unless you want to). Just wait until the clock reads midnight and you are ready to go!

Hope this helps!

Elena

@QueenDreama tonight for us in the east the trade will start at 8 after daylight savings ends next week it will start at 7pm...it last as long as you have tickets to spend. Once you use them up you have to wait until the next start time.

@Queendreama ,

Here are the start times. The US is behind GMT. Put another way, GMT is AHEAD of us here in the US. That means that this evening, at 8pm ET, the swap will begin (because at 8pm tonight, November 1, GMT is already hitting midnight, November 2).

DogsNDaylilies said:US Start Times by zone...

Garden.org's server time is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which is AHEAD of members in the US. When GMT hits midnight, November 2nd (the swap start time), it is still November 1st for US swap members. Let me re-phrase/repeat this: If you live in the US, the swap starts on Nov. 1 for you.

Here are the conversions for US start times...

For swap dates November 1 - November 5 , we are still in daylight savings time:
Eastern Time: 8pm
Central Time: 7pm
Mountain Time: 6pm*
Pacific Time: 5pm
Hawaii-Aleutian Time zone: 3pm

*Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) stays on standard time all year and, thus, will be on the following schedule for the entirety of the swap...

For swap dates November 6 - November 9 we are on standard time:
Eastern Time: 7pm
Central Time: 6pm
Mountain Time: 5pm
Pacific Time: 4pm
Hawaii-Aleutian Time zone: 3pm (I believe...)

To make it easier for everyone, I put the swap time info from above on the main description of the seed swap so that everyone can see it.

I forget where I should be when the swap begins...

Should I be on my wishlist page to start bidding?