The 2016 List is up.
Ordering begins Thursday.
NARGS members only.

There is one neat thing about the NARGS Seed Lists.
Beside each seed entry there is an arrow which you click, and it takes you to a Google search for that plant. Very handy if you do not know the plant.

I wish I could get seeds off that list but I'm not a national member just local chapter. I so want those Bukiniczia cabulica seeds. Any one ordering that is a national member. I would be happy to pay for them.

You could join on line.
Rare seeds are in short supply, so each member gets only a few.

It's too expensive to join 40.00 so I can buy seeds and I couldn't go to any meetings as to far away.

Even if you are only a chapter member of NARGS, you get a lot of benefits from the national organization without paying.
-- One is that your chapter wouldn't even exist if it weren't for NARGS.
-- Ask any knowledgeable stalwart in you chapter: "How did you get so smart?"; the national organization is integral in their learning. And you benefit because they bring their knowledge to you.
-- Something else they bring to you: plants. Plants that you never would have seen or knew about. This, because of the seed ex (from which they propagate plants) or knowledge and contacts through the many facets of NARGS.
-- We used to have international speaker tours that were offered to chapters for a ridiculously low cost, the bulk of the dollars and logistics absorbs by NARGS. But, due to declining membership that had to be cut.
-- I could mention more.....

So "chapter members only" members are already piggybacking on the national organization free of charge. Unlike a business, plant societies rely heavily on the good will of their people.

The seed exchange is run exclusive through volunteer work. The seed supply fluctuates from year to year because it is donated by members (not bought), who have given freely for members. Because of this, participants usually don't get all of their first choice seeds filled. All buyers have a finite number of seed packets they are allowed to order. Realize that if a NARGS member answers your plea for seed, they are not just getting seed for you; that generous person is actually giving up a seed packet that they would have otherwise had for themselves!

I just joined in September and even this meeting is over an hour away. I'm really new to the group. I would love to join but just can't at the moment.

I think that the local chapters can request seeds for their members.
It might be an idea to contact them about your seed needs.

Local chapters can request a portion of the leftover seeds, once the surplus round is finished. Our Chapter does it and you never know what you might get, but there are always a good number of real gems if you know what to look for. When we get our portion, someone always takes time to sort them alphabetically and we keep bunches rubberbanded together. This way, when the tray of seeds is "mobbed" by hopeful members, it stays sorted: someone pics up a banded bunch, looks through it, rebands it if he takes the band off and then puts it back.

This is great fun, and a perfect way to spur good conversation about plants. Both new and experienced members participate in the free for all, and its a good time to ask questions like "which ones of these are easy to start?".

I thought so. I have dropped out of the local chapter, but maintain my NARGS membership.

It would not be right for me to obtain seeds from a swap, and then give them to someone else. And to take seeds, and then sell them, would be totally unethical to my way of thinking.

If I were to obtain a few Bukinizia cabulica seeds---it would take me 3 or 5 years to get enough seeds to share. And then I would want to share them right back through the NARGS Seed Exchange.

I will resurrect an old thread on Bukinizia to explain.

that's ok a friend of mine has seeds from her plant. She is going to share with me. I believe I have this covered. I certainly would not want to take any seeds from a paying member and short someone.

Silly question, but what does NARGS stand for?

djinnevada said:Silly question, but what does NARGS stand for?

North American Rock Garden Society

NARGS has sent out the request for donations of seeds for the next seed exchange. Collect Rock Garden type seeds! And make a donation!

I ordered my NARGS seed several days after the online Seedex opened, I was a donor so I got 35 packets, received mostly all first choices, I need to sow them soon. The online ordering system is so easy and well done, no less than brilliant. I like the fact you get an order confirmation with all my first choices listed, plus all 50 of my 2nd choices. The 2nd choices list will be used when it comes time for the Surplus Seed distribution, I already know what items to look for.

https://nargs.org/

I enjoy receiving my 35 pkts too. I have about 12 left to deal with. My first choices were Lewisia and I was expecting to get maybe one or two species. They sent a few seeds of several.
I have them out as a winter sow.
Peony species have been soaked and are on moist medium down on the hot water tank.
Meconopsis are on a peaty, moist soil and in a cool window.
Glaucidium palmatum is going to be another winter sow.
Last year I tried Glaucidium by treating it with GA 3 and the germination was quick , but the seedlings are very weak and I lost several. I want these for a shady part of the yard where peonies won't grow well.

Caroline, you inspire me to get off my duff and get sowing (although notice my forum micro-badge, for "garden procrastination ).

Spring 2017 I had first flowering on Glaucidium palmatum var. leucanthum, 5 years from seed. Several small plants with pure white flowers, but 1 purple-blue one as well. They have amusing seed pods, looks like two shiny guppies joined at the hip. Seed takes a very long time to ripen, I had pods by mid June, but per my notes, I harvested seed on Sept 12, 2017, then sown right away and left outside over winter. Fingers crossed I get germination in spring.

First flowering, 05/04/2017


The amusing seed pods, 06/29/2017


modest seed harvest, 09/12/2017

It is good to see that some one has had success with this plant.
I thought that it was related to peonies--but you have it as a Wood Poppy.

CarolineScott said:It is good to see that some one has had success with this plant.
I thought that it was related to peonies--but you have it as a Wood Poppy.

I didn't know Glaucidium had a common name, when one links photos in this NGA forum, it checks it against a taxonomic database (Catalogue of Life, or CoL), then automatically adds the associated common name (if one exists). Googling around, most sites list it as Japanese Wood Poppy... frankly I don't pay much attention to common names.

Glaucidium is in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and Paeonia is in it's own family (Paeoniaceae). I just leaned this tonight, looking it up in CoL.

Here's the CoL entry for Glaucidium palmatum:
http://www.catalogueoflife.org...

Sent. my donation into NARGS for this years seed swap.
IT took me nearly all day to get the seeds ready and packed.