I just wanted to welcome everyone to the first Red Barn Seed Swap. Whether you are a member of the facebook group or you just joined because it sounds fun, welcome.

Karen -- Do you have your own FB group?

Yes, which FB group?

Karen and I have been talking up the NGA swaps and trying to get some of the people we know on FB groups to come on over and give it a try. Let's face it, the NGA swaps are a great organized way to run a swap and we love 'em. And it's nice to have a variety of different people in the swaps off and on, so that the offerings are a wide variety as well.

We figured most of the current swaps are done Nov-Jan, and god forbid we get seed swap withdrawl symptoms, why not offer a few more swaps during the year if people are interested enough....SO Karen decided to kick off with the Feb Swap.

Karen, if I run a swap, do I have to call it the Blue Barn swap? :D

Lol.... Blue barn... Um, Don't you have one?

Yeah! Get more people to come over! I don't have facebook or else I'd try too!

A blue barn? I dont have a blue barn, I have a shed, but it's kind of gray.
Kelli - I say spread the word to ALL!

Lol, Kelli. We're working on it. If anyone else has good fb traders, ya'll invite them.

Karen -- I'll make a post on FB. I was able to get one lady for Alana's. Let's see if I can get someone for yours.

Wooohooo. That would be awesome. I'm working on a couple more that I've done a bit of trading with. Keep your fingers crossed. Both have nice additions for our swap and would want things from us.

Hey ya'll, I got questions... Calibrachoa. I cannot believe I did this but I bought calibrachoa seeds. I've never grown from seed. Has anyone grown them from seed and if so, how hard to germinate and your recommendation on best sowing method. Also, if you grow from seed, does it not produce seed? I don't remember collecting mine or I may have thought they didn't produce seeds. It's been awhile since I've fooled with them.

I had to look those up. Never heard of them but LOVE the red ones. What color did you get?

Oh Leslie.... Swallowtail... They are the bane of my gardening world. Let them put something out.... It's bought, lol. I bought the Paradise Island from them. It comes as a fuseable. They put the blue, red and yellow together. This year I'm doing bright colors and I didn't think I had a spot for them when I posted last night. I slept on it and woke up knowing they belong in the corner of my south/west bed. They do great there every year and I can always find another spot for those geraniums, lol.

I've bought from them too. Good info there.

I've never done the fuseables before, but calibrachoas are a lot like petunias. I've wintersown both. No trouble germinating. Otherwise you'd start them indoors early with bottom heat, but I've never seen a need to unless you want containers up early. They're usually very bushy by July from wintersowing.

For what that's worth--again, never done fuseables, so don't know if germination is any different.

Thanks loves! I really want to ws them. I knew they were like petunias but I wanted to make sure someone who had grown them from seed was telling me the same. Keep your fingers crossed I get this baby sown and grown. We'll have calabrachoa next year, lol.

Each of the fuseable seeds have 7 seeds per fuseable seed. Since I only need 1, I'll have a good 4 left for emergency. Sheesh it's incredible what I'm willing to spend for one plant, lol. But, it beats buying from the nursery and at least I can get the colors I want.

I've been waiting on better colors to come out before I tried from seed. I've had to buy the deep red, purple and a beautiful red/orange one. That is the one I would love to have seed for. Until I can get that one, these will do.

Today I went to Atwoods with my hubby. I checked to see if they had any seeds out because they generally carry burpee. I was looking to see if there was anything out that someone wanted here at the swap. Well I bought some seeds at about 2 bucks a pack. For whatever reason, these 2018 seeds were half price. Thought that was pretty awesome. I get home, sit down to get these listed and then go look them up over at Burpee. Imagine my surprise that Burpee's website wants 6 bucks apiece for both of the zins I listed and I got them off the rack for 2 apiece. Gotta love marketing, right?

Indeed!

Good job!

Karen -- You got a great deal! Gotta love that.