Just a reminder -- when you're in the garden, take note of what you have extra of, things that you can dig or divide and share. Whether you use the "swaps" tool or make a post on the have/wants thread, try to list items in advance. It's SO much easier to arrange most of your swapping in advance and be able to devote most of party day to, well, partying. You don't need to swap a single plant ahead of time, of course, but listing and chatting about what you're bringing adds to the fun and anticipation!

I'll try to post here when I add to my list on the swaps tool. Please take a minute to "enroll" in our swap via the "seed swaps" tool if you haven't done so. Click on the "seed swaps" button on the left of the page (toward the top) and you'll find it. Even if you don't list anything, it's the easiest way for those who are using the tool to keep track of requests. Thanks!

Also, there's a good way to add your wish list to the swaps tool... after clicking on our swap, click on "manage your swap profile." You'll see a text box called "your infobox" where you can enter a general description of your garden and/or specific wish list items. I'll be looking at the infoboxes, especially the week before the swap, to see what I might have to add to somebody's swap pile.

OK, going back outside to play...

LOL, maybe it was the "other Robin" who wanted 2 bales? or somebody else altogether?

God Bless you @critterologist!! I started trying out the seed swamp thingie and was thinking OMG you mean I have to go through every member of ATP to find 'our family'...whew!! Ok..I've joined...as soon as I'm done with taxes - I'll finish adding the little I have to share. You ROCK!

Ummm what does 'Error: You don't have enough tickets to claim dibs on an item. Come back tomorrow' mean?

So when does the PB shrub sucker? Mine has been very polite. Had mine for about three years now.

Youse guys have an awesome time at the swap. Yeah, I used my Joisey accent there. Whataboutit? I need a nap.

I spent the afternoon potting up swap plants. I usually procrastinate but the plants are getting so big that they needed to be dug up.

The oakleaf hydrangea and Carolina jasmine that I thought had self-rooted didn't exactly have roots in them when I tried digging them up. I potted them up and hopefully they'll have roots by swap time!

@Chantell, I assumed you'd have the same number of "tickets" (you get more each day of trading, 1 ticket = call dibs on 1 item) as everybody else at this point, even though you enrolled late. At the very least, you should have had 1 "ticket" right away. Were you able to call dibs on anything, or did you get this error message on your first try? I'll send Dave a note... it could be that he missed something when he tweaked the system to allow latecomers to enroll after the start of trading.

No worries...I just thought I might have done something wrong. I was trying to 'call dibs' on something and that message came up. It's all good...it's not like I NEED anything...just kinda wanted it...LOL Woot woot...I should've read my system messages first...it says I have TICKETS.... Feeling a lil like Charlie with the winning gold ticket right about now...

OK, I just checked my host control panel... yes, you have tickets! It doesn't give you the same number of tickets as if you'd been signed up by the first day of trading... Sunday was the 14th day, and I changed the multiplier to 1 when I realized we were accumulating ridiculous numbers of tickets, so you have 14 tickets... and after midnight Texas time you should have 15 more. You'll have plenty of tickets to call dibs on things, so no worries.

We're using this tool mostly because it makes record keeping so easy. It's also nice to have the plant database links. If we want to make the tickets/dibs part of the system have any real meaning (in terms of giving people more even chances of getting limited items), we'd need to start trading closer to the swap date and use a multiplier of 1 from the beginning. That would give everybody 1 "dibs" on the first day, 2 more on the 2nd day, etc. If we opened trading with the swaps tool 14 days before the event, everybody would have 125 tickets to spend (if I added correctly), total -- more than enough!

I jumped the gun in part because people were champing at the bit to start arranging trades, offering plants and trying to reserve plants, so I thought we just needed to start. We'll try a 14 day window for next year's seed swap... that will give limited dibs during the first week of pre-event trading but plenty of dibs by swap day. You can build your trade list ahead of time, read to see what people are putting on their lists, and even make a personal wish list with items starred according to how badly you want them... And we can chat about things we're adding to our lists, both to talk them up and to gauge interest (letting me know if I should make up 15 packets of garlic chive seeds or more like 2).

Anyway, we don't need to get into that discussion now... I just wanted to note that I'm learning as we go with how to best utilize this new tool Dave created for us!

I gave the swap tool the ol' college try last night. Added two things, and I found my list of 'things people want from me' and that's all good and will be noted, thanks people.
Added native wood poppy, need to add catnip, if I add Clethra it will only be to remind me that I owe them to David and Muddy, I have them in pots already, so I won't forget anyway.

Say, does anyone have tadpoles to swap? All our pond frogs hopped away.

Lisa, we do not currently have any frogs in our small ponds, but they always turn up a little later in the season. Don't know where they come from. We never introduced any, live on the crest of a ridge, in the woods, 1/8 mile at least from the nearest trickle of a stream, yet they come, 2 - 3 species. You may find you have inhabitants later in the season.

Hey Jill,

If there's a way to do it, and some one needs tickets, please feel free to re-allocate some of mine. I'm sitting at 129 tickets right now. Assuming we get more tomorrow, feel free to re-allocate all 129.

LOL no worries, Rick, I don't think anybody will be "short" on dibs. Most of us have an absurd number of tickets at this point... latecomers will catch up in short order.

I just took some pieces off my sweet "fairy tale cactus" and discovered to my delight that if I handle them carefully the tiny spines do NOT get my fingers! I'll put 3 little pieces in a pot once they've calloused over... that's how mine started out! I may wait a bit before listing them, as my track record with cacti isn't good. This one has survived my "tender care" for at least 7 years, so it's a tough one.

Lisa, we should have plentiful tadpoles in our "pocket ponds" soon... hopefully by swap time! That reminds me, I have a grey treefrog in the morning room that I need to find and release. S/he spent the winter with us, as I didn't discover her until January, when it was far too cold to put her out!

Glad the swaps tool worked out for you, Sally! I noticed that somebody else had kept track of previously promised plants by listing them at 0 quantity and noting who they were promised to.

In the forest near my house, there are hundreds of tadpoles in a large puddle that is at risk of drying up before they become frogs (or possibly toads). A daughter and I scooped up some from the shallowest area to relocate in one of my floating pond planters and her friend's native critter habitat.
They'll won't be tadpoles at swap time, or else I'd bring some. I might have to haul water from the creek to their puddle, given the heat and lack of rain.

@sallyg - I'd love some of your pink tradescantia if you still have some available. You know how much I love spiderwort I don't have any pink ones and I'd also love more of the purple too.

hey aspenhill, I will do my best. I was hunting for their tags today

Pet (aquarium/ rodent/reptile) and pond supply store in Glen Burnie sells tadpoles, or did once; I bought some once to watch grow. We've found tadpoles in little crummy drainage ditches along the railroad tracks. And right in the main river (Patapsco) but I can't seem to find them in woodland pools that I used to get them from when I was a kid. Maybe they're down in the rotting leaves better hidden.

Seems amazing, David

Ok...I can't resist...so growing up I was a 'bit' of a tomboy. I'll never forget finding a small jelly mass of eggs in the stream I frequented. The water seemed so cold...I just knew they'd do better in my tropical fish tank with my guppies. I still remember my dad's face - asking me what the heck was all the little black things in my tank. LOL Yup...I had a litter of tadpoles...

I bet those tadpoles won't be frogs (or toads) so soon... they seem to develop more slowly this time of year when the nights are still cool.

I need to find the grey treefrog that was my winter guest. I found him nestled in a potted plant in December (he was well hidden, I guess!), and it was much too cold to put him outside then. I spotted him from time to time over the winter, on one plant or another in the morning room. I've been moving plants outside, but I haven't spotted him yet. He was seen just a few days ago, so I think he's still alive & kickin'. He needs to go out and do his part to make tadpoles!

Spiderwort comes in PINK? Oh, frabjous day! Sally, I'd love a piece, please... and if it turns out to be purple, well, that's my other favorite color.