DnD, I see you listed Gomphrena/Globe Amaranth on your available seed list for trade..do you know what color it is?

I just realized that I had to click the gray checkmark next to my seed list to make it available for the swap! Oops! I thought they were already set up :o)
Anything else I might have missed?

So everyone gets 5 (?) trades at the beginning of each day to claim someone's seeds for trade...how is that done? And I read somewhere or was told that you earn more ..how? When someone takes some of your trades? If this is written somewhere, please refer to me to the right place. Want to be ready when trading starts...THANK YOU!

Val,

The gomphrena is purple (if you click on it, I think it should be in the description I wrote).

Glad you saw the checkmate on your own! I was going to send out a reminder to everyone soon to remember to check them 'green for go'.

The ticket multiplier for this swap is the standard/default of 3... Which means on day one you get to choose 3 packs, day two you get to choose 6 packs, etc...

You get fractions of additional tickets for each seed packet you 'sell'... The fraction you earn also changed depending on which day of the swap, but conversely... You earn higher fractions of tickets earlier in the swap and each day you earn a smaller fraction for each pack of yours someone claims dibs on. That way, higher demand and more interesting seeds that are offered are picked up early on and rewarded with higher fractions of tickets, whereas less in-demand items will be bid on later in the swap and receive fewer fractions of tickets...in this way, the system rewards users for offering more desirable seeds. ... Although desirable is definitely a matter of opinion and need, too, so if your seeds don't get picked right away, don't be offended! Sometimes people already have that type of seed and just don't need more.

I added a few daylily seeds to my list. It was hard to let go, because all the crosses I did this year were good (IMHO), but I simply don't have enough room... I also wanted to include these because they are the only "rare" item I can offer. I'm wondering if anyone is interested. Is there a way to see if someone has marked a star rating for the seeds I've added? When I look at the list, I see my star ratings only.

Jessie, I'm sure to bid on daylily seeds even though I have no room for them! I'll be posting some too. Some will be very odd crosses but I'm always curious to see what traits get passed on from each parent. I have some seedlings from DND's seeds from last year's swap growing now. I'm sure you'll find plenty of takers!

Jessie6162 said:I added a few daylily seeds to my list. It was hard to let go, because all the crosses I did this year were good (IMHO), but I simply don't have enough room... I also wanted to include these because they are the only "rare" item I can offer. I'm wondering if anyone is interested. Is there a way to see if someone has marked a star rating for the seeds I've added? When I look at the list, I see my star ratings only.

>> Is there a way to see if someone has marked a star rating for the seeds I've added?

I think that's a great idea! Last I heard, @Dave already had a lot programming projects on the stove. But maybe he and Jon would consider adding that to the list of "things to do some day, maybe".

If I saw that something I offered already had more people "starring it" than I offered packets, I would try to add more packets of that variety, and add some similar varieties.

The feature MIGHT tell us "how many stars total" for each offering, or it might show "how many people have starred it".

Because I always ask for more than is possible or practical, how about a link to click, in each seed offering, that would display:

How many people gave it 5 stars:
How many people gave it 4 stars:
How many people gave it 3 stars:
How many people gave it 2 stars:
How many people gave it 1 stars:

It would also be nice to see those stats if we clicked on someone ELSE's offering. Then we could see that five people bid 3 stars, so I better bid 4 stars if I really want one. Bidding wars! Sounds fun to me.

Rick, I'm on the fencepost about that. I agree, it would be super handy from the perspective of knowing how well liked my seeds are, but there's a flip side: the disappointment of seeing that no one started it or that they gave it low stars. OR, multiple people give it five stars and then don't end up bidding on it for various reasons. (I've done that before.)

If I had to have a final opinion right now on the matter, I think I'd prefer to be surprised when someone's wants my seeds.

Also, I would argue that a lot of the fun in this is 'winning' seeds... If you know that people are just going to add more if you run out, it takes away some of the feeling that you won. Does that make sense?

Hmm... ponderables...

I think those are valid points, and more important points.

"Gaming the system" is probably a minus for most people, though it sounds kind of fun to me.

>> multiple people give it five stars and then don't end up bidding on it for various reasons. (I've done that before.)

I know what you mean. I'm embarrassed when I list a general interest in a wish list, then someone packs some seeds especially for me, yet the general interest was not enough to make those packets a high priority for me ... fortunately, they mostly remained available until I got or lost all my 5-star and 4-star choices.

{Edited to reduce thread drift.}

jimard8 said: For this season I thought I would do the seeds offered this way


Wax Paper inside a plastic reusable , with a photo and info glued to the back of the photo

For now I hoping a few more seeds get done
That and that they all grow

I know I'm late to this comment but I had the same idea sort of. I wanted to have a bit more information about the plant and maybe a pic of what it looked like growing. I even went so far as to buy more color ink for this project. I like the plastic seed bags, but I also like the wax or paper envelopes. I'm still deciding which to do. If I can actually get some time to myself, I'll have this figured out how I really want to send seeds this year.

I'm glad you included the photo paper with this. It's good to see what I can expect from my project. I had started a photoshop file for easier layout and printing. We'll see how this goes, lol.

Very cool plans, guys!

Back to the topic...

About the stars. I see Rick's point, but I really like Dnd's better. I do like that element of surprise. It's what really makes the bidding fun for me. If I don't get what I want, there's always next year or another swap sometime.

I do have way more seed packets than listed and I always think, if someone really wants it, I can always include it in a package for them. But then the other side says, yeah, but what was the point of bidding and making this fun? So I think that's where I finally have to say, I want the fun part. But I know if someone really wanted something from me, I'd send it anyway. They can easily contact me outside and ask for it so I'd rather just go ahead and send it with their package. But really, I'd still bid even if I knew everyone was that way too. I just have a good time with ya'll.

Jessie - Post your daylily seeds and anything else you want to put up. I will definitely be looking for red, burgundy, purple daylilies. We don't have to have rare here. We just like all types of flowers here and you never know if you have something someone else will want. Even if they came from the dime store rack, lol. This year I am kicking myself for not grabbing a few more of Dnd's daylilies last year. I'll make up for it this year.

Dnd - I am really surprised that your zinnias did not attract butterflies. This year, my gardens are full of butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. All my zinnias are covered in them. We've finally had an agreement (the bees and I). When I come to cut flowers, they leave me alone and I'll leave the flower they refuse to leave alone. It's worked out nicely so far. I've had some really beautiful butterflies that I've never seen in my life. One was black with turquoise on it. Very interesting this year.

Val, I still have plants that haven't gone to seed yet. Quite a few I wanted to offer here but they won't be ready until Oct. I'll be sure to save enough this year for next year's swap though. I'm hoping that the night and day snaps I got from Elena last year would have been ready but they are not. They have done beautifully this year. I only got 2 plants out of it but I snipped until I got full bushy plants and I've kept those babies going for the seed. They turned out so lovely. And the surprise I got when I worked around them this year. They are fragrant and I didn't even know it! It was the same way with Jimard's black prince snaps. I only got 2 but I nursed those until the heat took them out. I may have gotten a couple of seed pods before they died. I'm hoping. I'd like more next year. I just fell in love with those too. I'm refusing to clean the half dead zins out for fear of disturbing anything that might have fallen. I know, I'm a doofus, lol.

Ok, it's time to go put a wishlist together and check some out for seeds I may have. Holler at ya'll in a bit.

Karen, believe it or not, I don't plant zinnias. Not yet, anyway, and definitely not this year. (I didn't plant anything until just recently...well, except for the potatoes I planted in the spring and the daylilies/irises I got!) I'll likely plant them in the next year or two, but I think I'd prefer them if I knew the particular color they would be, I don't think I want a mix, but I haven't decided which color I would want. (Assuming we get a plot of land in the next two years, I'll know more once I have the layout for it.)

...as for the daylilies, you should definitely be able to snag some daylily seeds this year. I'm putting quite a few of my 2015 seeds out because I don't have the growing space for them...yet. I pollinated like crazy this year, too, so I'm *really* hoping this plot of land happens in the next year.

KarenHolt said: ...
About the stars. I see Rick's point, but I really like Dnd's better. I do like that element of surprise. It's what really makes the bidding fun for me. If I don't get what I want, there's always next year or another swap sometime.

I'm converted. Knowing too much ahead of time, or automating it too much, would remove some of the fun.

I loved Ella's Piggy Swap because we talked about greedy squealing and oinking and jostling for seeds "like pigs". It was like a cook serving something so tasty that the whole table forgot its manners and just dug in with both hands. Of course people were actually very polite and hugely generous and perfectly considerate, but it was fun describing ourselves as "piggies".








But I like Dave's software MUCH better than the "by-hand" way of having to keep 2-3 lists of incoming, outgoing and requested trades. Request it by email and on a thread, wait for reply, update thread and thank the person by email, update multiple lists. For each seed packet. Too much bookkeeping.

Not as much from me this season , The red volunteer Daylily seeds are about done, their still on the plant ,a couple pods will finish though

I have the night and day snapdragon . no seeds though , others I will have to try again ,

Did find a few of last years Butterfly Weed Tuberosa Milkweed seeds , not many though

I forgot I do have some redbud and Yellow poplar tree seeds if their is interest ,

DogsNDaylilies said:Karen, believe it or not, I don't plant zinnias. Not yet, anyway, and definitely not this year. (I didn't plant anything until just recently...well, except for the potatoes I planted in the spring and the daylilies/irises I got!) I'll likely plant them in the next year or two, but I think I'd prefer them if I knew the particular color they would be, I don't think I want a mix, but I haven't decided which color I would want. (Assuming we get a plot of land in the next two years, I'll know more once I have the layout for it.)

...as for the daylilies, you should definitely be able to snag some daylily seeds this year. I'm putting quite a few of my 2015 seeds out because I don't have the growing space for them...yet. I pollinated like crazy this year, too, so I'm *really* hoping this plot of land happens in the next year.

Dnd, when you are ready for zins, come get me. By then, I should have quite the collection, lol. Really, I love them. I grew some outstanding ones this year for color. They didn't even match swallowtails pics. Much, much prettier. I have definitely saved tons of seeds from those as I know how I would never want to be without them, lol. I always plant the short or tall ones and if I find a medium one, I'm good to go. For some reason, I'll try a zinnia anywhere just to see what it comes out like. Other seeds, not so much.

I got a red tiny tim and I did not realize that it is a nearly seedless tomato Some are seedless others only one or two seeds , interesting ,

I picked a few and thunder and rain brought me back in , Not before I got a green fennel moved and a Red Coneflower for seeds and a handful of red Tiny Tim Tomatoes ,

Zinnia are Bright , Some of last years seeds Candy Cane

The pink-streak-and-speckled white Zinnia is nice!

Hi Rick those are offered as Peppermint Candy Cane Alone and by theirself also ,, That one is from mixed
Shades of pink , peppermint and off yellow , is what I got
Won't be done to offer and they cross pollinate so who knows ,

others like these I have a pack left I could offer from last year

This is a cross pollinated Benary xCalifornia Giant , big it is pollinated itself , guessing ID I am

I just want to let everyone know that I probably won't be listing much until right before the swap. I seem to be right in the middle of daylily pod collection time which takes up way too much of my time. But I'll be on vacation right before the swap starts so hopefully I can add things then.

RickCorey said:The pink-streak-and-speckled white Zinnia is nice!

Elena, I feel your crunch. The same thing is starting to happen to me, although I think I'm a week behind you. My early seasons have pods opening up now, though. I've already put about ten to twenty seed packs in the fridge from this year's harvest. Most are off of "Olallie Keith Stone's Sunset" or "Early and Often." I've retrieved about 5-6 from Lights of Detroit, but EVERY last seed from it has been squishy. Some were hollow-squishy, but others were odd, spewing seed guts when I tested them. I've never had seeds like that before. ... And every last one? I wonder if something is wrong with the plant, but it didn't do this last year. But I digress...