It's Spring!
I had a great time last year at Bonehead's Plant Swap and potluck in Stanwood. I thought it would be fun to do again. It was on a Saturday in mid March which seemed about right. However it was mostly folks from north of Seattle, possibly due to the distance? I also recall someone worked Saturdays, so maybe a Sunday would be better?
I thought I would volunteer to organize a Swap this spring, unless someone else wants to do it (I am not a natural at organizing).

The two options I thought of were, here at my house in Lake Stevens (near Everett so about 45 minutes from downtown Seattle). Nowhere near as nice as Deb's place, it's just an ordinary suburban house and 1/4 acre lot, but I have a 2 car garage, could make tables with sawhorses and planks, and I have an industrial size coffeemaker and plenty of chairs, and lots of on street parking. There are a few stairs into the house (two sets of three) and the garage is on a lower level but anyone who cannot get up and down the hill can use a car.
The other option is to reserve a shelter at a park, say in Mill Creek or even Seattle. I think a Shelter would be necessary due to possibility of drizzle. If we did this I could bring charcoal so we could have a grill? And Starbucks seems to sell these big 12 serving boxes of coffee. However I checked and usually it costs about $100 to reserve a shelter. Now perhaps we could just take our chances and go, since how likely is it that anyone else would go picnicking in March? But then if it is raining and we don't get the shelter it would be pretty miserable!

Anyone interested?

Love the idea! Your place is beautiful, I'm in for that. I'm flexible on times, last year was so fun. Sadly I have not gotten out in my yard yet. Hope the weather turns soon.

If we are around, I'm in. Now that we are both retired, the road calls, especially during the dreary rainy months. I'll stay in the loop and hope to exchange some plants and conversation! Thanks for getting this going, Pistil.

Well I will try to clean out the garage a bit! My sister can likely be counted on (she is out of town now so has not replied). That makes four (she won't have much to swap as she just moved into her place a year ago), I bet others might be interested?

BTW- I never view Plant Swaps as only a swap. I invite anyone to come, including those who have no plants to swap! I kind of view this as a get together. Also, I will go dig up things that need to be divided anyway, and am just happy to send them to good homes. And even cuttings from houseplants can be given away. Last year I brought some old pots and things that I did not want anymore, and an old electric chainsaw I did not need. So let's say you are new to gardening- this can be a great way to get some "passalong" plants to get going! At my place, I have a ton of old plastic pots and a shovel, so if you noticed a daylily or something you wanted (many plants are labeled) we could do a quick dig.
Does anyone want Solidago 'Fireworks'? My plan is to eliminate it here, it spreads too fast and even with cutting back it is almost 7 feet tall here. I thought it was only 3 feet high, that's what the label said). But I could save some if you wanted it, maybe for a wild area it might be nice. However I don't recommend it in a nice garden, it is a thug. I bought about half a dozen several years ago, could pot up a thousand now...

I am off March18th-19th but work the next weekend. Or we could do April?

I'll call @Patty she might like to bea part of this.

Pistil, I may want some Fireworks, let me research a bit. I keep trying to populate the hillside behind my firepit area and that might work there. We do mow the hill a couple times per year, usually in spring and fall to keep the blackberries and aspen under control, but sounds like that would not be a particular problem. I like to use natives, or 'near natives' as I call cultivars of native plants. I'd need to figure out if the height will work, and also how invasive they are. They would get no supplemental water, full sun, steep slope.

The Fireworks might be perfect there. It is beautiful. They like sun, and are very drought tolerant. I do think I get some seedlings nearby. We could just scoop up a patch and put it in a garbage bag, then you could break it apart to plant.

Well, not a big crowd this year, but always room for last minute additions. How about Saturday March 18 at my place (April would be OK too)? Maybe just meet at 1p.m. and I will make coffee and tea and cookies, rather than a potluck. I will set up a table in the garage. I have a bunch of old cardboard boxes from nurseries I will have available.

We will likely still be on the road on Mar 18 - planning to meet up with family in San Diego. Early April would work for me, but if March is better for others, I'll just catch the next one. Glad to see it continue, and perhaps we can think about a fall exchange as well - I like to do dividing then to get them settled in over the rainy months.

I could do it April 8 or 9? April 2 would be OK but I could not host it myself that day as I will be out of town for a few days prior and get back late the night before, just no time to unpack, shop and set up that day.

I like the April 8 or 9 better,just so much rain haven't much to bring.

Either 8-9 would be great for me. I am currently on a road trip but things were poking up when we left so I assume I'd have a bunch of possibilities. For anyone interested, all my plants are inventoried in My List - if you see something you'd like and if it is mature enough, I can split it out for you. I'll also split out random plants. FYI, the 'want' plants in my list are mostly things for my sister to share with me. We've devised a system where I search through her list and 'want' things she has, and she does the opposite for me. Kind of a mutated use of the want feature. My interest at the moment is natives. That all said, I'll take just about anything, I can always find a spot for something new.

I will check with my sister today, I think tentatively April 8 sounds good!

Sounds good to me!!! I am in! Thanks, Pistil!

Alice, shall I bring you a bucket (literally) of kinnikkinnik for your back bank? Some would be fully rooted, others with rootlets, and the long new growth you could snip into short lengths and put in water until they develop rootlets - or maybe just jam them into the ground. I think they are pretty easy to start. I will also dig up some darmera for your little pond area.

Anyone interested in natives: Understory: I have tons of sword fern and some deer fern, piggyback plant. Shrubs: salmonberry, red elderberry, and hardhack. I also have a nice ribes that I don't think is native but close to, and it is easy to propogate from a pruning. Mid size trees: hazelnut, may be able to find a small vine maple (love them). For big trees, I could dig up a small cedar or sitka spruce, both need significant room. I also have a healthy stand of quaking aspen, but one has to be aware of their suckering habit - they pop up in our lawn, my beds, and everywhere. I do love how they dance in the wind.

If it's going to be on a weekend day, I'd like to come.

OK I will make it official- 1pm on Saturday April 8 at my place in Lake Stevens. Others are welcome too, just let me know at any time even the day of the event, we can all cram in here somehow. I also may invite non-club members, I recently met someone from from Snohomish at a Photography class who might want to come. I will send all of you my address. I will have coffee, tea and cookies. I will have tables in the garage in case of rain, and I have some cardboard boxes for pots. Like Springcolor, I may have less than last year, but also like last year I may look around and see if I have anything else to give. I think I still have some pots it would be nice to clear out of the way. I will probably run around that morning and take cuttings of odd houseplants I have, and have wet baggies for them (like Ceropegia sandersonii a real oddity). Y'all are my friends, so I know you will not notice the yard is not immaculate (or the garage).
Deb I don't think I need any of the trees and shrubs you mention, with the recent additions of Azara microphylla 'variegata' and Cornus controversa 'variegata' my yard is now officially too full. BTW if anyone wants cuttings of things here (Springcolor?) it is the work of a minute.

I have a nice fuschia colored single peony I could chunk out if anyone is interested. Also a pale pink double that tends to get top-heavy and throw its blossoms into the dirt. Both are NOIDs, I think I got them from either my next door neighbor when we moved in or perhaps my mom. They are just popping out now, good time to divide.

Not for me, thanks. I have enough peonies. Speaking of which, if anyone wants Tree Peony 'Hesperus' just bring a shovel! It's too big for it's location, and getting shaded out. It sprawls out, and the branches eventually splay out, which makes it good on a 3 foot wall. When it gets too sprawly, it can be cut down in spring, it will bloom again that year just not a lot. It blooms in May, for about 3 weeks.

Just a reminder about the Swap at my house next Saturday, April 8, at 1pm. All are welcome. Most people have indicated they won't have a lot this year, for one reason or another. We will have fun anyway. I have a tentative extra person from my Photography class, a gardener from Snohomish. Another young woman from that class really wanted to come, she just bought a house and is very excited to do edible landscaping and vegetable gardening and such, but another family event took precedence. She of course has nothing to swap. I thought I might bring any leftovers to her (She lives north of Everett).
All are welcome even if have nothing to swap!
Also, last year I brought some pots and tools I no longer wanted, they went like hotcakes so look around your garage and junk pile!
If you want to come, send me a message and I will give you the address.
I have a garage and will set up some tables under cover, and have lawn chairs. I will bake a batch of cookies and have coffee and tea.