- Linnea's request noted.
- I have been reading your comments re feverfew with interest because I have a yard full of feverfew seedlings and always had them as hitchikers with all the plants I brought to the swap. . I suppose nobody noticed them.

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~
Seedrat
- I was planning to fold my tarps without cutting them because the fiber will unravel horribly and will also leave us with bits and pieces of plastic - another negative impact on the environment.
- We can just fold them up at the end of the swap and hose them down at home -> no dirty drip in the car.
- Will buy more tarps
- Will bring old plastic sheets, drop cloths, shower curtains, miniblinds, scissors, markers, rags, disposable plates, cups, napkins
- Will prepare ingredients for springrolls the night before and make springrolls early morning.
- Suggestion: If we use a plastic table cloth for the food table, we should save it for next year instead of throwing it out.

FYI, Menard's have a tarp sale going on right now.
@Evanstonnewb whenever you can make it is fine. The hotter it is outside the more you have to water them. You could wait till the early fall. I also have a few Hellebores seedlings.
@Seedrat just let me know either way.

Pitimpinai, if you did not get tablecloths yet,I still have some from last year, I mean plastic inexpensiven ones. Those tables must remain in same pristine condition if we are to be invited again. Like idea with tarps, I think I have couple that would be suitable, but I want it back so labels musty be attached. Also will need tablecloth for food table I think. I have not seen from last year supplies.

Thanks for the heads up on the tarp sale, Mike.

Pitimpinai, I think it's the cheapest tarps that tatter and shed strings right when cut. Those are also the ones that are not truly waterproof and I agree should not be used for our purpose. Last year I had to buy a heavy-duty tarp for something (all they had in a workable size was light and heavy duty) and that thing is solid. If it ever did tatter and fray it would take years of sun exposure, and these will probably be used just for this event (They need to be really clean for the church's tables, and I don't want to try to clean gunky tarps for this event, so I figured I'd just clean them after the event, ***dry them*** and store them). I also think medium-grade tarps are not likely to fray but I will assess them.

However, if medium duty looks like it will fray, buying heavy-duty to cut up may be more expensive than medium duty to keep intact.

For a 6-foot table, we'll need tarps that are "8 feet" in one of the dimensions. And the tables are maybe 30" wide?
And for the 8-foot tables, a tarp that is "10 feet"

As much as I'd like to come, I'm an hour away, and that would probably double during rush hour on a Friday. Do you guys know of any other plant swaps in the Chicagoland area? I've been searching but have only found posts from 10 years ago. As a newbie I want to learn from some experienced gardeners.

Blosky, not to my knowledge, you might have better luck contacting garden clubs in your area to see if they have any activity.
As alternative, taking a day off, going to Chicago Botanic garden and stopping at the swap might be fun.

Seedrat & oerickson,
I think the tarp issue is getting complicated and will require more work than necessary. I apologize for bringing it up.

How about using inexpensive plastic tablecloths as usual but holding them down with bungee cords as you suggested? I can get more 48" bungee cords from amazon.

Blosky, as someone who drove up to the swap after work a couple of times, I can attest that traffic gets very ugly very early on Memorial Weekend Friday! The botanic gardens, or checking out Evanston/the northwestern campus and lake, or Lurvey's Garden Center, are things that can make spending the day in that area worthwhile. Or coming to the swap before start time, to have time to talk about gardens without the crowds, is a good idea too. Of course it's usually pretty hard to get the day before Memorial Weekend off!

I know of a sale put on by a plant club, the Fox Valley Gardeners, in Aurora. It's big (or was 6-ish years ago) It's the Saturday after Mother's Day. http://www.foxvalleygardenclub...

This page lists several garden clubs in Illinois, some I know are in Chicagoland. Otherwise they want you to contact them to find a garden club https://www.gardenclubsofillin...

This article lists a ton of plant sales, most happening this weekend and next. They do seem to all be sales, not swaps. But when I sort-of joined a local garden club, members would offer extra plants through emails and announcements at meetings.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/...

@LinneaL the bird seed and suet cakes are yours! Squirrels broke our feeders. Thank you for the plants! I was looking more at eupatorium and it's​ apparently great for butterflies so I think I would like some indeed!

@seedrat

Probably too much info but...

I have a range. One corner of my yard is fairly deep shade, and it's not an true edged flower bed but the grass is patchy and I'll probably try to find something for that spot eventually but it's not a super high priority. Then I have a completely empty shady bed around my maple tree, one side of it is deep shade and the other side gets afternoon sun. I was thinking I'd putchionodoxa blue, scilla sibirica, puschkinia scilliodes, vinca there if I get them in the swap.

Then I have one flower bed with light shade. My shady bed has two smooth hydrangeas and that's it. Its roughly 20 feet wide by 3 or 4 feet deep so I've got a ways to go. It's​ at a bit of a slope so about a third of it winds up fairly wet while the rest of it is fairly well drained. Out of my requested items from this swap I think my shady bed will get solomon's seal, ostrich ferns, ligularia Desdemona, lamium maculatum, flore Pleno, maybe some Columbine. I eventually hope to add more hydrangeas, brunnera macrophylla, heuchera, hellebore, bleeding hearts, and probably discover other things to add along the way.

I'd love to try tovara, lysimachia firecracker, and basically any other recommendations!

Also that nursery you mentioned has amazing hellebores. So many varieties! It makes me want to buy one of everything. Maybe when I win the lottery...

Seedrat,
thanks for great link for garden walks!
Out of your list if you have to spare, Tiger Lily, Ageratum, Nepeta and Agastache will be welcome.
After I started incorporating tomatoes in flower beds it seems they inhibit other plants so I am left with few extra spaces.
Pitimpinai, I will have butterfly bush for you.
Linnea, yes please to apline columbine.

evanston newb:
I like all that info! Do you want me to tell you what I have grown, successfully or otherwise, under my medium-sized soft maple tree?

Maybe put the Lysimachia Firecracker in the deep shade, that will keep it better in check. It is also its deepest purple there; it can get a bit green in more sun.
Did you want any Sedge Ice Dance? It can handle at least some shade.

You only need one hellebore, to start! Then you'll get seedlings but maybe a plant you can divide. One of mine, the White Lady, grew really quickly compared to the others, so I divided it a couple of years ago. I don't know if all whites grow faster than colors, or if it's just in the Lady line. I have Red Lady and Pink Lady. I just saw Blue Lady (or maybe Metallic Blue Lady) at CBG and I really want it!

Oerickson I have noted your requests

And FYI everyone, Menard's is doing their 11% rebate on Everything this week. Yes, it's a hassle to fill out the form and mail it, but I manage to do it! Then you get a postcard with your rebate amount to spend at Menards. And they have some pavers on sale in addition to the rebate

Seedrat -

I'd love to know what you grew around your maple. Mine is a large silver maple.

I think I have a spot where sedge could work. So yes I'll take it!

That's good to know about the hellebore. One of my neighbors has some amazing hellebores growing, 7 or 8 varieties I think. Really beautiful stuff.

Few housekeeping details.
It is generally better if you repot/divide your plants few days prior as they tend to look better.
We will have some potting soil on site and water hose. Please attempt to label your plants / am guilty of doing it at last minute too/.
Consider bringing cardboard boxes or trays, maybe extra one for someone who will not have it. It is useful to carry your plants.
If you bring something like cuttings in the bucket, and want bucket back, please label it. Things are known to be a bit busy there so hard to keep an eye and someone might take your tools or bucket thinking it is free to go.
We will have separate table for seeds, books, all other garden items like pots, fencing etc. Use common sense in terms of items that might be poisonous like certain ferts/pesticides/insecticides etc. As a bunch we tend to be nature friendly so heavy stuff is not usually desired.
Church is off limits, only parking lot, although we will have bathroom avail if needed.
Spread the word, bring your friends.

Now about plants
Potted bunch of ephemeral bulbs. What you will get is a pot with soil. Likely no green at all. That what ephemeral is. They done for the year. Dig a hole, plant it and forget till next year. Those bulbs are great for underplanting, they bloom and go away and then you major plants are coming.

Hi all,

I stopped into Mariano's today and saw that they had potted Hellebore in bloom. The variety might be "Pink Frost." Hana Bay Flowers brand out of California. $25 for 6/6.5". The location is Edgewater 5201 N Sheridan Rd Chicago, IL 60640. I don't work for Mariano's or anything like that. I'm just posting about the Hellebores , since some people in this thread have mentioned being willing to buy them.

The swap is from 4-7pm, correct? I can come by earlier to help set up. I don't drive, so I'm not able to transport anything large.

I found some white window blinds in the alley, so I can bring those if people would like to make plant labels.

Hi Seedrat,

Here are my answers to your questions. I would like the Geranium Bill Wallis and both of the Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia triloba & Rudbeckia Goldsturm) ...as many as you can spare.

And I'm also wondering if I could have some of your Shasta Daisies, and Native Coreopsis.

What is Eupatorium like?

Thanks so much,

Plantfan.

VerdantApt, if you bring those blinds it would be great! Thanks for the info on the hellebores.

Plantfan, I have noted your requests. What other info do you want on the eupatorium? I can add that the flowers have no scent, and it gets bushy if you do pinch it back?

Evanstonnewb:

I have a mid-sized soft maple tree and within 5-8 feet of the trunk I have:
Well, first I have a ton of bulbs that I crammed in between the roots, so they do affect some of what does well and poorly, since they crowd/shade some things out early in the year.

Doing well:
Agastache foeniculum ,also the yellow and pink.
hellebore.
Native ginger on the N side.
lily turf--doing well, but it looks SO UGLY in late winter that I am ripping it out. In previous years I cut the old foliage off with scissors
Lungwort (pulmonaria). It's so pretty, ignore the name. It will spread in dry shade! I don't have any in dead shade, so I don't know how it does there. But it's on the N side of the trunk and prospering.
Sundrops Oenothera Fruticosa. I don't think they're on my list but I could bring some
Ostrich ferns--I'm not sure if they're doing well yet, they were transplanted somewhat recently, but they should.
Tovara Painter's Palette
Yucca, "normal," fairly far from the trunk. yucca is impossible to remove, keep in mind.
Forsythia, on the far far edge of the tree's limbs.
Comfrey, variegated. (normal comfrey would do well too)
Japanese forest grass (hakonechloa) is happy on the N side of the tree (sorry, I can't dig any up this year)
Lespedeza shrub
Sumac tree
Geranium Lily Lowell

Not doing well:
gooseneck loosestrife--I guess it hates shade, or dry, or both.
Salvia--they keep dying there. I guess it's too shady.
Yucca, striped, on the edge--baaarely surviving, after 5+ years
I used to have irises doing well under the tree for awhile, but it got a bit more shady with low twigs becoming branches. They were pretty close to the trunk on the NW side, so just a little bit more shade and they suffered. Probably they'd be fine farther form the trunk.

Alright, folks, I have dug up/potted/bagged w/soil all the promised plants. Will start labeling them asap.

Here is the list of extra plants and something new. If nobody wants them, I will put them on the table for everybody to grab:

-Centaurea Montana
-Rudbeckia triloba
-Aster - smooth leaf
-Feverfew
-Larkspur
-Sedum kamchaticum
-Sedum Autumn Joy
-Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
-Hosta - green & white
-Hosta seedlings - green
-Carex greyii
-Foxglove with yellow flowers - Digitalis grandiflora - I think. This came from my friend's garden.

*Will remember to get white bleeding heart from a friend's yard for EvanstonNewb.*
*Will bring miniblinds, scissors, rags, 30 bungee cords, cardboard trays, markers.

Pitimpinai, if the yellow foxglove has hairy leaves like typical biennial foxgloves, I'd love some! (If it has smooth leaves and is perennial, I already have a lot of it)

You're way ahead of me! But I was kept away from my garden quite a bit recently. I must catch up!