I realize this is an old thread but here's some ideas & suggestions I picked up while doing a search for planning a plant swap.
Pick a venue – someplace with bathrooms!!! Park, parking lot, close to a lake, etc. Decide if kids are allowed & be sure to let people know. Pick a date & time. Saturdays are usually the best day. Try to have it about 3 hours but if it runs longer because people are socializing, that’s okay.
Decide if you’ll have a potluck lunch where everyone brings a covered dish, or ask everyone to bring their own picnic lunch. You could also have a sign up list of who volunteers to bring what. Don’t forget things like cups, ice, drinks, plates, napkins, trash bags. You may also want to have clean up volunteers are at least require everyone clean up their own mess.
Could request everyone RSVP so you have a body count.
Have registration for 30 minutes to an hour to allow people time to register & get set up. Have a specific time to eat lunch. This will allow people to relax around strangers & walk around & see what’s available.
Plant swaps can work any number of ways. The host/hostess can yell “GO!” & everyone gets one plant/item & puts it in their reserved spot. Once everyone has one item, the host/hostess yells “GO” again, & it repeats until everyone’s done. Another way is everyone gets a ticket for each item they bring to trade & then they use those tickets to trade. Yet another way is to let everyone draw a number & then go in sequence.
When swappers receive plants they always put them under or behind their table. If they don’t have a table, they can bring a tarp or blanket. Maybe have a cardboard sign with their name to put where it’s easily seen. DO NOT take any plants or anything else from carts, tables, or someone’s area. Do Not take anything out of turn or without asking. Some people will have set up “pre-trades” with others. These need to be clearly labeled with the person’s name & set aside so they aren’t part of the swap.
Absolutely No Money Is To Be Exchanged For Anything!!!! You can bring anything bought or handmade you would be willing to trade for plants or plant materials. Homemade soaps, baked goods, candy, books, magazines, birdhouses, bird feeders, garden tools, hats, extra pots, the list is endless. If you have access to manure (chickens, horses, rabbits) you could use old burlap bags or those bags you get dog food, or ice cream buckets, whatever, & fill them, & use to trade plants. Or bags of compost or homemade potting soil.
If you have a registration, be sure to get everyone’s name, address, & email address. Also be sure to include any online gardening sites or Facebook groups they’re members of & be sure to include usernames. This will help with any future swaps you send out invitations for. You can have name tags for everyone or no name tags at all. You can have name tags that say “My First” or “I’m a Newbie” to let others know who’s just getting started & would appreciate freebies.
You could put signs up or have one for each swapper that says something like “Please Do Not Take Plants That Aren’t Your’s!!!! You could invite area master gardeners to hold demonstrations or have speakers but they aren’t necessary.
There could be a table set up just for seeds, bulbs, & cuttings, a table for potted plants, & a table for everything else. You could then swap by table until everything was gone before moving on to the next. Or, just let each person pick from any table.
Plants should be watered thoroughly the day before to allow time to drain without making the plant thirsty again. This keeps it from being too heavy or making a mess in someone’s car. Plants should be clearly labeled with what they are. If possible, growing information & a picture in bloom would be nice.
A potted plant has roots. A cutting does not. A cutting stuck in a pot of dirt is not a potted plant. Please do not try to pass one off as such. Cuttings should also be clearly labeled as to what they are. They should be wrapped in dampened newspaper & then put in a plastic baggie if possible. Bulbs should be placed in something like a paper bag & clearly labeled.
Door Prizes – Not necessary but if anyone wants to participate, each person can bring an item with a tag with their name on the item. We can then either pick one item & draw someone’s name for it, or when we call your name, you come pick from the items.
Items you may want to bring besides swapping & food items: bottled water, a friend or teens to help with unloading & loading, paper towels, baggies, tape, permanent marker, a little cart or wagon, boxes or newspaper to lay down in our car, folding tables & chairs, paper to jot notes or growing instructions, sunscreen, bug spray, & a hat.
