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Oct 30, 2015 9:39 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
In reference to this thread: The thread "ATP Annual Seed and Plant Exchange Idea" in Site Talk forum

I've received a tremendous amount of ideas from various members, most notably @DogsNDaylilies who provided the initial conversation starter.

We are going to set this feature up, and it's going to happen soon. Some of the primary feature of it will be:

1) There can be multiple swaps occurring simultaneously. Any member will be able to host a swap, create it in the system and then participants will be able to join in. Start and end dates will be automatically incorporated into the feature (the host will set those dates, of course.)

2) The dates will be something like:
a) Start date: This is when people can start entering seeds into the swap.
b) Trade begins date: This is when nobody can add seeds anymore, and people will start selecting what they want from each other.
c) Trade ends date: this is when people are told what they need to send, where it goes, and all that.
d) Deadline for trade receipt: This is when your seeds must be delivered to the host.
e) Deadline for trade finalization: this is when the seeds must have been turned around by the host and sent out to the participants.

3) Members will be able to manage a primary list of seeds they are offering. The member can then "join" an existing occurring swap and select which seeds they will offer up into that swap.

Now, this is a complicated feature, and I've gone back and forth more times than I can remember as to how I'm actually going to implement this. I've decided to go ahead and get a preliminary seed list feature up and running very very soon (maybe today) so that people can start entering their seeds.

As for the rest of it, I really feel like I need to host the first swap, so that I can experience for myself exactly what a host goes through so that I can make the host tools as I go along. Ideally, this first swap will be limited to a smaller number of participants and with a short time frame, in order to make it not too overwhelming for me and so we can get this underway fast. Then with its success finished, @DogsNDaylilies can host the 2nd swap which would be much bigger and open to everyone.

I'm thinking the first swap would be limited to perhaps 20 members.

So that's my update. I'd love to hear what you all think about this direction.
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Oct 30, 2015 10:09 AM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
For 2b, Trade begins date: This is when nobody can add seeds anymore, and people will start selecting what they want from each other. In my experience people may want to add during the swap. They may still be harvesting seed or may have ordered commercial seed that arrive during the swap.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Oct 30, 2015 10:19 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I see no reason to disallow people from adding while the swap is occurring.
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Oct 30, 2015 1:00 PM CST
Name: Sharon
Calvert City, KY (Zone 7a)
Charter ATP Member Houseplants Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Master Level I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Hosted a Not-A-Raffle-Raffle
Native Plants and Wildflowers Dog Lover Ferns Daylilies Irises Cat Lover
For various health reasons I can't participate in this first 'trial' effort, Dave, but I am going to follow it carefully because I will be involved other future times. I really like how you are setting it up and testing it out yourself. And it's going to be a one of a kind unique and incredible feature that will make everyone happy.

This is so exciting! Thank you so much for all of it.
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Oct 30, 2015 1:26 PM CST
Name: Vicki
North Carolina
I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Forum moderator Region: United States of America
Purslane Garden Art Region: North Carolina Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Master Level Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Ditto to what Sharon said Thumbs up
NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~
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Oct 30, 2015 1:45 PM CST
Name: Elena
NYC (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Vegetable Grower Plant and/or Seed Trader Spiders! Seed Starter Garden Procrastinator
Peonies Organic Gardener Orchids Irises Hybridizer Composter
I'd love to participate in the first swap! I already have 10 different types of seed packaged up & all their info is in the database. I've got both flowers & veggies so hopefully I have something others will want! I have LOTS more seed varieties I can add but it takes time so we'll see how many I can do before this all starts. Thanks so much Dave!!
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Oct 30, 2015 1:49 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I have a beta of the swap list system ready. To try it out, go here:

http://garden.org/apps/swap/

You can go to your swap list from that link, and add new plants. Should be self explanatory.

You can also import from your Plant Lists over to this swap system, too. When you're viewing your plant list, you'll see a new icon in the actions column. It looks like a swap/recycle icon. Click it and it'll copy it into your swap list and give you a place to enter all the extra information.

I'd be grateful if a few people could start entering in their items they plan to offer for swap later this season. Early next week I'll be working on the actual swapping system.
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Oct 30, 2015 2:46 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
I have my list started.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Oct 30, 2015 2:57 PM CST
Name: Danita
GA (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member Forum moderator Hummingbirder Salvias Butterflies Birds
Plant Identifier Vegetable Grower Container Gardener Seed Starter Cat Lover Region: Georgia
Dave, on the source options, you may want to add "From trader" or a similar phrase. People frequently trade off extras when they receive more seed in a pack than they need (in a seed trade/exchange.)

Thanks for your work on this project! Very exciting! Big Grin
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Oct 30, 2015 2:59 PM CST
Name: Elena
NYC (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Vegetable Grower Plant and/or Seed Trader Spiders! Seed Starter Garden Procrastinator
Peonies Organic Gardener Orchids Irises Hybridizer Composter
I've started my list also! Noticed that you can only add plants from your plant list if they are marked as currently owned. Could we add previous plants also? I try to grow new plant varieties every year so even if I don't currently grow it I probably still have seeds for it. An example is my Anagallis monelli which I didn't grow this year but have lots of commercial seeds.
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Oct 30, 2015 3:09 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
bxncbx said:I've started my list also! Noticed that you can only add plants from your plant list if they are marked as currently owned. Could we add previous plants also? I try to grow new plant varieties every year so even if I don't currently grow it I probably still have seeds for it. An example is my Anagallis monelli which I didn't grow this year but have lots of commercial seeds.

You can add any plant in the database. In your swap list click add plant and type in the name.
wildflowersoftexas.com



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Oct 30, 2015 3:13 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Danita said:Dave, on the source options, you may want to add "From trader" or a similar phrase.


I've added that.

bxncbx said:I've started my list also! Noticed that you can only add plants from your plant list if they are marked as currently owned.


That's added now, too.
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Oct 30, 2015 3:48 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
Many experienced seed swappers have a code so folks will know if seeds are from a
-commercial seed
-from trader's own garden
-collected in the wild
-from previous trade (you have that covered Thumbs up )
-open pollinated
etc.
Should this information be listed next to each seed offered? or will folks have to hunt for the information elsewhere on the trader's pages?
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Oct 30, 2015 4:00 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I feel like details like all that can go into the comments section, can't they?
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Oct 30, 2015 6:07 PM CST
Name: Karen
Maryland (Zone 7b)
Charter ATP Member
Next to the name of the plant, could we have a category for the year the seeds were harvested and another category for the year the seeds were commercially packaged? If this information is not available, then it could be put in the comment box.

If the trader does not know the botanical name (which is easier, imho, to look up for information unique to the plant), then it might be helpful to ask for color and height. Beyond that, using the comment box would be fine with me.

A link to the plant from anywhere on the web, if it's not in atp database, would be welcome - would that be okay in the comment box, too?

just my 2 cents
'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free ... Till by turning, turning we come round right." Shaker Hymn, Joseph Brackett
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Oct 30, 2015 6:44 PM CST
Name: Alana H
SE Kentucky (Zone 7a)
Hummingbirder Greenhouse Seed Starter Container Gardener Keeper of Poultry Frogs and Toads
Dog Lover Plant and/or Seed Trader Annuals Butterflies Morning Glories Bee Lover
I added a few and will add some more this weekend. I made them visible but not ready for trading. Does that mean anyone can see them, even outside the context of a swap?
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Oct 30, 2015 7:17 PM CST
Name: Lynn
Oregon City, OR (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Garden Sages I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I helped beta test the Garden Planting Calendar I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Database Moderator
Forum moderator I helped beta test the first seed swap Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant and/or Seed Trader Garden Ideas: Master Level
I'll see what I have to swap.
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Oct 30, 2015 7:19 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Bluespiral I'd say yes to all your questions.

Ideally the plant will be in our database and found when you search for it, though.

Alana, that's what it would mean. People could see you have it, but they could not select it to enter a potential trade.
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Oct 30, 2015 7:58 PM CST
Name: greene
Savannah, GA (Sunset 28) (Zone 8b)
I have no use for internet bullies!
Avid Green Pages Reviewer Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Rabbit Keeper Frugal Gardener Garden Ideas: Master Level
Plant Identifier Region: Georgia Native Plants and Wildflowers Composter Garden Sages Bookworm
I followed the link and added some (imaginary) seeds just to get the hang of it. Thumbs up
For now I can only see my own list. When and how will we be able to see the lists of other people?

This next part may seem like a lame question. I see that Dave wrote:
"Any member will be able to host a swap..." and then wrote that he (Dave) will host the first swap as a trial/test and that DogsNDaylilies has been selected as the person to host the second swap.
If as Dave said, any member will be able to host a swap, when and how does one obtain permission to do so?
( Hilarious! Don't worry; I'm not planning to be a host anytime soon but it would be nice for my brain to understand the selection method.) Thank You!
Sunset Zone 28, AHS Heat Zone 9, USDA zone 8b~"Leaf of Faith"
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Oct 30, 2015 8:10 PM CST
Name: Ronnie (Veronica)
Southeastern PA (Zone 6b)
Count your blessings, be grateful
Region: Ukraine Organic Gardener Keeps Goats Zinnias Dog Lover Morning Glories
Annuals Bee Lover Dragonflies Butterflies Hummingbirder Birds
I like it. I started mine but will take me a while. I like the photo option Thumbs up

Some options I'd like to see in the future Whistling
Different categories to list under such as annuals, veggies, perennials, vines. I think if someone is searching for a specific item they could just go to that category.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

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