No, I still haven't finished planting all the things I've bought this year (which is why I wouldn't let myself got to the Green Spring Plant Sale this morning), but a swap is different: I get to find new homes for all my babies that have outgrown their space. If I happen to also bring home a few new things to try, well, that's just a bonus.
I brought to the Mid-Atlantic Gardeners' Spring Swap: Echinacea pupurea, balloon flower (these both were reseeds that I dug out of the walkway), Eupatorium coelestinum (mistflower), double purple columbine, Euphorbia myrsinites seedlings, and assorted tomato seedlings. There was so much more I could have given away, but I didn't have a chance to dig it up and pot it. I really meant to thin out the Solidago 'Fireworks', but completely forgot about it until I was on my way this morning.
I brought home: bleeding hearts, green-and-gold, hardy begonia (with bonus hellebore), red hen-and-chicks, tomato seedlings (Sungold and Sungold Select - yay!), a white cucumber, sage, a sedum I didn't have, some more white iris, a huge hunk of canna, catmint, and some other plants that were thrust into my hands as I walked by.
But the best part of today was not the plants. Or the great potluck lunch we all shared. The best part was a complete surprise: my cousins were there! Second cousins on my Dad's side, who I never see even though they live 1-2 hours away. The oddest thing is that we've all been attending this swap for several years, and had never run into each other before today. We had a weird moment of recognition and then lots of catching up over lunch.
When you go to a plant swap, you never know what you'll find.
How fun, both to see your relatives and to get such great plants. We did a ton of planting today, too. The plants you gave me last year are doing really well. We didn't make it to Green Spring either, mostly because it was so junky out (which really is why we SHOULD go, to show support, but blah)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun day!
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