YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
Whatcha got for the Greengirls plant swap?
Posted on May 6th, 2009 – 10:51 PMBy Robyn Dochterman
No more teasing or hinting. Here’s the 411 on the official Greengirls plant swap you’ve been waiting for (you have been waiting, haven’t you?):
- Saturday, May 16, 10-noon.
- Meet the Greengirls and other gardeners at the small park across from the Star Tribune’s main building, between 4th and 5th streets on Portland Ave. in downtown Minneapolis.
- Rain or shine.
(Download a .pdf of the plant swap info)
We’ll have door prizes and free seeds while they last, and Jaime will pose for photos with her shovel (as seen in the above .pdf).
The best part, of course, is what gardeners bring to share and swap. Plants, seeds, books, divides, extras, tools, containers, changes-of-mind…it’s all fair game. The only thing you shouldn’t bring is cash, because it’s not a sale. It’s a swap. Even parking at the Star Tribune will be free.
So, if you’ve got something you might like to swap, would you give us all a little preview here?
I’ll start. I’ve got extra tomato and pepper starts (heirloom and hybrids), some leeks, some Sugar Ann peas, assorted seeds and maybe a chokecherry tree or two. I’m on the hunt for seed potatoes, ferns and columbine, but will likely be swayed to trade for almost anything.
37 Responses to "Whatcha got for the Greengirls plant swap?"
[…] Greengirls – […]
I’ll be bringing some potted perennials: blackberry lily, oriental lily (variety unknown), Siberian iris, among others. And a whole lotta seeds, if I can find them.
Hmmm, something to think about….orange daylilies, raspberries, perennial sunflowers…I’ll have to look around to see what else I can dig up!
Does anyone have an interest in lilacs? Purple and/or white? And if so - is it too late in the season to pull shoots out of my bumper crop? These things are spreading like wildfire!! A few weeks ago we pulled a ton of them out & sent them down to Rochester to my SIL’s & they are taking nicely to their new home!
I’d love some lilacs (tho I don’t know where I’d put them) and those blackberry lilies sound verrry interesting.
I’m going to bring two or three different ornamental grasses (a miscanthus, a calamgrostis, maybe a blue fescue), Autumn Joy sedum, some coneflowers and black-eyed Susans. I’ve also got some gooseneck loosestrife. Cool-looking plant, but it grows kinda fast . . .
Oh, this sounds great so far. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone and “shopping” with no money.
I too am bringing Autumn Joy sedum, yellow day lilies, hosta, russian sage transplants and possibly a lime-green barberry bush.
Oh, I’m also going to bring LOTS of garden books. They won’t be swappers. I’ll give them away as door prizes.
I feel compelled to give a warning that the loosestrife is banned in some states due to its invasiveness. Please don’t plant it in wetlands!
I will plan to be at the swap with Geranium biokovo, large plain green hostas (a lifesaver if you need robust groundcover in shade) yellow and peachy-colored daylilies, Columbine canadensis, oregano, and scads of my beloved Papaver spicatum, an orange-sherbert poppy. It will be great to meet a lot of the people who comment here!
Blog hijack: Author Amy Stewart of Garden Rant will be speaking at the MN Horticultural Society tonight. Go to http://www.amystewart.com for details.
Judybusy!
Are you going? We have plans to meet Amy for breakfast on Friday morning, but I’d love to catch her talk!
I heard Amy Stewart yesterday at the U. She’s an entertaining speaker.
Purple loosestrife is invasive. Gooseneck loosestrife can be aggressive in the garden, but it’s not on the list of invasives. Yellow loosestrife is another nice member of the family.
I really like gooseneck loosestrife. I like how it’s necks all bend the same way (hence its name). I know it can be a quick spreader, but I haven’t had problems with it. And Peter Hoh is right, it’s not considered an invasive, like its purple relative. I’ve never grown the yellow. Is it pretty?
Peter, I was at the talk yesterday too–it was really enjoyable!
I did introduce myself, as I recently bought a painting of hers.
I am totally jealous the GGs get to have breakfast with her!
Connie, here arefour photos of Yellow Loosestrife.
Want some?
Hi - I have extra cannas I will bring (I have a paper box full).
Ooh, cannas are cool. What color are they, Michele?
Would anyone be interested in some ribbon grass or some lily of the valley?
I have some iris, a few old fashioned columbine, and some plain green hosta. (I did see Amy Stewart tonight. She was entertaining!) Heading to the Friends School Plant Sale tomorrow.
I read this article about a week ago and thought, wow, why doesn’t MSP have this?
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/04/26/the-neighborhood-plant-swap/
Well, I guess there is. 
I’ll probably pop down. I’m a new gardener, so I split everything I had and planted it already.
I have unused garden seeds (’09), onion bulbs, hydrangeas bush sprouts, books, magazines, etc.
In the garden, ribbon grass is tough and aggressive. It can be hard to remove.
I’m trying to determine whether Ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea, ‘Picta’) is or is not an invasive species. I’ve heard that it is from a couple of reliable sources.
For what it’s worth, reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) IS on the DNR’s list of invasive terrestrial plants.
Oops. Bad link.
Here is the correct link to a photo of ribbon grass:
http://www.ci.loveland.co.us/wp/xeriscape/Photos/ribbon_grass.jpg
The cannas I have are have the red flower. I bought a yellow one last year and I have some red ones and the yellow ones started inside. The hummingbirds love the cannas.
Not sure if I can make it, but if I do, I’ll bring lily-of-the-valley and ferns.
I have lots of garlic plants and some geraniums.
I started dozzzzzzzens of tomatoes from seed this year, as well as peppers and some flowers.
Tomatoes:
Green Zebra
Pineapple
Cherry (with fruits in multiple colors)
White Currant
Japanese Black
Great White
Peppers:
Red Cheese (sweet)
Anaheim (mild spice)
one or two random kinds of bell (sweet)
Flowers:
Columbine
Bee Balm
The veggies are a really good size, the flowers not so much. I have them under grow lights but they are only 3 or 4 inches, if that. If there is interest in what I have, I’ll definitely come to the swap.
Jaymi, I’d be interested in one or two Pineapple tomato plants, so hope to see you Saturday!
There is a native plant sale with different workshops at our local school on Saturday, but I think I’d rather get rid of the veggies. Seriously, I have NO IDEA what I was thinking when I started so many seeds this year.
[…] Even parking at the Star Tribune will be free. You can see what other gardeners are bringing in this post, to which you can still contribute. You can come hang out and pick up some extras even if you don’t have anything to […]
I’m somewhat new at this gardening thing & last year divided up everything that could/should have been divided (some of my hostas didn’t even come BACK where I divided from! WHAT??)
Anyway - I don’t have anything to share with you all except some lilacs that I would probably be best just lighting on fire (these things are growing out of control along my back fence!) and then I planted some sunflower seeds (the kind that grow really tall & cool) that EACH AND EVERY SEED took & now they need to be thinned out…
I could share those - but they are just the 99cent packets from Target - do I bother??
I do hate to ‘thin’ my plants…do I risk losing the whole crop if I don’t?
Thin them. It’s better to have a few plants grow strong and healthy than ten billion of them barely getting to be a foot tall before calling it a day and kicking the bucket.
@Jaymi ~ thanks…that’s sort of what I figured…but I have no where with full sun to put those poor things!
my neighbor has offered to take some - but literally - every seed in both of the packets I sprinkled down in hopes of getting 5 or so sunflowers took - I have several dozen all sitting there so nice!
I’ll have jack-in-the-pulpit, hosta, ferns, black eyed susans and Wild Kentucky Bluebells though they spread like crazy…I am very interested in collecting some oriental lilies and iris!
Sujata!
What a great selection of plants! We Greengirls hope you can make it.
(On a personal note, I’d love to hear more about your experiences in Japan!)
HI DIRTY GARDEN GIRLS!!
I make green garden stakes out of old silverware recycled and hand-stamped. A permenent weather proof stake to mark your new plants,perenniels, herbs, and great to add to your plants you might give as gifts. You can even choose your saying or words. I won’t be at the swap because of other committments but you can find/order these on my web site.
http://www.autumnplacearts.com or see them at my plant sale in Burnsville on 5/22, I will have ferns, hosta, groundcovers, rudbeckia, yellow primrose, daylilies, and many more. Along with some vintage garden finds, shabby chic furniture, and recycled jewelry. I will post an add on Craigs List closer to the sale date.
I am hoping to bring a variety of Hostas. Lily of the Valley and then s acouple other things. I also make raised cedar beds and planters so if I get time to through a couple together I will bring them. I am looking for tomato plants.
Thank you so much for putting on the plant swap. It was sooooooooo much fun.
I hope you have another one next year. I’d be willing to help with anything you’d need.
Just email me.
Thanks again.
When will your next plant swap meet
be?
This sound like a great idea.
Kathy
Greengirls Connie Nelson, Robyn Dochterman and Jaime Chismar are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
Need more Greengirls? Follow along on Twitter:
Subscribe to Greengirls
Learn more about RSS
Garden resources
Categories
- Apples, Plums + Tree fruits (18)
- Asparagus (3)
- Beans + Peas (9)
- Bees (12)
- Beets, Carrots + Root veggies (7)
- Berries (10)
- Books + Resources (13)
- Chickens (13)
- Compost (7)
- Container gardening (7)
- Corn (2)
- Critters + vermin (27)
- Cucumbers + Melons (15)
- Farmer's Markets (1)
- Flowers + Grasses (27)
- Garlic (5)
- Greens + Lettuces (10)
- Herbs (6)
- Lawn care (12)
- Mulch (7)
- Mystery plants (9)
- Potatoes (9)
- Preserving (7)
- Rain gardens (2)
- Seed starting (16)
- Soil care (4)
- Squashes + gourds (1)
- Succulents (2)
- Tomatoes, Peppers + Eggplant (38)
- Tools, gloves, rain barrels + more (17)
- Transplanting (1)
- Tree + shrub care (4)
- Uncategorized (164)
- Water gardens (3)
- Weather woes (25)
- Weeds (13)
- Weekend to-dos (11)
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2012 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters
