Hi Storygardner,Princess Mimi and Xarolent and Steph98. I was just reading the posts on the thread from the swap and when I was reading them I had started from the very last posting and scrolling upwards.I had felt like I missed out on the best part of my gardening life missing the swap this year because of my knee surgery.I was so excited to read what everyone did and what great plants were exchanged and just wanting to get the full experience of the fun and excitement I always take away with me after attending the swap through everone else who posts their delight at being there.I sure missed you all.Then as I got closer to the top I started to get confused and was wondering what was going on,Then as I read on I got real sad and felt so awfully bad for the girls I addressed this post to.And their children.How awful and hurtful for all involved.Chemicalrxm5,You should be so ashamed in all your beefing.You came to a swap with expectations of Grandure.It's a swap for peets sake.I have brought at different times 250,300 plants sometimes less.I never have gone with the expection of bringing home that many in return.Who would want that many plants?Oh right! You would. The first time I came to the swap was 5 years ago,I brought 273 plants and went home with 21 or maybe 25 plants.I thought I hit the Jackpot.I loved everything I took home and I met wonderful people and had Great food and I even got lucky and won a door prize.The people welcomed me and my friend Sue with open arms and I've been hooked ever since.You could take a lesson from the kids.This is a fun and learning process for them.They need the guidence from their parents to know the difference from one plant to the next, So if the parent says to them, thats a good plant in my opinion thats teaching them one plant from the other.They won't be children forever and this is a good way to educate them in something so wonderful.It's teaching them the value of the earth,Where our foods are grown and most inportantly,How to share.Something you are short on. You may have scarred these children with your petty bickering over a plant or a door prize.I think you owe these children an apology and ask for their forgiveness.Any time children are involved in plants and planting and gardening we all should be grateful for the teachings at home who have taken them down this road and kept them from drugs and such.I'm proud to know kids like them!!!So I say to you,God Bless You,Be Healthy and Apologize. Granny57x

Hi leahrenee1, thanks for your question! This is the one swap a year that I use a ''plant points'' system because it is so big, the others we use the honor system..at this one I add up the estimated dollar value of what you bring, give you a 'plant points' ticket with that amount on it, and mark each plant you brought with it's 'plant point' value. The plants you brought are put in with everyone elses at that point. You then 'buy' plants (all marked with their value) with your plant points. If you want you can turn in your items to trade one at a time to make sure you can find enough to replace what you brought. I do donate hundreds of high quality plants to this swap to make sure everyone leaves happy. I do give double points for edibles and only charge single for them. Plants and seeds are worth more if they are labeled. If you have any problem with the dollar amount I assign to your plant I will probably change it. It's pretty easy going. It's really quite a simple system, although a little difficult to explain! Thanks again for your interest and I hope you will be able to attend! Do let me know if there is anything else I can help with. I love questions :) -Heidi

Thanks PJ, I can always count on you to help. You're such a good friend. Carol

Likewise!! It was so wonderful actually meeting everyone and thank you SO very much for your generosity! Gardengramma, thank you especially for hosting, and providing such a gloriously beautiful place for us to meet. (You did am amazing job dialing up the weather as well). Since I got there without my leucojeum or redhot poker I'd be open to making one-off arrangements. I had to get the leucojeum right back into the ground but I can dig some more. Some people also mentioned a possible fall meeting? Which of course would be better for leucojeum, peonies, other fall-dormant plants... One other note - I thought I'd be able to tell people this as we traded but it was a little too chaotic -- in our area we have a serious problem with Japanese stilt grass, very invasive in the woods near us. I don't know if it's widespread but I don't want to be responsible for spreading it. I'm pretty sure I did not include any ride-alongs in my trades, BUT, stilt-grass makes a lot of seed. It's incredibly easy to pull up and easy to kill, but if it goes to seed, it makes an awful lot. Don't let anything grassy come up in your transplants...