Nobody has plants to trade?

[Jangchub]

I find this hard to believe. Can't we get a swap going here? Victoria

Updated daily when able.

[brooklyn1]

For a Brooklyn girl you're mighty naive. Usenet is not the best place for sharing ones personal contact information, with virtual strangers, people who haven't taken the time to develop even a conversational relationship via email... are you in the habit of inviting strangers into your home just because they knocked on your door... I sure hope not.

You'd do well participating at a gardening club where you live, where you can first become acquainted at a public meeting place. Most small towns have have a gardening club, large cities will have several. Ask at your local library. Check out your Cornell extention. Check at the schools, contact the 4-H club. Most larger cities will have a conservatory/botanic garden that sponsors all kinds of programs. I live in a small rural town, actually a tiny village, but we do have a gardening club and many people first meet by volunteering to tend the plantings at the various park areas. When I first arrived here I noticed a request in our 8 page weekly newspaper so I volunteered to give two hours a week weeding the perimeter of the town pond... was a great way to meet lots of neighbors, many who are into gardening. Now whenever someone is thinning overgrown beds it's easy to find people who will take the plants rather than having to toss them into the composter. Whenever people need help with garden chores, especially the elderly, we can always get a group together to pitch in. By participating at a local gardening club you will also meet folks from gardening clubs in adjacent communities too. Before you know it you'll have more people who'll swap plants then you can keep up with.

[brooklyn1]

All the more reason not to trust you. I use a PO Box too, but most businesses won't ship to a PO Box, and of those who will they must have your residence address and phone number too, not to mention your credit card info. People I trust have my residence addy and phone number. I would never consider a PO Box relationship only a trusting relationship, not anymore than I'd trust an email address only relationship, especially not on usenet... far more than half the people on usenet are not who they purport themselves to be.

That, and the fact

Then why are you asking as though you've not done swaps here before: _"Nobody has plants to trade? I find this hard to believe. Can't we get a swap going here?_ You come across like a common spammer, seriously.

I've been very active on usenet for over 20 years... I've corresponded with more than I can remember but there are only three who I trust well enough to share personal contact information and only one with whom I share information of a personal nature.

Personally I don't want to swap plant matter with private individuals out of my immediate area, especially not with anyone I don't know. Aside from the fact that it's illegal to send plant materials interstate without a proper permit, although I know folks do, done it myself, I don't want to risk diseases, insects, and invasive seeds that could easily be attached to someone's plants and planting materials... I happen to know that serious gardeners feel the same. When I want a particular plant, or of a size that I can't readily locate locally I find it a simple matter (and rather inexpensive) to buy from a legitimate mail order horticultural business. I can't imagine that of plants that grow in one's area that most can't be readily found at local plant nurseries and at very reasonable cost... with private swapping often packaging and shipping can cost more than the plant would cost to buy, and many times plants in transit, especially clandestinely, are exposed to extreme conditions and die. I don't believe folks save money swapping plants long distance so I really don't see the point.

And finally this is not a commercial Newsgroup... it's bad netiquette and in poor taste to openly solicit this group for business purposes, and make no mistake about it, bartering is indeed a form of business, the world's oldest. Perhaps you should remind all those with whom you claim to have swapped with previously via email/telephone.

[Phisherman]

...

I have reservations on sharing plants too. Years ago, I had a rather extensive African violet collection, now I have only two plants. I swapped leaves with other AF people. It was fun. Sadly, times have changed, now we do not trust.

[madgardener1]

On Mar 1, 2:31=A0pm, "brooklyn1" wrote:

Victoria isn't asking you to trust her. This is your own personal observation of her. Your judgements aren't based on anything you can draw upon to even say you don't trust her. I understand your suspicion. Your statements about most businesses don't ship to P.O. boxes is because there are unscrupulous people who rip off well intentioned and trusting folks. This isn't what V is asking to be done. And you're right. Lots of people aren't who they say they are. Or lie about what they do to unsuspecting folks who don't yet have experience. You're well entitled to your own observations and feelings, however wrong they might be given the person or circumstances.

Again, this is your observation and opinion. She may seem like a common spammer to YOU, but to those of us who know her, she's asking for the simple and OBVIOUS reason that she's just amazed that no one has yet taken her up on her inquiry. Half of the FUN of gardening and this NEWSGROUP is sharing, like I said before. Most gardeners LOVE to share pieces and huge hunks of plants. I'd love to have another collection of overly priced daylilies that I know if I had the start up investment funds, I'd purchase from reputable nurseries for teeny specimens, and then grow them to huge proportions in a couple years time and SHARE them with friends later. I'd LOVE to have some of those new hybrids that are running no less than $100 or MORE apiece. But someone who likes to share a rhizome or hunk of say, for example, Strawberry Fields Forever might have a clump and consider it no problem to send me or you or Victoria or anyone who asked nice, a nice clump for just the shipping cost. And you're wrong. You CAN ship plants to a P.O. Box. You get a nice little pink slip in your box that says package is larger than box, come pick it up yourself at the main counter inside .

well, that's YOU. And I don't discredit your personal over caution as wrong. It's just how YOU personally feel. And I appreciate your informing us why you base your reactions to Victoria. Glad that you've been an active person on usenet for over 20 years. I've only been using internet and going to this gardening newsgroup and the UK rec.gardens one (and Garden Web) for 14 years. and I'm still learning. Some of us recognize that it'd be dull and boring and costly to only limit ourselves in ways. I don't fault you, nor chastise or blame you. This is what makes having freedom a wonderful thing.

And once again, it's your personal opinion and practice not to swap plant matter with private individuals out of your immediate area. And not with anyone you don't know. But then.......if you don't like to do that, how on earth do you get past not knowing the strangers who run Wayside Gardens, or the people at Forest Farms in Oregon, or the neat ladies and people at Pine Tree Seeds up in Maine? Or the folks at Dutch Gardens? Or those neat people who run Carroll Gardens that doesn't send out a printed catalog anymore? I've actually formed friendships with these folks through the years, (through business endeavors and even just questions and not purchases and like I said above,) most gardeners are kind, generous and honest people. If you've had a bad experience, you can't lump all of them into that barrel. It's not fair. But I even won't say it's that, because you're entitled to your personal belief's. Do you restrict yourself to only purchases to local nurseries? I'd find that limiting. Half the fun of swaps and such is that sometimes you get something rare that grows wonderfully in many climates.

Look through any good nursery website now and you'll see giveaway clues........hardy from zone 3 through 8. That means someone in Minnesota can grow it as well as someone in lower Alabama. Now how did they arrive at this conclusion? By growing it in these places! Give me a break!

=A0Aside from the

ummmm, not that you were talking to ME, but it's NOT illegal to send plant materials interstate. And knowing Victoria as well as I do, she never sends things illegal. You're making it sound like she's trying to get things across to California.......or some other place that has tighter plant restrictions. And yes, being at risk for diseases, insects, and invasive seeds and plants.......it's all a great argument to NOT share, but you're leaving out the obvious. Don't cast the stone of doubt unless you KNOW for a fact that Victoria isn't careful, and that she'll just accept anything from anyone. I don't. Neither does she. Those who send me anything are cautionary enough that I never worry about your unfounded fears. If we all felt like you, there'd be no diversities that we have now........look at Michael Dirr. He's well known, and he admits to swapping plants. Or better yet, find a favorite book of mine, Passalong Plants written by Felder Rushing and Steven Bender (they both write for well know garden magazines) and read it completely. If you garden, you swap plants. And I'd not have some seeds were it not for my friend up in Canada or over in Scotland or down in Australia or New Zealand if I didn't swap.

I happen to know that serious

that's your personal experience. The people you know who share your feelings are a small majority. Not the whole mass. SOME serious gardeners feel like you. I know this because I subscribe and read front to back, Horticulture Magazine and Fine Gardening. I know what you're claiming is true. I am hands on with invasives in all forms. I happen to know that part of what you say is true, some is totally untrue. You don't see the point because you won't take the risk and have a positive experience. You can wag your finger but unless you can unrefutably say everything you say is absolutely without shadow of a doubt true and we should all abide by it, I say bullshit. You're entitled to your observations and opinions. And those who know Victoria and me and the others will step up and share. I more suspect that it's on the edge of spring and they haven't gone to the newsgroup because they're busy, or worse, the shape of the economy is such that they can't afford to visit as often. I've lost contact with many dear gardening friends because their providers have dropped the newsgroups, and by no fault of their own have they lost track of neat plants and just talking "over the fence" to others around the country and world.

that's half the wonder of this newsgroup. sharing experiences, opinions, plants, tears, smiles and things in between. And alot of friendships have been forged regardless of actual touch.....virtual works most times. I have life friends I've made here I will carry with me for as long as my memory holds.

that's pretty harsh.....we all KNOW its not a commercial newsgroup......but bad netiquette? oh, you're one of THOSE........I remember......when I first came to the newsgroup 14 years ago and my shift key got stuck, I was quickly reprimanded that I was shouting........well honey, if bartering is a form of business, then good for it. she's not soliciting the group for business purposes, she doesn't run a nursery and wants stock. she's a private person who wants plants...........in this economy right now, I'd welcome someone sending me something different I can't afford at over blown prices..........and yes, before you say something. when I CAN afford it, I order from the companies I know are HONEST and REPUTABLE...........run by people I've NEVER MET..........GASP!!! just like those Deutzia's "Codsall Pink double" I got from Forest Farms I got to replace the one I lost that a dear gardening friend, John Skeffington who died from colon cancer a couple years go grew for me from a twig and sent me. He lived in Arkansas, and I lived in Eastern Tennessee. He even came with his wife to meet who he came to call his "little sis" .....me. Were it not for his generosity and nature, I'd never known about this beautiful shrub. And when I lost it after I lost my home, I wanted to at least replace the memory of "Brudder John" and through another gardener I've never met but communicated with these years up in a totally different part of the country, she led me to find the shrub at Forest Farms. Were I personally a suspicious person, I'd never had these amazing experiences.

And perhaps you should not be so judgmental of some of us who have been swapping everything here in the gardening newsgroup for almost as long as you've been using it. It's almost spring and here we all are experiencing a last laugh from Mom's Nature and Father Winter with these odd and unusual snows in the Southeast and Deeper South who normally don't get them. It ain't Spring yet.....and I've seen snow on the dogwood blossoms myself.

madgardener (maddie) who'll swap CLEAN and bug free plants when she has them anytime to anyone anywhere.

[Gloria]

You must've come in the wrong door.....this is a trustworthy, caring group of gardeners for the most part. I came here several years ago. I was having to start over from scratch because I lost my old gardens due to a life circumstance. Madgardener was the first gardener I met here and she put out a request on my behalf, for anything and everything to help me start over. I received many, MANY packages from these caring gardeners from wherever they garden. Maddie herself sent me a live plant, a very unusual quadruple daylily, with planting instructions and a warning that "it walks". I have too many of these now to count and I have given many away to local gardening friends. I'm one of the ones who looked her up and visited her and came home "loaded" with all the plants my car would hold. I didn't "know" all of the people who sent me their gifts of seeds, and they didn't "know" me. None of them asked for anything in exchange, just generous happy folks who shared with a fellow lover of plants who was without plants to love. This world would be a sorry place indeed if good people like the ones I've met here started doing what you're suggesting. We're not dumb or naive, we're all old enough to know how to protect ourselves out here in cybertown.

Since when is trading plants with neighbors (We're all neighbors on here, we just live in different places.) considered "commercial", or "soliciting for business purposes"?. Maybe that's what you're here for, but the rest of us are not.

Have a good day! Gloria

[Bill]

All we really have is history of posting. Someone shows up and was never here before gets a failing grade. Been posting for awhile passes. Your time posting can be short or long and your trustability gets impacted by your content and more of import demeanor. I have a tendency to not be nice to folks that are (Fill in the Blank).

I do not intend to swap plants as the shipping would be too much work and expense. I grow perennials however if you are ever about S Jersey USA and would like a Japanese maple, ground covers, etc let me know by using my posted E-mail minus the golf call and bring a bucket or two.

Bill

[Buderschnookie]

"brooklyn1" >

So don't. But stay out of the way of those that choose to.

[Gloria]

Well said!

Gloria

[Cheryl Isaak]

I'll take you up on it if I am ever in the neighborhood

Same goes if you are in NH

C

[enigma]

Jangchub wrote in news: [e-mail]:

i've been away. i only have standard orange ditch lilies (by the hundreds!), a clump of Stella D'Or, & an interesting dark purple that showed up out of nowhere last summer. no pinks, sorry. anything else you might want besides daylilies? lee

[enigma]

"brooklyn1" wrote in news:PoBql.404$ [e-mail]:

the only businesses that won't ship to a PO Box are the ones that don't use USPS to ship. many businesses *do* ship to PO Boxes. i buy a lot of small items online (yarn, fabric, seeds, etc) & they are shipped USPS to a PO Box, no problem. hopefully you're one of the people who aren't who you purport to be, Shelly. it would be too bad if you really were that nasty.

nooB lee