This is the first post since I seriously upgraded my blog and switched web hosts. Let me know if you have any problems.
The snowdrops and crocuses are starting to bloom and the seed catalogs are shooting through the mail slot at a furious rate. Spring is creeping up quickly, along with all sorts of important decisions about what to plant and where to plant it. Although the offerings in those catalogs are tempting (we call it “seed porn” around here), I’ve got a wedding to pay for this summer and can’t really afford my lust for awesome (and sometimes expensive) seeds.
To address this, I’m going to be opening up my home (and yard) for a seed swap in a couple weeks, inviting my friends and acquaintances to come over, bring their spare veggie seeds and share in a little coffee, tea and garden-nerd conversation. Even if you’ve never gardened before and don’t have your own seeds, come anyway and get inspired. I’ll be putting my left-over 2011 seeds up for trading and hope lots of others do the same.
This isn’t meant to be a particularly formal event, but I’d like to suggest a few guidelines in case you’ve not been part of a seed swap before:
- Please provide your own baggies or envelopes to manage/track the seeds you receive.
- If a particular kind of seed failed miserably for you, please be honest; don’t pawn off your seeds because they sucked… instead, share the awesomeness. (An extension to this guideline is: please don’t bring really old seeds; most seeds lose their viability after a couple of years. If you’re not sure if they’re still good, don’t bring them.)
- Bring a notepad. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to learn from others insights. (Who *knew* that epsom salts can help make tomatoes AWESOME?)
- If you’re a first-time veggie gardener and don’t have seeds to trade with, consider baking some cookies, or bring some of your canned goods or whatever else you have that might be of interest. I’m sure you’ll walk away with some seeds and some great advice on how to get started.
If you’re interesting in joining us, please RSVP on the Facebook Event so that I know how many people to expect. I look forward to seeing many of you soon!
Thanks for putting this together. I’ll be there! 🙂