Saturday, May 11, 2019

East Tennessee Plant Swap May 11, 2019


                               
These iris were given to me at the last swap and lived through the winter. 

                  May 11,2019 East Tennessee Plant Swap Another Big Success

        By Martha Rose Woodward, Advertising  Committee 

     Once again approximately 50 to 70 avid gardeners and plant lovers gathered at the large shelter at New Harvest Park in Knoxville, Tennessee to swap plants, enjoy friendships, and share a tasty meal. Although the day started off with a light rain, it soon stopped, making for great weather for most of the event. 
      The unexpected, big hits of the day were fresh, homegrown strawberries from Tim’s place in Grainger County and birdhouses along with a pack of seeds from Joe and Josh’s Landscaping. Joe and Josh, long-time members of the group, hand-made the birdhouses, especially for their fellow swappers.
   Shelia also brought a table full of gardening, cooking, and sewing books and magazines, and Barrett sent his famous signs hand-painted with garden terms and names.
     Swappers in trucks, vans, and trunks arrived laden with a wide variety of plants while members of the group were eager to see old friends, discuss knowledge of plants, swap plants, or give them away. The same trucks, vans, and trunks happily drove away filled with plants that found new homes.
    A potluck lunch was shared while a few stranglers arrived. These folks joined in all the fun and found plants to swap while giving theirs away with plenty of lively discussions. Several new faces were seen throughout the event. 
  Most everyone found their way to Tim’s table full of strawberries where he was cutting the stems from the berries and passing them out as quickly as possible. Folks were soon munching the luscious, sweet treats while listening to Tim discuss his growing techniques. He also shared numerous strawberry plants and many other items with the group.
   The East Tennessee Plant Swap is open to everyone. The group meets 2 times a year (May and October) and is free other than a donation of a few dollars needed to pay for rent on the shelter and hosting for the web site. All you have to do to become a member is attend a meeting. There are no dues or membership fees. 
  More information can be found at www.easttnplantswap.com.

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