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