plant swaps

**P*@gsk.com**

The best plant swaps I have ever been part of were with the Gesneriad 
Society
in San Francisco.  Every meeting, each person brought something for the 
swap - usually
a plant.  The offerings were named and discussed as we were drawing 
numbers.
Then we chose based on our numbers.  Everyone got something good.  If 
people brought
extra plants, then they could draw again.  It felt fair and you got to 
know what was there
before you chose.

The worst are at the garden club I belong to now and happen in the spring. 
 People
just crowd around the plants to see if they can tell what the plants are 
and take 
what looks good.  Not fair and you never know what everything is.

I strongly suggest that the organizers provide to each person as they walk 
in the door
a label and a pen. The label would consist of a plant stake with an index 
card glued to it.
The index card should have a printed label glued to it asking for the 
person's name,
the botantical and common names of the plant, zone, sun or shade, anything 
interesting.
Before the actual swap, each person could briefly mention what they 
brought and of
course if plants could be categorized and spread apart so people aren't 
too crowded
it would help.

Trissa
Philadelphia

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