Happy National Seed Swap Day! (Plus a Giveaway!)

Have you been gazing at seed catalogs, dreaming of spring? Wait! Before you place your order, let's have a seed swap!

Did you know that Saturday, January 26, 2013 is National Seed Swap Day? Nope, neither did I until I happened to read an article today. So, while it's too late for me to organize a local, community seed swap, I thought it might be fun to host a virtual seed swap. Want to join me?

Here's how it will work:

1. Check your seed inventory to see what you can share. Make a list and note quantities. (Please remember—if you save seeds from your garden, please only pass along heirloom seeds. Seeds collected from hybrids usually don't grow true to the parent plant.)
2. Make a list of seeds you'd like to receive.
3. Go to the Garden Delights Facebook page. (In case you don't know, Garden Delights is my organic heirloom plant business.) Please “Like” the page, if you haven't already, and then find today's Status about National Seed Swap Day.
4. Post your seed availability and your wish list of seeds in the Comments section of the post. I'll cut and paste the comments into a master document titled “2013 Seed Swap,” which you can find under “Notes.” It should make it a little easier to navigate than scrolling through lots of comments to see who has/wants which seeds.
5. Check out seed availability, then contact the person who offers the varieties you'd like. Please arrange to share addresses privately.
6. Make certain to pack and label your seeds carefully for the recipient. Add any information that you think the grower would find helpful or interesting, like “Germinates best in cool temperatures” or “Heirloom passed down from grandfather.” The more information, the better!
7. Please be generous when sending seeds. Remember, germination rates vary, plus older seeds may have a lower germination rate.
8. As the seeds should fit into a normal envelope that requires one stamp (unless you're being extremely generous), I'd recommend that the sender is responsible for postage. Everyone will be sending and receiving, so the postage costs should balance out.
9. Please send the seeds within a week of the request, or at least let the recipient know when to expect the seeds.
10. Have fun and make new gardening friends!

Now, I've never organized an online seed swap before...but I'm excited to try it! Please be patient if I haven't covered something or if there are any problems. I'll try my best to fix any technical issues, but any seed delivery issues is between the parties who made the agreement, OK?

And—as an extra bonus—I'm going to randomly select two seed swappers to receive a collection of seeds from Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds and Seed Savers Exchange! All you need to do to enter the drawing is to “Follow” Growing Days, if you haven't already; “Like” Garden Delights' Facebook page; and participate in the seed swap! I'll announce the winners on February 28.

Are you ready to plant your best garden ever? Then on your mark, get set...let's swap some seeds!

Happy National Seed Swap Day (Tomorrow)!

XO ~

Julie

P.S. Here's a great site with very cute seed envelope templates. You can make your own seed packets! 

P.P.S. Check out Farm Girl Blog Fest, a great assortment of homesteading, gardening, and crafting ideas.

A Spring Gift for You!

Finally, my friends—it's here.

The day we've all been awaiting.

The day that kept us going through those dreary, chilly winter days...

SPRING! Tra la!

To celebrate the happiest of days...

 I'm giving away a “Spring into Spring” gift to one lucky, randomly selected reader!

Look! Books! Plants! Seeds! And a tub!

The lucky winner will receive:

The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table by Amy Goldman. This is a seriously gorgeous book, filled with stunning photography, amazing history, and recipes, too! It was the first book I bought when I began my heirloom adventure. (You'll get a new copy—not mine!)

Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces by Gayla Trail. This is a great how-to book. It's the perfect book for those who are land-challenged. Don't have a big backyard? No worries, you can grow a great harvest in containers! I like it, because even though we do have a yard, I still enjoy growing in containers on the balcony. 

OK, maybe I'm lazy, but it's so nice to open a door, pick some herbs, and keep cooking dinner.

Plus—you get recipes! And instructions to preserve your harvest! You'll really like this book.

I'm also sending the winner some seeds from my favorite sources: Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds and Seed Savers Exchange. Honestly, if you haven't visited these sites yet—please do. You will be amazed at the wonderful selections you'll find. (Plus, they're just really good people.)

Plus—who doesn't need a garden tub? I love these little tubs—they're great for collecting weeds, mixing soil with amendments, and carrying compostables to the bin.

And finally—the winner will receive six, organic heirloom tomatoes from Garden Delights! (Yes, that's me!) The plants still need some more greenhouse time, but look at these roots, my friends! This is why I use organic, OMRI certified Dot Pots. When you plant these babies, you plant the entire pot—and the roots aren't disturbed. The winner can select six plants from the Garden Delights site, and I'll send you the secret code so that they will be FREE.

BUT—that's not all!

Everyone is a winner on the first day of spring! 

Today through April 1, my friends...you ALL get 25% off any Garden Delights order! Just enter the code GROWING2012 at checkout, and you'll receive your discount. (If you're in Upstate SC, please remember you can pick up your plants at The Urban Planter. No shipping charges for you!!! And, you can find some gorgeous containers and garden décor while you're there!)

For your chance to win the “Spring into Spring” gift, please leave a comment below or on the Garden Delights Facebook page, answering this very important question:

What is your favorite garden treat?

Are you a tomato girl? Love flowers? Can't wait for the first spring peas?

The giveaway begins NOW and will continue until April 1 at midnight EST. (And if you'd like to follow this blog or “Like” Garden Delights on Facebook, I'd be most grateful—but it won't affect your chance to win!)

UPDATE: Because I'm new to this giveaway thing, I completely forgot an important note: the winner must reside in the contiguous United States. I can't ship plants to Alaska, Hawaii, or abroad (and honestly, you wouldn't want me to...those would be some very sad plants by the time they arrived! Sorry for any inconvenience...)

Happy spring to you!!!

XO ~

Julie