Seattle Plant Exchange

Do you have plants to trade?

If you're in or around Seattle, please feel free to email me photos and/or a description of the plants you have available (and a list of plants you're willing to exchange).

I can post photos for you, link to your public Picasa or Flickr albums...whatever.

We also use Meetup.com to help facilitate exchanges through an events calendar and message board. Joining is free -- click here to become a member.

The group consists of gardeners of ALL levels of experience.

Rock Garden Perennial

This lovely little plant is growing in relative abundance amidst the rock wall on the side of my house.  Can anyone identify this beautiful specimin?

Name That Plant

I've enjoyed perusing Name That Plant, a blog by a landscape designer who resides here in the Pacific Northwest.

The blog has already helped me to identify a few plants, including the beautiful and fragrant anemone clematis (also Clematis montana).

When Tom & Cristine visited for the first Seattle Plant Exchange event, we all marveled at the climbing plant (which was chosen by the former homeowners to cover their handcrafted trellis), but didn't know what it was called.

I'm hoping cuttings will root well, as I'd be happy to share this beauty with others.  I'll be experimenting soon...

Euphorbia?

Is this a type of Euphorbia?  This photo was taken a few weeks ago, but there are now beautiful yellow flowers adorning the top of burgundy stalks.

Purple Bee Magnet?

I received a question - to which I don't have an answer - from Rachel this morning:

I don't have a photo of it, but have you seen that shrub around that is just *teeming* with bees these days?  It has dark green glossy leaves (probably evergreen) and these big, thick, purple flower tubes that the bumblebees love.

I am going to be on the lookout for this plant now.  Has anyone else seen it?  If so, do you know what it is and/or do you have an image you can send me to post?

I have one candidate in mind, which doesn't have flowers just yet (it was "scorched" by the harsh winter weather), but here's a photo of its leaves:

 

Rachel, is this the same shrub?

Identify Please! "Rules"

This Exchange is meant to evolve (heck, one day it may no longer be a blog!). I am authoring posts now to keep it active and growing - like watering and fertilizing plants. But it's not about me. It's about community. So please, if you would like something identified, feel free to forward me photos and I will post them here.  You can send them to me in one of several ways:

• Email a photo or photos directly to me
• Upload to Picasa Web Albums (or Flickr - whatever service you choose - I'm just a Google nut) and send me the links
• If you have another way of image-sharing in mind, let me know

I may not be able to identify your plants, as I am learning every day, but hopefully a blog-reader can help!

PLEASE NOTE: Your photos are yours.  I will never use them anywhere (except this blog) without your permission.  If a reader grabs your image from the site and uses it in an irritating way, please deal with that person directly.  I can't be responsible for the actions of others (though I often wish I could!).

Sustainability in SW Seattle

Behind the scenes, I am composing a number of posts simultaneously.  Most of the topics are related to garden planning (in addition to notes from the West Seattle Edible Garden Fair), an example of which I have observed evolving for several months in Arroyo Heights.

Which brings me to the question...Does anyone know the urban farmer who lives at 106th and 42nd SW?

I would love to feature him/her at www.SeattlePlantExchange.com as a gardener who has clearly put a lot of thought into his/her garden. (Not far up the street is a beautiful perennial garden worth mentioning).

I have watched the project evolve on my route to Trader Joe's, and it looks as though the entire yard is a vegetable and fruit garden.

Talk about sustainability!

Primrose?

My mom suggested this is a primrose.  They're absolutely beautiful, and if I can't decide where to put a few of them, they will be available for exchange.  In addition to the color above, there are plants with orange and yellow flowers.

What Am I?

Beautiful white flowers during the day that close as the sun sets.  Difficult to identify from grass until the blooms appear - or unless you dig and discover their tiny bulbs.

I've watched them grow and thrive this spring, but don't know what they're called. I also have a few available for exchange, if anyone's interested.

Tissue Paper Petals

I was awestruck by these crepe paper flowers last year. There is nothing like them (that I've ever seen) back east. I still don't know what they are, but I'm distressed because the bizarre winter weather seems to have damaged them.  They are developing new leaves only in spots that were sheltered from the snow.  I'm hoping the plants bounce back, but I need pruning advice!