Saturday, January 26, 2008
The last Saturday in January is National Seed Swap Day
Help us celebrate!
As part of this national event, the Rochester Civic Garden Center will host a seed exchange, houseplant exchange, and talks by two great speakers. Get a head start on your garden with a bunch of nifty seeds exchanged with fellow gardeners. Get a winter garden-fix with cuttings of some new houseplants! A perfect way to spend a Saturday in late January in upstate NY!
Fee: $10 includes both classes and the exchanges
You are encouraged to bring seeds or houseplants to exchange, but they are not required in order to attend.Please bring:
Seeds you have collected (or other fresh seed that you would like to share).
Label with as much of this information as you can: common name of plant, botanical name; annual, perennial or biennial; hardiness; variety; size; sun, soil, and moisture preferences; bloom time and color. At minimum, note the common name and flower color.
If possible, divvy seed into reasonable small quantities in small envelopes with the information written on the envelope. If you prefer, the RCGC Library can do this for you if you deliver them to us ASAP, preferably by January 10.Houseplants: Bring in some good-sized pieces of those overgrown monsters you have at home or any special houseplants you are willing to share.
Seal the cuttings in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel, or put ends in a jar in water.
Workshops:9:30-11:00am Growing Garden Favorites from Seed
In this slide-lecture native Brit Mary Cropley will discuss techniques for growing an abundance of garden plants from seed - direct seeding, encouraging volunteers, and starting seeds under lights - along with suggested plants and seed sources for a profusion of blooms throughout the seasons. Mary has created exuberant cottage gardens at her Pittsford home by blending shapes, textures and colors, using drifts of self-sown annuals to weave together beds and borders. She will show you how you can achieve this effect in your own garden by growing your plants from seed.11:00-11:30am Seed Exchange & Refreshments
11:30am-1:00pm Propagating Houseplants
Karen Klingenberger will cover all the standard techniques for making more houseplants, from stem and leaf cuttings to air-layering. Bring cuttings from plants you are willing to share, and we will bring plants too, so everyone can take home some new treasures.
