Community Plant and Seed Swap

Saturday, April 23, 2016, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Pickering Creek Audubon Center, 11450 Audubon Lane, Easton, MD 21601

Have you ever gazed with envy at your neighbor’s gardens? Wanted to try a new flower or vegetable variety, without spending an arm and a leg? Divided your bulbs and wondered what to do with the excess?

This spring, join the Community Plant and Seed Swap on Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center. Covet no more! Share your garden’s wealth!

Here is how it works: Comb through your seed packets or saved seeds from last fall. Dig up extra plants (roots, tubers, corms, or bulbs) from your garden. Clean and label them. Bring them to the event. Drop off your items. Shop around and choose plants and seeds other have brought, and take them home with you to try in your own garden. Simple as that!

This event is 100% free and open to the public. The success of the swap depends entirely upon what you bring with you to share, so be generous! Think about the kinds of plants you would be interested in trying out. If you have anything particularly unusual, try to bring several samples of it in root or seed form. It could be a favorite heirloom vegetable variety, a beautiful native wildflower, or your prolific raspberry canes. Flowers, fruits, vegetables, grasses, herbs, and tree cuttings are all welcome.

You may be thinking, “That sounds great! But I have nothing to share.” You might be surprised. Assess your garden this spring. That clump of iris you planted last year probably grew and produced some small side shoots. Maybe it could be dug up and divided. Maybe you have a few leftover seed packets from last year tucked away (but please don’t bring your seeds from 1998; they are too old and likely will not germinate). Maybe you could trim out a few runners from your strawberry bed. Be creative and be generous.

You may also wonder, “How much can I take at the swap? There are so many things I would like to try.” A good rule of thumb is to take home about as much as you bring with you. The swap will operate on the honor system, so just be considerate of your swapmates.

If you have questions about transplanting, seed saving, plant care, or the best native species to try, there will be Master Gardeners on hand at the Swap to answer gardening questions. Members of the Chesapeake Herb Society will also be available to guide visitors through the beautiful herb garden they maintain at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

As always, the Pickering Creek Audubon Center will be open for exploration. It is open from dawn to dusk every day and is free for visitors to enjoy. The Center is a 400-acre working farm dedicated to community-based conservation of natural resources through environmental education and outreach on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Common Invasive Species to Avoid: Periwinkle (Vinca spp.), English ivy (Hedera helix), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), all grasses (unless you are certain you have a native species). For a full list of invasive species to avoid, please visit the website link below.

For more information about the Community Plant and Seed Swap, including more FAQs and printable label templates, please visit http://pickeringcreek.audubon.org/programs/community-plant-seed-swap, or contact Vanessa Goold, volunteer, at vanessa.goold@gmail.com.