Major Changes at the Seed Exchange!

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD - we are trying to avoid anyone making a needless trip to the National Arboretum all the way downtown and back out. Please forward this note to any area gardener or gardening group you may know.

The Washington Seed Exchange has CHANGED LOCATIONS to the Montgomery College campus in Takoma Park, MD. The event takes place this Saturday, January 27. Here are links to maps of the campus:
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/maps/tpvic.html
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/maps/tpcamp.html
http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/maps/tpssshuttle06.pdf
You may park for free in the college's garage on Fenton near the corner of King Street. Then please walk up Fenton and cross to New York Avenue. Make a right just after the MP (Mathematics Pavilion) across the small courtyard to the building marked SN (Science North). We are in the 100 Lecture Hall room. Don't worry - we will have tons of signage up.
The campus is also easily accessible from both the Silver Spring and Takoma Park Metro stations, local Ride On buses, and the Metrobus.

CELEBRATE NATIONAL SEED SWAP DAY!
Over $1,500 worth of door prizes will be given away!!!
Every attendee gets a Goody Bag with over $30 worth of garden products! Expert Speakers! Terrific Networking! Solid Garden Advice!

Washington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, presents the second annual Washington Seed Exchange. This seed swap will be in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

On Saturday, January 27, 2007 from 12:00 – 4:00PM

Registration fee is $15 per person at the door. Current Washington Gardener subscribers, FONA members, and MC students/faculty/staff receive a discount rate of $10 per person. (And yes, you may subscribe to Washington Gardener at the door to get the discount price.)
There is a limited enrollment of 125 maximum participants so be sure to arrive early!

If You Have Seeds to Swap
Please package them in resealable plastic zipper or wax sandwich baggies. Put an average of 20 seeds per baggy — more for small seeds like cleome, fewer for large seeds like acorns. Then label each baggy with a white sticker (such as Avery standard 5160 address label sheets) giving all the information you have on the seeds. If known, include the plant's common and scientific names; its soil, sun, and wateringneeds; and, its origins — where and when you collected the seeds. If you don't know all the information, that's okay, just try to provide as much as you can.

What If I Don't Have Any Seeds to Swap?
Come anyway! Even if you don’t have any seeds to trade, you are welcome to attend! We'll have plenty of extra seed contributions on hand and many attendees will be there just to learn, network, and prepare for next year's seed collecting.
Expert speakers will give brief talks on seed collection and propagation tips. We also have expert speakers to talk about the importance of propagating native plants. There will be ample time for individual Q&A throughout the program with the staff, the featured speakers, and invited experts as well.

Schedule:
12:00-12:30 Registration and seed drop
12:30-12:35 Introductory remarks and overview
12:35-1:00 Seed Saving with Kids
- Jenny Guillaume, Washington Youth Garden
1:00-1:25 Propagating Native Seeds
- Sylvan Kaufman, Adkins Arboretum
1:30-1:55 Heirloom Vegetable Seed Collecting
- Barbara Melera, D. Landreth Seeds
2:00-2:15 Refreshment Break
2:15-2:45 Seed Show & Tell
2:45-3:15 Seed Swap!
3:15-3:45 WG Garden Photo Contest Winners & Tutorial
- Josh Taylor, Archiphoto Workshops
3:45-4:00 Door Prizes and closing remarks
- Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener magazine

How Do We Swap?
As you check-in, staff will collect your seeds and place them at the appropriate seed category tables.You will be assigned a random seed swap number. There will be a short period for attendees to preview all the seeds brought in and available for swapping. Then, you will be called in by your number to pick a seed pack from each of the category tables (if desired). After the initial seed swap is complete, attendees are free to take any of the left over seeds and to trade seeds with each other. Dividing of packets is encouraged and extra baggies plus labels will be on hand for that purpose.

What Types of Seeds?
Seed swap categories will include natives, edibles, herbs, exotics, annuals, perennials,and woodies (trees/shrubs). If you can pre-sort your seeds in advance into whichever of these seven major categories fits best that would help us speed up the process on the swap day.

Door Prizes! Goodie Bags!
All attendees will receive a goodie bag at the end of the seed swap in exchange for filling out an evaluation form. The bags include seeds and items donated by: • America the Beautiful Fund • Nichols Garden Nursery • Organica Biotech • Thompson & Morgan Seedsmen, Inc • Washington Gardener Magazine • Whole Foods Market Silver Spring
In addition, we have some incredible door prizes to give away especially for area gardeners. The following companies have generously donated items: • American Horticultural Society • Edible Landscaping • Friends of Green Spring Gardens • Garden District — urban garden center • GlobalWorming • National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. • Timber Press, Inc.• Washington Gardener Magazine

Please help spread the word about this change in location!!! The good news is due to this, we can lower the price for attendees now to $15 per person ($10pp for FONA members, Washington Gardener magazine subscribers, and MC students/faculty/staff). All registrations will be done onsite at the event. No pre-pregistration needed, but if you are coming, please RSVP to editor@washingtongardener.com so we can have a head count for the refreshments and seating.
Hope to see you on Saturday!