Gaillardia and bee.

We have switched our swaps to the first Saturday of every month. We think this will just be more fun and interesting for all involved.

And I thought I would feature my new favorite flower, a brilliant native hybrid Gaillardia called “Oranges and Lemons.” It’s just a beautiful beautiful flower, attracts all kinds of beneficial insects, and is easy to grow and a fabulous self-sower.  This means that I will be bringing Gaillardia seedlings to next week’s swap. I can’t wait to have mounds of this around my asian pear and serviceberry trees.

Here’s how Horticulture magazine describes its virtues: “It uniquely combines a breakthrough in color with an abundance of longer lasting blooms. The amount of flowers carried at any one time is striking. Indications show it to be more floriferous and longer flowering than any other blanketflower hybrid. In addition, it is drought and heat tolerant, attracts butterflies, and not normally browsed by deer.”

Not bad, eh? The following picture shows how beautiful the seedheads are as well.

We’ll be making some changes soon to the blog and make it easier to do things like join our facebook page, but if you’re on facebook, come and find us for more fun updates, like the Town Talk article on Amy Johnson, one of the MGE organizers and general green gal extraordinaire.

In other exciting news, the all-new Media Farmers Market will be starting up soon! May 13 from 3-7 pm, to be precise. More on that next time.

Media Green Exchange Minutes, Oct. 4, 2009, 7-8:15 pm

Next Meeting:
November 8, 2009, 7pm

Present:
Cate, Gerard, Marion, Amy, Meg, Shannon

1. Plant Swap Feedback:

• Consensus:
• unstructured informal swap (as opposed to negotiated 1-to-1 swap) is working well
• swapping plants, non-plant items as well as services (such as weeding, carpentry, etc.) is desirable
• an exact start time is best
• ? discussed need to bring something to swap; open swap to public? May they take something?
• agreement that we would like to attract non-gardeners and apartment dwellers to swap, thus, we shall emphasize that folks need not bring something to come to the swap

Action: Continue with informal swap. Participants may swap plants, non-plants (such as tools), as well as services, and even take something without an item to swap. Final swap will be last Saturday in October.

2. Plant Swap Publicity:

Actions:

• Get flyers out around town and to networks: Seven Stones, House, Selene, etc. Shannon will supply flyers by email.
• Reach out to local communities outside of Media.
• Article for Town Talk – Amy
• Connect with online communities – Shannon, Meg
• Spring 2010 possible actions:
• Create sign for the “pavilion” on the Plum Street Mall to invite passersby to the event
• ? Second Saturdays Swaps in Evenings?
• ? Dining Under the Stars Swaps?
• ? Collaborate with Selene, Birthmark and other retailers to put up a table and offer free samples?
• Offer demonstrations such as rain barrel construction, dividing perennials, seed bombs for guerrilla gardening

3. Plant Swap Committee:

• Gerard, Cate, Amy, Shannon. Each of us will commit to be present at each plant swap (one Saturday per month per person), there before 10am, welcoming folks, facilitating swapping, supplying signup sheet and flyers.

Action: Amy will do next week’s swap. The remainder of October will be decided over email by the committee.

4. Value Statement:

• We read the statement that we submitted to Media Borough and attached to our fall flyers:
• Media Green Exchange is a grassroots network of gardeners. We cultivate the sharing of resources, community through gardening, a sense of place, and good clean fun in the dirt.
• Discussion: don’t want to close door to folks who don’t consider themselves “gardeners”, exchange of resources most important, succinct statement is best
• Consensus: Rework statement with new emphasis beyond gardening.

Action: Brainstorm over email. Gerard, Cate, and Shannon will bring revised statement to next meeting for approval.

5. Upcoming Events/Transition Town Media

• Marion introduced Transition Town Media to the group. Discussed upcoming events, including Fresh: The Movie, Oct. 25, 2009 7pm, at  the Delaware County Institute of Science. Media Green Exchange is a co-sponsor with Greener Partners of this event.

Action: MGE will spread the word to our networks about Fresh: The Movie. Marion will provide flyers (via email?) for distribution.

6. MGE Ideas, Big and Small, a simple brainstorm:

• Media Garden Tour, and garden-in-progress tour
• More interactive website
• Work parties, home projects, learning opportunities
• Demonstrations at plant swap
• Field trips
• Plum Street Mall edible plantings
• Guerrilla plantings
• Community garden in boro
• Farmers’ market

Action: We will send out a separate email for your feedback about these ideas.
7. Next meeting items

• Value Statement
• Plant Swap wrap-up
• January Plant Swap
• Winter actions (choices from brainstorm)

Last sips of nectar.

We will be deciding how to grow the Plant Swap next spring (and when to end it this fall), what other events and efforts MGE will undertake, such as a January seed swap, sustainable greening efforts in Media, and maybe even a farmer’s market. There are some exciting upcoming collaborative opportunities. Inevitably we will discuss how to organize ourselves. It’s an important meeting, and we hope to see you there.

Marion, what's the name of this beauty?

Today’s swap, what with it being a drizzly October morning, was a small group, but with incredible bounty and great conversation about seeds, butterfly gardens, and community. Marion (of Transition Town Media) brought gems worthy of the envy of a master gardener, Gabe brought his carefully harvested seeds as well as his incredible knowledge about the subject, Barbara brought green peppers, Susanne brought fragrant herbs and other goods from her veggie garden, and I brought the workhorse perennials – bee balm and day lily, as I rearrange things and create new beds. I felt extremely fortunate to walk away with a wagonful of plants.

We will be having our first organizational meeting on Sunday, October 4 at 7pm at 121 Edgemont Street in Media. We hope you will come with your ideas as we plan events throughout the year. We have some ideas for edible and decorative plantings around town, a farmers market, and much more. Bring your energy, inspiration and creativity!

One event that we will be having for sure is a Seed Swap around January 31, 2010, which is the International Seed Swap Day. So, start saving your seeds! We’ve already had some great seeds come to the weekly swap, and we are hopeful for a bonanza in January. I will be harvesting seeds from my Gaillardia (Oranges and Lemons) as well as my Flame Echinacea.

Gaillardia and bee.

I also saved seeds from some wonderful butternut sqash from Meg.

On that note, if you are into saving seeds, do check out the Seed Savers Exchange, an amazing resource.

eggplant paperweight

We’ll be holding a plant swap every Saturday at 10 am sharp on the Plum Street Mall until the weather or the harvest succumbs to fall.

In Chinese five element tradition, so I’ve heard, there are actually five seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Fall. Autumn is the season of the harvest and gathering, and Fall is the season of falling (as in leaf fall) and letting go. I have remembered this for years because it really struck a chord with me.

Do come at 10 so we can begin swapping shortly thereafter. Some folks have asked if the swap is a negotiated trade or just a “bring one, take one.” For now we are certainly in the spirit of “bring what feels right, and take what feels right.” I encourage you, however, to use the comments of this blog to ask around, especially if you are digging up a plant that you could otherwise leave in the ground.

For example: I might post in the comments, “Does anybody want some bee balm?” and see if there is a response. If there is none, then there is certainly no guarantee that there will be a taker for that item. That said, every plant and veggie and fruit and seed found a home last weekend, and I suspect this trend will continue.

So… what are folks thinking about bringing this week?

Oh the bounty!

It was really fun to traipse into town, wagon full of plants (and daughter), and come back home with a wagon full of totally new plants, and better yet, full of good conversation and good coffee (thank you Seven Stones). Now that’s a way to spend a Saturday morning, in my book. I’ve already popped in my rudbeckia, and I’m finding that perfect spot for a few raspberry plants.

Among the harvest was jalapenos, butternut squash, chard, Roma tomatoes, eggplant, basil, parsley, peppermint, bay leaves, raspberries, apples and string beans. There were plants available of raspberry (many — and more available!), black-eyed susan (rudbeckia), hosta, peppermint, I’m sure I’m missing some, and seeds of the sweetest canteloupe. There was even a rain barrel up for grabs! Incredible bounty!!

the goods bring a smile

The Plant Swap will be held every Saturday at 10am sharp on the Plum Street Mall. Come at 10 so we can start swapping by 10:15 or so. While we all stayed and chatted and were in no particular hurry today, we figure this will enable everyone to get a gander on the goods and participate fully.

Give us your feedback; how was it for you?

Good clean fun in the dirt.

It’s a great time to divide and transplant perennials, so separate that overcrowded patch and bring something to swap. I also suspect there will be some good late harvest vegetables and fruits. I hear that figs are ripening…

We’ll be adding features to enable your participation, but for now, learn more about us.