Tuesday, May 25, 2010

ABC Wednesday Challenge -- S is for Swapping

It's ABC Wednesday again, and this week, the letter is


I had SEVERAL ideas for which way I wanted to go with the letter S.

I could have talked about SAGE or STEVIA or SAVORY, but I have written extensively about all three. You can read my posts about each of them here:

SAGE


STEVIA


SAVORY


(Special thanks to The Tasteful Garden, for the Sage and Stevia pictures, used by permission.)

SO, I really wanted SOMETHING fresh and new.

The last few weeks I have gone to two different plant SWAPS, where I have been able to trade some extra herbs we had, for some plants that we didn’t have yet. It’s been a fun experience, SEEING new plants, meeting new people, and enjoying the SUNSHINE.

But I wrote about each of them as SOON as I came back, Here and Here, So there wasn’t much new to add.

I did make a couple of bonus SWAPS the last two days. I came back from the SWAP last SATURDAY with a whole truckload of plants. I had the extra Oregano and Garlic and Catnip (more on that one later) that I took to trade, plus all the ones I came home with. Right at the end, I ended up with half a flat of Tomato plants that someone had dropped off, for anyone who could use them. It was either me or the compost pile so I brought them home.

Then the SWAPPING began.

It started last night, with my SWAPPING four extra Tomato plants, (plus a few bonus herbs) to our good friends, for four incredible STRAWBERRY plants, (all of which had plump juicy almost ripe berries on them).

Then tonight I STRUCK up a conversation with a man who was planting his plants at the community garden over at the congregational church, and before I was done, I had SWAPPED 4 Oregano plants and two pots of Garlic, for 8 Green Bell Pepper plants.

But then I got thinking. SWAPPING is not something that I only do on a few rare occasions. In fact we all do it every day. We SWAP something we have for something we want. A plant for a plant. A Dollar for a McDouble. A few minutes of time, for a bit of conversation.


Life is all about trading the things we have for the things we want.

For example, let’s talk a bit more about my Catnip, because I am so excited. I mentioned a week ago or so, that it was growing in our SPEARMINT, SO I thinned SOME out to take to the plant SWAP.

I also mentioned SEVERAL months ago that I have been STOPPING by the neighborhood pet STORE a couple of times a week and getting their used bedding from the small animal cages. It has been going in my compost bin and about a cubic yard of it is almost ready to put on the garden.

On a visit last week, just before the plant SWAP, I was talking with the STAFF there about my plans for the weekend, and I mentioned that I was taking Catnip to the plant SWAP. One thing led to another and I became their official SOURCE for catnip plants for them to SELL.

In this case I was actually able to SWAP some plants for cold hard cash. OK, not enough to retire on or anything, but a few bucks in my garden fund will help with SOME of the things I can’t SWAP for.

SO we all go through life SWAPPING one thing for another.

May all of your SWAPS be SUCCESSFUL!


Please take some time to check out what others were INSPIRED to blog about this week, at

ABC Wednesday,

and feel free to add your own blog to the list as we work our way through the alphabet.

~{@ @}~ ~{@ @}~ ~{@ @}~ ~{@ @}~
Be sure and join me each Tuesday for Tuesday Trivia Tie-in, where readers are invited to share trivia and show off their treasures.
Read all about it here

11 comments:

  1. I really like the idea of a plant swap. I guess it always happens informally among neighbors, but I hadn't thought it through to a formalized event. Lucky you that your town has one.

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  2. SEEMS to make SENSE. SENSATIONAL idea.


    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  3. I never thought of catnip being a proper plant. And there's me living out in the country...

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  4. First of all, I am sorry I haven't beenby much lately...things were/are kind ofbusy around here. Nice post today and congrats on swapping your catnip!

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  5. I have a small garden too. Love fresh veg.'s.

    On behalf of the ABC Wed., thanks for paticipating.

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  6. I love Swapping! I think it is a great way to use things we have extra of! When my kids were little I would do hand me downs and get hand me downs, same thing. Love it and love the plants!!

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  7. Plant swaping is a terrific idea. I like the whole progression of this blog and becoming the catnip source is the best. Well done.

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  8. Growing up "swapping, trading and bartering" it is pretty normal to me. I have a brother who almost lives on the concept.

    My latest swap? For cool blue glasses with Linda (above)! I am swapping out some of my overstock purple glasses for her overstock blue glasses. Love to swap!

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  9. Swap, barter, trade, exchange or haggle, it's all fun. The way things are going with the economic system, we may all be swapping and bartering more in the future! I'm stocking up on chocolate just in case. :)

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  10. It's a wonderful idea, a plant swap! Oh How I wish we had this kind of stuff here!!

    Loved following up all your swaps! :o)

    Kisses from Nydia.

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