by Jennifer Henderson

I’ll admit it.  I’ve never hosted an official seed swap, but I’ve always wanted to.  Maybe this will be the year.  Perhaps we can do it together and share stories of how it went.  There seems to be a fair amount of information out there and it doesn’t seem to be that difficult, so why haven’t I been invited to a seed swap?  And that brings us back to my first point:  why haven’t I hosted a seed swap?  

So, here’s the plan:

1. Who’s your target group?  I work at a community garden and there’s a great starting base there.  If you don’t know any local gardeners, see #4 and see this as an opportunity to meet many.  
2. Choose a time and place.  Consider how many gardeners you’d like to invite and whether you’d like to host a public or private seed swap.  
3. Make a cute invitation.  Any veggie will do, but I think a carrot will work nicely and give you plenty of writing space.  Send these directly to your garden pals.
4. If you are hosting a public event, make flyers to go up at your child’s school, church, gym, recreation center, library, grocer, coffee shop, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Be sure to send a few flyers along with your invitation and encourage your friends to post the event in their neck of the woods.  
5. Post it on your Facebook page and make a public event.  Only make it public if you are hosting the swap in a public place (safety first).  
6. If you have a Twitter account and you tweet with local gardeners, then post it there as well.  
7. Get small plastic zipper bags (the ones jewelers use work best & you can find them at most craft stores or your local big box store) or plastic containers.  I’m a bit of a container hound, so I’ve got a plastic box that has lots of tiny plastic boxes nestled inside.  I got it at my local Harbor Freight store, but I’ve seen something similar for jewelers and crafters.  Check when you pick up your small zipper bags.  
8. Reach out to your local garden centers for seeds to supplement those being offered by your fellow gardeners.  
9. Invite some gardening experts to share gardening tips and tricks at your event.
10. Bring issues of Mother Earth News, Urban Farm, Herb Companion, Hobby Farms, etc. for your guests to peruse or take, if you can part with them.
11. Bring seed catalogs like D. Landreth Seed Company or Johnny’s Seeds and split orders on all the heirlooms you love.
12. Be sure to have your gardeners bring the instructions and specifics associated with their seeds or as much information as they can share.  
13. Maybe offer door prizes or a contest for the participants.  Who doesn’t love winning some garden goodies?  

If you host a seed swap and share your story with us, then you’ll be entered to win Lola’s SakitToMe in green, of course.

Happy Swapping, and I look forward to sharing with you soon!