2007/2008 seed exchange

[t00lie]

Fermi ---as i tend to keep previous years lists which i peruse at my leisure ,(using reference books ,web and NZ biosecurity info),during winter ,i already have a 'must have' list waiting for the current bulletins.

Saves time but the system relies on your 'must haves' appearing in the following years list.Not a problem if some of them don't as i find the list always remains far larger than what can be requested.!!!--Big smile.

Susan--- AGS seed bulletin arrived 8-00 am mail this morning.Posted back at 1.15 pm today after completion over lunch.
It's arrival was a pleasant surprise.I'm not too sure of when the financial year ends for any of the big 3 societies but i've been a bit slack this year as i only got round to renewing my membership of NARGS and AGS by the web last week ,(SRGC is via a revolving credit subscription thingie??? or whatever it is called-- actioned automatically ).I therefore had presumed my tardiness would require some follow up from my end.
Fingers crossed for NARGS .

Lunch made --pack loaded--*camera ready--early morning start tomorrow---WOO HOO !!!!!!!!,(sounds like i'm suffering from a bad case of cabin fever) --first proper field trip of the season--,--- and a nice sunny day forecast.
* I might just follow Lesley around in the hope she repeats,(and this time can be recorded), her act of a few years back where upon having her gumboots stuck fast in a bog she collapsed face down into an alpine cushion and had to be rescued --out of her boots.

Pics of the day and any action to follow.

Cheers Dave.

   

[David Nicholson]

........* I might just follow Lesley around in the hope she repeats,(and this time can be recorded), her act of a few years back where upon having her gumboots stuck fast in a bog she collapsed face down into an alpine cushion and had to be rescued --out of her boots.

Pics of the day and any action to follow.

Cheers Dave.
   

A sight worth seeing Dave!

[t00lie]

Quote-"A sight worth seeing Dave! Grin"

I'm a bit worried David cos if it does happen i'm sure the shots will show a heck of a lot of camera shake.

Now will that be because ---of my concern for LCs health, --or the thought of the money,(blackmail),i'm going to receive --or maybe just the humour of the whole thing.

I'll leave you to make an educated guess.

Actually as i'm writing this for some reason,(probably as a defense to how the above might be received), i keep coming back to these following words ,(from a British comedian ,the late Dick Emery in one of his characters as he crossed and uncrossed his legs)-- "all in the best possible taste"

Big big smile.

Good night --
Dave.     

[Andrew]

British comedian ,the late Dick Emery in one of his characters as he crossed and uncrossed his legs-- "all in the best possible taste"

Dave

Kenny Everett ?

[David Nicholson]

Andrew's right Dave it was Kenny not Dick Emery.

[Anthony Darby]

Dick Emery was 'Oo you are awful, but I like you'.

[t00lie]

Oops..... thanks guys .

My memory --well in fact our memories aren't what they used to be ,as i'm positive i asked 'she who will be obeyed 'whether i had the right comedian or not prior to posting last night.

Plenty of pics taken on the trip today --will post over the next day or two .

Good night
Dave.

[David Pilling]

Hi,

An oddity is that the AGS seed exchange application form asks for 23 selections (non-donors) or 30 selections (donors) but provides 24 or 31 boxes.

So filling in all the boxes results in an extra choice.

[Gene Mirro]

As a first-year member and a seed donor for 2007, I am still on a pretty steep learning curve.  I didn't get my printed seed list until a couple of days ago, so I sent in a "homemade" order form about a week ago.  I just got the printed seed list, and I see that there is an order form for surplus seeds.  Can I send that in with another "small lots of seed" permit?  Or did it have to go in with the original order?  Thanks for your advice.

[Diane Whitehead]

The NARGS list comes a lot later than the Scottish and AGS lists.
I used to count on receiving it just before Christmas, but not
recently.  However, the seeds arrive very quickly.

Here are the most recent dates, working backwards from last year:

list arrived Jan 3 (but it was online before this), seeds arrived Jan 16
list Dec 30 - seeds Jan 20
list Jan 13 - seeds Jan 27

   The NARGS surplus seeds arrive late,
though, and I have just discovered the 60 packets that I received
sometime in April, 2004!!  April is not a good month for sowing
so many packets  - I am totally involved with plant sales, flower
shows, potting on the basil, peppers, tomatoes etc.  I guess I just
stuck the envelope out of the way for a bit - and lost track of them.
They were sown yesterday, and it will be interesting to see how many
germinate.

[Ian Y]

Gene, strictly speaking , the  surplus order should go in with the main but send yours in, with a note, and a second small seed lot permit.

[David Pilling]

The impression I have is that the SRGC exchange works on the basis of accumulating orders until a certain date (guess - January 2008) at which point a computer analyses all the orders and works out who gets what.

The AGS on the other hand appears to be first come first served.

If that is right, there's no need to rush with SRGC orders.

[Ian Y]

SRGC seed ex distribution works on this basis.... first, overseas donors, second, home donors, next overseas non donors, then home non donors then surplus.... ALL ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE  15th JANUARY 2008.

[fermi de Sousa]

I've just heard from Laura Serowicz (the NARGS Seed Intake Manager) and they are just finalizing the list so we should see it in the not too distance future.
Having done the SRGC and the AGS ones already, it gives us a breathing space before we start poring over the lists and the references all over again!
These 3 are (to me) the main seedexes and do an amazing job with selfless dedication by teams of volunteers. I know we here in the Antipodes have made complaints about missing out on "choice" items from the lists (anyone here ever got Tecophilea?) because of the sheer distances and the time it takes for the mail to be delivered.
But overall I'm happy to participate in the system and always rejoice when some long awaited "rarity" comes into flower!
cheers
fermi

[Ian Y]

Just to add some insight to the way the SRGC seed exchange works - the list is made up from the donations before the seed is split into individual packets.
With some of the rarer plants there may only be 5 packets or less.
It is also possible that when the packeters go to work the seed of that rare and sought after plant may be sterile or obviously wrongly named so no packets are available.

I must admit that I keep and sow all my own Tecophilea seed and never send it to the exchange.