Gardening: Have a Seed Swapping Party and Meet Your Neighbors

There are usually plenty of leftover seeds in your packet after you've planted what you need. Why not invite your "green-thumb" neighbors over for a seed swapping party to share your leftover seeds with each other. Maybe they have some green beans for your radishes or you have some fresh herbs for their heirloom tomatoes. You could talk about bartering with them when harvest time comes too. Swapping some ripe canteloupe for some fresh zuchinni could be a win/win for both parties. Fresh herbs can be grown indoors all year long, but late Winter or early Spring is the best time to plan your "seed swap" party.

After time you will figure out who is in the know about growing tips for certain produce. Next year you could ask those people to write up their expert advice to share with the group, or ask them to simply talk about their passion. The group may grow from word of mouth or from flyers passed out in the neighborhood. Start with the people who have beautiful flower gardens and vegetable gardens year after year. You know who they are!

What a great way to get to know your neighbors, share seeds, knowledge and delicious fruits of your labor. You can also learn to collect seeds to store for next years planting. Some people decide to plant a community garden and take turns with the weeding and watering. At harvest time, the goods can be split proportionately. You may have a few books hanging around that you can share with a new gardener. You could also swap planting containers for soil and/or miracle grow.

When harvest time comes, you could have a harvest party or community pot-luck where people use ingredients from their garden in a delicious dish. At this time there could be a barter of excess produce. This could also turn into a neighborhood canning event. Just imagine how much lighter the load is when you share it with others. Play some music, drink some wine and have a great time preparing delicous produce for the winter months. It all started with a little seed and just watch your friendships grow!