By MG Anne Ruth
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| 2025 Plant Swap attendees peruse the offerings. Photo: Len Friedman |
On Thursday, May 7, the Montgomery County Master Gardeners will be holding our annual Spring Plant Swap immediately following the monthly meeting at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. This year, we will be holding two types of plant swaps: the General Swap and the Pre-Arranged Swap.
The General Swap is the traditional plant swap offered in previous years. To prepare for this swap, please follow last year’s instructions.
The Pre-Arranged Swap is a new feature this year. This swap is designed for MGs who are seeking specific items; who have ambitious gardening plans; and/or who have large items to donate but don’t want to bring them unless someone wants them. Instructions are as follows:
In the Gardeners Connected group on Groups.io, post or email what you have to swap and what you want to swap for. You may list specific items (e.g., “purple coneflower,” “Sun Gold tomato”) or general ones (e.g., “plants for dry shade”). If an MG has something another MG wants, and wants something the same MG has, they can arrange a swap via personal email.
On the day of the swap, please proceed to the Old Timers’ Building and park in the parking lot on the left side of the building. (See the location of the Old Timers’ Building on the Fairgrounds map.) You should plan to pick up and drop off your pre-arranged plant swaps at 9:00 am. The individual swaps will occur directly at the parked cars. Please keep a detailed list of your pre-arranged swaps and label the boxes/bags for each of your swaps. Please also make a small sign for your car with your name and a list of your swap partners so that you can easily find each other.
If someone does not show up for one of your pre-arranged swaps, you should either bring the unclaimed plants to the General Swap at 9:30 am or take the plants home with you.
If you have any questions, please contact MGs Terri Valenti, Anne Ruth, or Blair Zucker. Their contact information is available on VMS. You can also post your questions to the Gardeners Connected group. We look forward to seeing you at the swap.
