Last summer, I hosted a small party for friends who, like me, love to garden. It was one of the nicest afternoons of the entire summer... we sat on the screen porch, nibbled fancy foods, and shared tales of vegetative triumph and tribulation.
Because these tight economic times can make trips to the nursery a real splurge, the party included a plant and ornament swap. It was unexpectedly delightful for everyone involved - even those who have established gardens and little need for new plants. I think every person in attendance took home a real treasure. This was due, in part, to the fact that we are a good mix of novice-to-expert... for those of us just looking to fill and expand our ambitious beds, the hostas, shasta daisies, and coneflowers were perfect. For the more discerning and experienced gardeners, there were a few rare and unusual selections - - little jewels - - as well.
We had more than enough ornaments to set up a good-sized yard sale! Again, it was fun to find a birdhouse, string of outdoor lights, or other little decoration that a friend was ready to pass along. And it was a good excuse to clean some of those "love it but never use it" items out of the garden shed.
If you're looking for a simple, fun way to spend an afternoon this spring or summer, I highly recommend a garden party. Here's a quick how-to. I'll follow up with a post on menu suggestions later. (Leave any questions in the comments section, and I'll be sure to answer them!)1. Invite gardeners only. It was tough for me not to include all my dearest friends, but I think we ended up enjoying the afternoon more because we could talk gardening with others who shared the same passion, without fear of boring other guests! Try to include a mix of beginners and experts, and consider allowing your guests to also invite a friend.
2. Send your invitations early. Try for a month's notice, if possible, because this time of year is busy for everyone - - and the growing season is short and precious!
3. Have a rain plan (whether a backup date or a sheltered location).
4. Plan a do-ahead menu so you can enjoy the entire party without even setting foot in the kitchen. I'll share some menu ideas in an upcoming post.
5. Keep the swap organized. I learned a lot from my first attempt, and will be making some changes this year to make the swap portion as enjoyable, organized and easy as possible.
Setting up the swap
Last summer, I had a table area set up for ornaments, and two designated plant areas: sun and shade. The ornaments were self-explanatory - - but the plants needed more of an introduction. We took turns describing the plants we'd brought to swap: their special needs, their attributes (bloom time, color, etc.). Everyone ended up bringing far more plants than I'd anticipated (which was fabulous!), so the plant "introductions" took some time and needed repeating every so often. With under ten guests, it was actually really enjoyable to examine and talk about the different plants, encourage each other to try new things, and envision just where we could use some of the offerings. But with more than our intimate group, this could get tedious.
This year, I plan to mail homemade plant tags along with the invitation. The tag will have a place for guests to fill in the plant name, describe the plant's needs (sun/shade; moist/dry soil; etc.), describe the plant itself, and fill in any other details. That way, we don't need to spend as much time time verbally communicating the details during the swap... we can "shop" just like at the nursery!
Last year, we drew numbers and took turns making our selections based on numerical order. This worked well, as pretty much everyone ended up with at least one of their top choices. However, with so many plants, it took a long time. If I have more guests this year, I need to streamline things. So, I've decided to give every guest a set number of "tokens" when they arrive, and let them "bid" at leisure on the plants they like best. If there is something they simply must have, then they can leave all 10 of their tokens (inexpensive plastic plant markers with their initials, I'm thinking) at that item. Or, they can put one token each on 10 individual plants. Either way, we'll set it up as more of an auction so that everyone can earmark their selections at the same time, instead of taking it turn-by-turn.
What we discovered last year was that some "expert" gardeners were happy taking home just one or two treasures, while other "beginners" were overjoyed to load their trunks up with a good number of basics. The auction-style swap is flexible enough to accomodate everyone. Oh, and if there's a tie during bidding? I'll rely on the generosity and goodwill of my guests, and my husband has promised to draw names if necessary (as a supposedly unbiased ambassador, I guess).
One of the nicest aspects of gardening is sharing - - sharing stories, and sharing plants. It was surprisingly wonderful to see your swap offerings heading home with a good friend, knowing that a little part of your garden would soon be blooming in theirs.
4. Plan a do-ahead menu so you can enjoy the entire party without even setting foot in the kitchen. I'll share some menu ideas in an upcoming post.
5. Keep the swap organized. I learned a lot from my first attempt, and will be making some changes this year to make the swap portion as enjoyable, organized and easy as possible.
Last summer, I had a table area set up for ornaments, and two designated plant areas: sun and shade. The ornaments were self-explanatory - - but the plants needed more of an introduction. We took turns describing the plants we'd brought to swap: their special needs, their attributes (bloom time, color, etc.). Everyone ended up bringing far more plants than I'd anticipated (which was fabulous!), so the plant "introductions" took some time and needed repeating every so often. With under ten guests, it was actually really enjoyable to examine and talk about the different plants, encourage each other to try new things, and envision just where we could use some of the offerings. But with more than our intimate group, this could get tedious.
This year, I plan to mail homemade plant tags along with the invitation. The tag will have a place for guests to fill in the plant name, describe the plant's needs (sun/shade; moist/dry soil; etc.), describe the plant itself, and fill in any other details. That way, we don't need to spend as much time time verbally communicating the details during the swap... we can "shop" just like at the nursery!
Last year, we drew numbers and took turns making our selections based on numerical order. This worked well, as pretty much everyone ended up with at least one of their top choices. However, with so many plants, it took a long time. If I have more guests this year, I need to streamline things. So, I've decided to give every guest a set number of "tokens" when they arrive, and let them "bid" at leisure on the plants they like best. If there is something they simply must have, then they can leave all 10 of their tokens (inexpensive plastic plant markers with their initials, I'm thinking) at that item. Or, they can put one token each on 10 individual plants. Either way, we'll set it up as more of an auction so that everyone can earmark their selections at the same time, instead of taking it turn-by-turn.
What we discovered last year was that some "expert" gardeners were happy taking home just one or two treasures, while other "beginners" were overjoyed to load their trunks up with a good number of basics. The auction-style swap is flexible enough to accomodate everyone. Oh, and if there's a tie during bidding? I'll rely on the generosity and goodwill of my guests, and my husband has promised to draw names if necessary (as a supposedly unbiased ambassador, I guess).
One of the nicest aspects of gardening is sharing - - sharing stories, and sharing plants. It was surprisingly wonderful to see your swap offerings heading home with a good friend, knowing that a little part of your garden would soon be blooming in theirs.
A Garden Party
[date and time]
[address]
Summer attire; hats encouraged.
Summer attire; hats encouraged.
Light refreshments will be served.
Plant and garden ornament swap!
If you wish, bring plants or gently used garden ornaments (pots, birdhouses, garden décor). Items should be clean and in good condition. Be rid of your unused items, and take home new treasures. (Even if you have nothing to swap, please come for the party!)
RSVP
The party decorations doubled as gifts for my friend: a diaper cake, a basket of wrapped baby items that we used for a guessing game, and some framed baby pictures of the mommy-and-daddy-to-be. 
I also found an old yellow ceramic jar at an antique store and spelled "HUNNY" on it, Pooh-style. A small bunch of balloons, the cute cupcakes, and an enticing spread of munchies was all it took to round out this special party. Well, that and a houseful of wonderful guests!
I started with Martha Stewart scrapbooking papers in coordinated colors and prints. I used the same papers for handmade invitations, party favors and prize bags. I also (finally!) splurged on a couple of decorative punches, which made the job of creating 20+ of everything much easier... and more symmetrical.
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