2014 Mostly Mystery 'Mater Mailing

[AlittleSalt]

I am going to grow Poblano - so count me in as interested. Herbs too.

[guruofgardens]

Yes, Lindy! I'd love to try Poblano peppers as most of what I've been growing/attempting to grow are very hot. Thanks for sharing the seeds.

[Lindalana]

Was going to send my seeds today but post office was closed, forgot. Will send tomorrow.

[Tormato]

No worries, please.

That deadline is only a suggestion so I'll have (hopefully)
90%+ of packages here, by then.

While sorting those, (hopefully) most of the other packages will arrive. And when the rest arrive, (hopefully) the last of the people just joining will end.

[nickbolk]

Seeds sent today from Canada! Glad I didn't miss the party by being stuck out of town for work! Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this!

[Virtex]

Tormato,

Everyone seems to be excited about the swap and you always do a great job, so as an outsider the process is a mystery to most of us. Can you share anything of the process you go through each year?

Here are a few questions that I came up with:

How many packages come in each year? How many plastic baggies do you handle per year? Does your postman love you or hate you? Got any funny stories? I know this keeps you busy for months, so it must be crazy in your house. Do you get help from anyone?

I love what you do, the process is a mystery to me, just curious how things run behind the scenes. If you happen to take a picture of the mountain of baggies, I would love to see that.

Thanks for your hard work,

- Scott

[AlittleSalt]

I can imagine Tormato's mailman calling him up, "Hey, can you come down to the post office and pick up your mail, we don't have a truck big enough to bring it to you!"

[Tormato]

The mailman doesn't mind. It's almost all one way delivery to me, as I visit the P.O. for sending almost everything back. He gets a couple of SunGold plants and a different beefsteak each year.

Last year was probably the peak, with 100+ packages and 10,000+ packs of seed (not all plastic baggies, but that's another story).

Funny stories? Yes, to me. Just the other day a package comes in, I open it up, and there's a bunch of labels with my return address. I'm thinking, what am I going to do with these as I don't mail packages to myself. The next day I figured it out.

Last year there was the "cat hair" package.

Also this year, there was one package with a note inside to the postal/customs inspector. I'll try to get permission to reprint it.

As for the process, it's about 20 one gallon plastic tubs, some near overflowing, each with it's own category.

[LindyAdele]

Has anyone had trouble with customs? I didn't know what to write on the customs label... I thought tomato seeds might be examined. I wrote 'garden supply' and hoped that wouldn't raise suspicions. I don't actually know if it's legal to mail seeds... I sent my package from Canada and hope it will arrive early next week.

How many packages have come in already Tormato?

[Tormato]

They keep coming in every day. I'll count the packages tonight, inventory all non-tomato and non-pepper seed, and try to list those on Monday.

I've never had a package not arrive, that I'm aware of. There are a few people who enter the swap without posting at a website or emailing me. The package just shows up without notice. If a package didn't show up, I'm not sure if they would notify me.

Some late "moola" has come in. No notes on what it's for. I'll try to contact those that sent it. If it's for anything, it looks like it will be another order with the Secret Seed Cartel. Maybe some of the Alan Bishop varieties.

[green_go]

I never have had problems sending seeds from Canada to US as a lettermail.
Oversized bubble envelope up to 100 g costs $2.95, over 100 g - $5.15
I just stick the stamps to the envelope and put it in the mailbox - no need to declare the content or even go to the post office.

[LindyAdele]

Wow! I took my package to the post office, and they charged me $8.90 for small package mail. But that post office is in a convenience store, and I really never get the sense that they know what they are doing. Maybe I just sent a lot of seeds?

[Mark$]

My seeds are on the way to you.

Mark

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by LindyAdele

Has anyone had trouble with customs? I didn't know what to write on the customs label... I thought tomato seeds might be examined. I wrote 'garden supply' and hoped that wouldn't raise suspicions. I don't actually know if it's legal to mail seeds... I sent my package from Canada and hope it will arrive early next week.

How many packages have come in already Tormato?

It's at 70 for now, although I'm not home for Saturday's mail.

Likely at least another 5 due, and another 5-10(+?) will try to join over the next month(+), while I'm sorting and packing.

[greenthumbomaha]

Gary,

I still have my seeds, and what I have ready I'll send tomorrow. The basil I was trying to harvest seeds from were almost bare. They must have gotten windblown or the seeds fell on the driveway as I carried the stems in. I am in the process of picking stubborn seeds out from a Bluebeard shrub. It takes about 2 hours to peal back enough seeds to form one package. They seem to fall apart and some are just chaff. Sorry it is taking so long.. can I blame it on mother nature just this one time?

Here is what is ready (10 each) :

Striped Roman tomato

Butterfly (common) Milkweed Zone 5

Collective Farm melon

Common Chives (not garlic)

Rosa Bianca eggplant

I'll try and make it to the 10 packages of the Bluebeard but we shall see ...

I can also make multi packs of Marconi type red peppers if you hae requests for these. They are not specific varieties or bagged , but they are worth growing nevertheless imho

- Lisa