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The Perennial Exchange

Welcome to The Perennial Exchange! If you are interested in gardening, you have come to the right place!

ABOUT US

The Perennial Exchange was formed in 1995 with the goal of exchanging perennial plants with other gardeners.
The club has members throughout Indiana. However, most are located in central/southern Indiana.  The club has two plants swaps a year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Plants swap activities generally consist of trading plants, sharing with new gardeners, listening to speakers, participating in workshops, and garden tours.

About Us 

Benefits

Member Benefits

Save

Members exchange plants to offset the cost of commercial nurseries.  Members leave the plant swap with car loads of free plants.

Learn

Plant swaps are educational including insteresting workshops, speakers and tours.

Share

Our members are generous and always willing to give away plants to help new gardeners.


Meet

The club has members with diverse backgrounds, some with little gardenting knowledge, some who are master gardeners, and everything in-between. The club is a great forum for sharing gardening ideas.



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Conserve

The Perennial Exchange promotes the use of native plants, whenever possible, to preserve natural ecological communities.


Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics

Members are expected to abide by a Code of Ethics to ensure the best possible experience all members.
 
I will provide quality plants.
 
I will be efficient in the delivery of my plants.
 
I will provide the kind of plants that I would like to receive.
 
I will provide the kind of plants that I would like to receive.
 
I will foster growth of gardening knowlege and friendships.

Plant Swap


Plant Swaps

2023 Fall Plant Swap

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023

Moose Lodge #1081
840 S. Cory Lane, Bloomington, IN 47403

Basement, with possible use of shelter house if weather permits
(parking in far end of long drive, near the lodge's shelter house)


(Register by: Sept. 23, 2023)
There's a $10 fee/attendee to cover our rental and other costs.
First time attendees are not required to be PE members, but we do ask that you register online.

Program Schedule (All times in Eastern time zone)
9:00AM – 10:00AM Setup* & Continental Breakfast (door prize donations table open)
10:00AM – 10:30AM Plant Swap (usually lasts about 20 minutes) followed by initial clean-up
10:30AM – 11:00AM Business Meeting
11:00AM – 11:40AM Light lunch/brunch with "Successional Planting" presentation by Moya Andrews, author of Perennials Short and Tall
During presentation, we'll enjoy a light lunch/brunch
11:40AM – 12:00PM Door Prizes & directions to Moya A.'s and Victoria W.'s Bloomington show-case gardens**
12PM – 1:30PM Optional visit to two member's open gardens, in neighborhood south of the IU Campus

*Set-up is a time to bring in the non-invasive plants or garden items you have brought to swap or donate. We recommend digging and potting plants or packaging bulbs/tubers/seeds at least one day before the swap. Label all plants clearly and keep the area underneath the table for plants that you have selected during the swap and plan to take home. To make plant labeling easier, current members can download and print label sheets in the members area. Also, use those unsolicited address labels that charities send to you to stick on your labels and/or pots, so that members can remain in touch between our spring and fall swaps.
While setting up, enjoy some continental breakfast, help newcomers identify plants, make new friends, and start looking for plants you may want to choose in the early "rounds" of the swap. At 10:00, we will start the swap with an officer announcing the first several "rounds" so that everyone can get their first choices on items. During the first five or six rounds, please take only one of the same plant so that everyone can take something they value home for their garden. As those of you who have attended before know, after about 15 minutes, we stop doing the limited rounds and open up for people to take more than one and for new gardeners to get some of our old favorites.

** Long-time Perennial Exchange members and master gardeners, Moya A. and Victoria W. have opened their gardens for swap attendees to visit after the door prizes are distributed. If you want to take advantage of this amazing opportunity, we'll set up a space to store your plants out of the sun and several volunteers will remain at the Moose Lodge basement and/or shelter house until shortly after 2PM to keep your new plants and seed packets out of the sun while you visit these two gardens that have been show-cased on several Bloomington Garden Walks. Street parking will be available on this weekend, but we encourage carpooling.
 
Door Prizes:
Please bring a gift for the door prize table. It does not have to be fancy or expensive, and we all enjoy the fun of door prize drawings! 
 
New Membership Model:
 
To keep our volunteers from being overworked, we have changed from charging an annual membership fee to agreeing on a one-time membership fee of $10.00. That’s right, you will not need to renew again unless this new model does not match our costs of producing a digital materials and having a website. There are several ways to pay for membership: the links on this website, at the swap via check or cash, or via USPS mail to Ivy McCammon (6925 W. Ison Rd., Bloomington, IN 47403).
 
For any additional questions on the swap or membership, use our contact form below. You can also call and leave a message at the following 812 area code number: 333-4667.


 

2023 Spring Plant Swap

 
 
April 22, 2023
Center- Jackson Fire Station
12116 E State Rd 54, Bloomfield, IN 4742
(Register by: April 15, 2023)

 
Planned Program:
9:00 – 10:00 Setup* & Continental Breakfast
10:00 – 10:30 Plant Swap and initial clean-up
10:30 – 11:15 Business Meeting
11:15 – 11:30 Find & ID local native plants (Bernadette de Leon)
11:30 to 12:00 Light lunch & early round(s) of door prizes 
12:00 to 12:30 Raising wildflowers from seed (Karen Whorrall)
12:30 – 1:00 FINAL CLEAN UP -- Please Help!
 
*Set-up will follow the usual plan, shared here for our new members and guests. We recommend digging plants or packaging bulbs/tubers/seeds by the night before the swap. Label all plants clearly and keep the area underneath the table for plants that you have selected during the swap and plan to take home. While setting up, enjoy some continental breakfast and start looking for plants you may want to swap. At 10:00, we will start the swap. Please only take one of the same plant in the first rounds, as others may want that plant.
 
NOTE: To make plant labeling easier, one full page of this letter can be completed with your contact information.* Feel free share the PDF with others. (*Tips: Fill in the information on a print-out and copy that sheet as many times as needed. Also, use those unsolicited address labels that charities send to you.) 
 
Door Prizes:
Please bring a gift for the door prize table. It does not have to be fancy or expensive, and we all enjoy the fun of door prize drawings! 
 
New Membership Model:
 
If you have come to two swaps without joining or renewing your membership, we now are asking for a one-time membership fee of $10.00 membership. That’s right, you will not need to renew again unless this new model does not match our costs of producing a digital newsletter and having a website.
You can pay at the swap, or, more conveniently, include the $10 with your registration ($20 total if you are becoming a member) and via mail to Ivy McCammon (6925 W. Ison Rd., Bloomington, IN 47403) by April 15th. You can also pay via this website.
 
For additional information on the swap, you can access the full newsletter under the member area.
 
Online Registration and our Website:
 
To access the member-only capabilities, go to the Member Only link on this page's menu and follow the instructions. If you have not previously registered online, you will fill out a registration form. If you are a paid member under the new lifetime model, disregard the instructions to send in membership dues. You will receive access to the member area after registering and receiving an access approval email from the web master. If you are registering as a new member, you may pay via Paypal or mail in your membership fee as described above.

CONTACT US

Have Questions?

Fill out the contact form below, and a Perennial Exchange Member will contact you!