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Thanks Jill for this article.
As a long time Round Up goer, it's good to have an article on them & what they are.
I hosted the 3rd annual Southern MN RU in September. I was surprised when I sent the invitations the number of people who hadn't heard of Round Ups.
I have attended Iowa RU the past 4 years.
The first was in Des Moines, Iowa. I hadn't met any of the people before the night we arrived at the motel. There was a board in the lobby with some information. Hanging there was a note with my DG name on it. It instructed us to come to the restaurant in the motel for supper. We rushed to our room, dropped our bags, freshened a bit & headed for the restaurant. When we walked in, we saw this huge table of people. I thought, "Oh a wedding party". But no, it was Daves bunch! Arlene, (TwinLakesChef), came over to greet us & introduced us to all there. (She has remained a good friend ever since.)
My life has been different ever since. Full of many long distance friends & fellow gardeners. Much more interesting posting on Daves when you have met people personally.
3 weeks ago we traveled to Kentucky to the KY RU at Prizer Point. This has to be the highlight of my time on Daves.
We stopped for an overnight visit at Equilibrium's near Chicago.
On Thursday we drove on to Kentucky, arriving later than planned. We weren't there but a few minutes when there was a knock on our door. I opened the door & there stood "Roadrunner", (Jo).
Of course a big DG hug was in order.
Friday morning we hosted breakfast at our cottage for all that had arrived so far. (My wife had complained about going on vacation & having to cook for a bunch of people. I told her there would probably be lots of help. I was right! All the ladies were right there to help.) We brought eggs from our hens along & pork sausage from a meat man at our Farmers market. Everybody really enjoyed themselves..
Saturday more people arrived. Terry from the staff, some of the people that have been on Daves forever, plus a few newer members.
Food was potluck & tremendous.
A large plant swap was held. I didn't bring plants along to trade, but still had some to take home!
This was the most fun & caring group of people I've ever met. They all went out of their way to make us feel at home.
Needless to say, we will be back next year!
For more go to, http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/906753/
Pictures, http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/904675/
I believe half my flowers in my garden are from DG RU swaps. Some are things that would cost many $ at a nursery. What a great way to enjoy & share life!
What a great event! Thanks for sharing your experiences, Bernie. I really want to juggle my schedule and make it to one of the big regional RUs. Other than the wonderful weekend that Haighr hosted (my first RU!), the "plant party" events we've had locally have been one-day affairs. That's still great fun (and easier to organize, I'm sure), but the party always seems to be over too soon! :-)
I'd definitely encourage anybody who can to check out the RoundUp forum for an RU event they might be able to attend. And to get you through those long months between the big RUs... throw a smaller party!
Thanks Jill for ideas. I just hosted a "Meet and Greet" for Jacksonville, and the surrounding areas. We had about 20 show up, with plants, cuttings, and seeds. I had arranged a garden tour of one of my neighbors yards, and also had one of our Master Gardeners from the area speak. Guest were asked to bring a plant in a closed bag, each guest was given a number, and then in numerical order they could pick a plant of their choosing. If the next guest up decided they wanted a plant someone else had choosen they were allowed to take it. At the end of the game we all opened the bags and saw our newly acquired plants. It was alot of fun. For a gag, you could even put a weed in the bag. Each guest brought a dessert to share and I provided the drinks and paper products. Everyone left with more than they brought and I got all the leftovers, which was great! Alot of fun and a great way to meet new gardeners.
I wholeheartedly agree with Bernie. I was one of those newbies at the KY Roundup this year and I had a wonderful time meeting all the people I had chatted with on various forums since joining DG in March. Great plants, great food and most importantly great people. I would encourage anyone that has not attended one of these be it for one day or a weekend like ours to try it. Thanks for the article Jill.
Another note: After you decide to hold a get together...Dmail me and let me list it in the "Round Ups At a Glance" Thread...then floks can see if one is planned in their area.
Bernie and Doug...It was a real pleasure to meet both of you..I would have enjoyed it even if you HADN'T brought any fudge!! I LOVE RU's!!! Jo
This article should be "mandatory reading" for all new DG members !
Not necessarily for hosting a get together, but for ATTENDING one as well.
I was extremely nervous about going to my first DG gathering, held at the home of TwinLakes Chef, because I didn't know a single soul who would be there. My "fears" disappeared the minute I spoke to Arlene on the phone, prior to the event.
It was a GREAT experience and I have now met many new friends and GREAT people. THANKS, Arlene !!!
For anyone who has "reservations" about attending a DG gathering or a RU...JUST GO ! You'll be glad you did.
You're right! DGers are just such friendly, generous, welcoming people... a DG party or RU is a much more easy-going sort of event than many other club or civic organization meetings, but until you get up the nerve to "just go!" to one, you may be nervous. Once you meet some of your fellow plantaholics, those jitters will disappear!
My first RU was a weekend event at haighr's place... I rode up with Shirley1MD, whom I'd never met before, and we were chatting like old friends by the time we got up there. Everyone was greeting with hugs, whether or not we'd ever met in person before, and it was just such an amazing experience. If I could've signed up for a lifetime subscription to DG after that weekend, I'd have done so!
Jo, thanks for reminding us about your "Roundups at a glance" thread. I posted our most recent plant party in the RU forum, but I forgot about the thread! (*wrist slap* and no fudge for me!)
JD was one of the first DGers I met at my first RU. Now I'm planning my own for March! Great article, Jill. I too am surprised at how many people don't know about these shindigs and how casual, friendly, and non-threatening they are. I'm not much of a propagator, but I take what I can and try to help in other ways, too. I'll be reading all the responses to get ideas.
This article was very good and is helping me plan for my "mini-roundup" on 11/8. I love roundups and have made new friends and gotten many great plants.
