"For me," says Rebecca Kolls, "attending a plant-swapping party is like being a kid in a candy store, only better, because here the candy is free."
So how does this plant swapping thing work? Well, it's easy. Guests invited to the party have to bring at least one plant to trade. And each person has to stand up and talk about the plant. Once everyone has given their best sales pitch, the trading kicks into high gear.
Plant parties can be a lot of fun. The best time to plan them is right around the time your perennials need to be divided, because that's when the party really begins. For fall plant parties, divide perennials that were blooming in the spring or early summer like bleeding hearts, peonies or monarda. For spring plant swaps, you'll want to divide the late summer and fall bloomers such as black-eyed Susans and purple coneflower. Hostas and dayliles can be divided either time of the year. And, as is the case with all perennials, dividing should be done every three to five years.
How to divide daylilies
The first step, as with all perennials, is to dig out the rootball. Cut a circle around the plant, making sure you get a good portion of the rootball. Typically, that's about six to eight inches from the edge of the plant. Rock the spade back and forth to help loosen the rootball and make it easier to lift it out of the hole.
Gently pull the plant out. Sometimes with daylilies, you can literally pry them apart with your hands. In this case, the rootball is pretty dense, so two forks are needed to pry it apart. So, out of the one plant, you can get as many as six different divisions.
Remove the greenery. Doing this will send energy down to the root system. You'll want to cut the foliage back, leaving about four inches. Now they're ready to be planted. Each new division will need a pot. For the swapping party, you'll want to keep the roots moist and possibly dress up the pot a bit with burlap or twine. Any kind of container will do--from terra-cotta to a canning jar. If there's no drainage holes, you'll want to explain to fellow gardeners that it would need to be planted right away.
Before you give your plant away, make sure you have a plant marker that describes the name of the plant, what areas it does best in and any kind of instructions you think are necessary.
With your plants packaged and labeled, all that's left is setting the table. Then let the party begin.
A party like this is every gardener's dream, because we not only talk about plants, we trade plants, and we learn more about them.
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