Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Plants Wanted Or For Exchange => Topic started by: John Curran on December 21, 2009, 03:43:59 AM
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I'm starting to feel left out... esp. after Mark's post about trading with members!
I would be happy to hear from other members here in the USA interested in trading seeds and plants...
Thank you!
John
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John,
Can you change your subject to Exchange within USA?
The Pacific Bulb Society frequently offers seeds and bulbs
that are donated by members. They are distributed for
the cost of postage. The list of what is available is posted
on the PBS list http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
and the offerings are usually all gone in a couple of days.
Since the beginning, in 2002, there have been 230 BXs (Bulb Exchanges)
You can see what was offered by going down to the bottom
of this page: http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/bx.html
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Changed the subject line, that should be a bit more accurate, thank you, Diane.
Thanks also for the link to the Pacific Bulb Society, I will check them out now.
I'm feeling somewhat less left out, having now had a reply here, and some friendly e-mails as well!
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I know how you feel John. Unfortunately exchanging plants and seeds with friends and fellow forumists is not so easy as it once was, though within a country is still not so bad, even given the vagaries of the postal system. I remember Tony Hall from Kew saying to me back in 2000 that "exchanging plants used to be such fun." But with Kew's new regulations and NZ MAF's rules, his giving me a few juno irises was an almighty nightmare.
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John - If you join the PBS be warned they do not accept money orders. My subscription payment was returned as "being too costly to cash". I find it hard to believe they would not challenge a bank for charging to cash a draft or money orders. I haven't bothered to join unfortunately. Suppose we need our own Canadian exchange but there are so few of us here that we probably know most of the growers anyway.
johnw
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Yes, unfortunately banks have very high service charges.
However, PBS has a secure site to pay online with a credit card.
This is a lot easier and cheaper than buying a money order which
costs about $10.
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Yes, unfortunately banks have very high service charges.
However, PBS has a secure site to pay online with a credit card.
This is a lot easier and cheaper than buying a money order which
costs about $10.
Diane - Banks should not be charging to cash drafts or money orders, the money is guaranteed and can be considered currency.
With my BNS chequing account Sterling drafts mercifully are free. As I buy about 60 a year that amounts to a big saving. The tellers don't look forward to my arrival as it takes a good 10-15 minutes to fill the draft out and then 3 signatures are required.
johnw
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I've found out what is happening regarding money orders and U.S.
financial institutions: they won't accept money orders because
they are an anonymous way of moving money around. So the three
signatures from Canadian bank officers hide the sender's identity, who might
be a drug dealer laundering the proceeds of crime.
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Diane - This is indeed true for postal money orders. Anyone can walk into a post office and get an anonymous money order.
Bank money orders and drafts are an entirely different matter. There is a heap of paper work they do for every transaction and copies are sent to head office for micro-fiching and they are entirely traceable. The copy they keep of my receipt portion shows my name, address, account number, date, total, exhange rate. No wonder they dread my autumn appearances when society memberships come dues.
I once received a bill from Glendoick Gardens a year and a half later for an invoice that had been paid. Unfortunately the taxman had my receipt for the draft. I went to the bank and they said it would take some time to trace. They went through every transaction on my account and couldn't discern which withdrawal matched. Four months later they came back with all the records, even the bank account where it was deposited in Edinburgh and who signed the deposit slip there. The funny thing is that a year later I went into the bank to get another draft and got a rookie teller who had never done a draft before. He got out the branch manual for all the required paperwork. No charge. I was trying to read the manual upside down and lo and behold was that my name? And what was the template they were using? My draft to Glendoick Gardens! Had they looked in their own manual all the serial numbers were right there and would have saved months of research.
It would seem the US banks are pulling a fast one.
Afraid my amounts are not of laundering size though a few snowdrop orders might equal some very big dry cleaning bills. ;D
johnw
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One more weird thing about the U.S. and money orders:
When I get my plants inspected in the U.S., I can't pay for the phyto
with cash, as government employees are not trusted to handle cash.
If I were a U.S. resident, I could pay with a personal cheque, but as a tourist,
the only acceptable thing for me to do is to go to a convenience store
and buy a Western Union money order. (the old telegraph company, I think)
The inspector in one town makes it easy for us, and does the inspection
in the parking lot of the closest 7/11 store.
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John - If you join the PBS be warned they do not accept money orders. My subscription payment was returned as "being too costly to cash". I find it hard to believe they would not challenge a bank for charging to cash a draft or money orders.
johnw
John, I bought some seeds from the US a few years ago, paid with a postal order in US $ from the post office.
I had asked whether this was ok before I ordered.
6 months later it was sent back to me with a note asking me to send US dollars in cash as it was going to be too costly to cash the money order.
I couldn't believe it. The money order was for 20 something dollars.
In the end I sent it back to him.
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One more weird thing about the U.S. and money orders:
When I get my plants inspected in the U.S., I can't pay for the phyto
with cash, as government employees are not trusted to handle cash.
Diane - I had forgotten about that. The same thing happened the last time I bought plants at the RSF and had them inspected just south of the garden. I had to go to the bank while the inspector did the paperwork and get a bank money order for $13.25! Positively no money. Previously he had given me the total over the phone and I brought the BNS money order with me. I wonder what happened when they went to the bank with them?
Amazing the hassles we go through to get plants.
johnw
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Maybe I should change the title of my hijacked thread again???
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Maybe I should change the title of my hijacked thread again???
Sorry, John, I have moved some of the posts... leaving those I thought more relevant to the practicalities of your subject.... yes, I know swapping doesn't involve costs other than postal, but the cross border stuff for permits/certificates is fair enough, isn't it?? :-\
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John wrote: "I would be happy to hear from other members here in the USA interested in trading seeds and plants..."
How does that relate to all the banking issues? Clearly, this is more of a UK site, so I'm off~
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John,
the banking stuff has been moved.... there are some comments left from Canadian members, who felt moved to recount their experiences in paying for plant orders or phyto certs in getting stuff from the USA. I am sorry if you felt that was too much for you to tolerate.... we do tend to have a relaxed attitude to threads here.
I would have thought that Canada was a near enough neighbour that you might be interested in their experiences..... of course, if you want to take a purely USA stance on a matter, that is your choice.
It is a simple fact there are are not too many USA members in the Forum and so far, none have come forward to comment on your subject.... at least the other comments are keeping the thread "bumped up" the current listings.... which might help to tempt out some American comments..... ::)
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Canada is still across an International Border; it might as well be Romania as far as importing plant material.
Your 'rolling eyes' emoticon says it all... I'm logging off, and won't be back.
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I'm cut to the quick......my 'rolling eyes' were an attempt to galvanise another American to respond to you. It seems I am wasting my time, sorry to be such a disappointment to you.
This Forum is open to all, as you discovered, but it is run by the SRGC and we are happy to have the SRGC Membership lead the direction of threads, within reason. I regret that in your seemingly single-minded pursuit of plant material that this does not appeal to you.
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I am a member of the Pacific Bulb Society which is almost an all American society as far as bulb exchange is concerned,maybe he should have a look at that. http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/HomePage
It is almost irrelevant as far as Europeans are concerned if you get my drift :(
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Oh dear. Is John the only Forum poster we have lost? At least, I think, he is the only one who is patently disatisfied with how the threads sometimes develop. We all know we get sidetracked and maybe we should be more careful and selective but the fact is, we are all friends and friends DO get sidetracked in their conversations. In the doing so, we all learn and discover much that is new/amazing/funny to us. The Forum is not so high on Google's ratings list and so often said to be the best plant Forum in the world, for no reason.
If you're still out there John, be patient with us and you will soon find it's worth persevering with a search for information on any plant-related subject.
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Canada is still across an International Border; it might as well be Romania as far as importing plant material.
Well, not quite. Plants move back and forth across our border still growing in
their pots - not like the scrupulous root-washing required for ones coming in
from overseas. (though there is not free movement East to West in either the U.S.
or Canada because the East has Japanese beetle, and the West does not.)
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Canada is still across an International Border; it might as well be Romania as far as importing plant material.
Well, not quite. Plants move back and forth across our border still growing in
their pots - not like the scrupulous root-washing required for ones coming in
from overseas. (though there is not free movement East to West in either the U.S.
or Canada because the East has Japanese beetle, and the West does not.)
A good point, Diane.
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I'll come in late to this thread simply to say we have all had our own threads very quickly change topic only to come back in again
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Think I will move to the USA and start selling Pleione, as there seem to be some very frustrated people that are lacking suppliers there ;)
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Even WE can't please all of the people all of the time, but we do try though.
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If we all left every time we felt hurt or slighted there would soon be nobody left.Surely part of its charm is from time to time being inoffensively offensive (and receiving a reprimand from Maggi). I have made so many new friends since joining the forum it has been one of the best things I have done. There is not much chance to develop locally when you live in a bulb growing wilderness.
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As a resident of the United States, I would like to say that we don't all act like this guy. No wonder the world thinks we are uncivilized. But then, he is from New Jersey, and that explains a lot....
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As a resident of the United States, I would like to say that we don't all act like this guy. No wonder the world thinks we are uncivilized. But then, he is from New Jersey, and that explains a lot....
not to worry, i'm sure we all realise that there are all sorts of folks from all sorts of places;
i understand john c's frustration trying to find something-whether its a particular plant or information, but the simple fact is that there isnt always someone reading along who has what you want, in a form or place that's of use to you... so in some cases, you simply will not get the response you hoped for..
that said, the members of this forum in general, will give generously of their time and experience in answering questions where they can, and of their seeds and surplus where possible!
digression in conversation is a sign of human interest in the people we are speaking to, and does not take away from our discussion of plants, it simply pads the interaction with added value;
many fora that are singlemindedly devoted to particular topics with little or no chit chat between simply have lots of empty spaces between the meaty bits of plant talk, empty spaces here are filled with friendship, and how much likelier are you to send plants and seeds to a friend than an anonymous requester?...
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Have the USA been made aware that the British Empire no longer exists and Canada is an independent entity outside of the UK? It is hard to believe a conversation between 3 people in Canada could be taken to mean that the site is more of a UK site!
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the British Empire no longer exists and Canada is an independent entity outside of the UK?
What?? When did that all happen ;D ;D ;D
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Lol- there'll be a culturally biased documentary about it on the Discovery Channel at some point.
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the British Empire no longer exists and Canada is an independent entity outside of the UK?
What?? When did that all happen ;D ;D ;D
Certainly not on Victoria Day.
johnw
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Is that a public holiday?
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Is that a public holiday?
Of course it is - in Canada. The 24th of May, birthday of our late Empress you know. ;D
In school we were still singing "God Bless the Empire, with heart & voice we sing...." - don't recall the title - in 1960!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Day)
johnw
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My word I wouldn't be able to tell you when any of the current Queen's birthdays are- let alone Victoria!
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My word I wouldn't be able to tell you when any of the current Queen's birthdays are- let alone Victoria!
of course to the average canadian below a certain age and or having arrived more recently from places not so close to the crown, the holiday is simply referred to now as the 'may long weekend' or even more succinctly as 'may long' ..its a big thing mainly because its the first long weekend of (hopefully) warm weather, and is seen by many as the beginning of summer..of course here in sunny alberta, its as likely to have snow as summer conditions (either is quite possible, even both in the same weekend!)
i doubt most people know who queen victoria was, let alone her birthday! (although i see a new movie out about her young love life...the beginning of a comeback?)
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That's a great portrait of Her late Majesty. Something of a battleship about it. :D
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Well if the movie of her young life is true to life it will certainly be an eye-opener!!!
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That's a great portrait of Her late Majesty. Something of a battleship about it. :D
Does it make you feel better to know that there is a very large statue of HM Queen Victoria on the grounds of the BC Parliament Buildings here in her eponymous city? Or that the Royal BC Museum collections include one of HM's bonnets?
You may now go writhe in a state of disgusted envy!
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Pass.