Plant and Seed Swap Shop 6th May 10:00-14:00 Mill Lane School

Once more Greening Chinnor will be running a plant and seed swap at the Friends of the Earth Giant Swap Shop & Green Living Event at Mill Lane School on 6th May.

It could not be easier – bring a plant, some seeds or garden sundries and swap with something else. Or if you do not have any plants or seeds to swap a small contribution towards the cost of the plants we grow for this event would be appreciated.

After last year’s children’s Giant Bean growing competition, this year we are offering sunflowers plants to children to enable them to take part in this year’s free growing competition.

Swap Shop & Bike Exchange

The Chinnor & Thame Friends of the Earth are holding a Swap Shop and Bike Exchange at the Village Hall, Chinnor on Saturday 12th November. Greening Chinnor will again be attending to do portable appliance testing (PAT) on electrical items brought to the swap to ensure they are safe to use.

The Bike Sale will be held between 10:00-11:00. If you have a bike you would like to sell, take it along and they will try to sell it for you. Friends of the Earth will keep £5 of the selling price and give you the rest. If you are looking for a bike or need a bigger bike, this will be a great place to start looking. You will also be helping the environment by recycling unwanted or outgrown bikes. Here’s what to do:

1. Only bring good quality bikes, which are in working order. Sparkly clean ones sell better!
2. Label each bike with your surname, phone number, and the price you would like to sell it for.
3. Put the saddle down as low as it will go and put the stabilisers back on if it had some.
4. Take bikes to the Village Hall between 9.30-10:00 and go back to collect your money or unsold bikes at 11:00.

The Swap Shop will be going on in the Village Hall, from 10:00-12:00. You can bring unwanted items or take items, or do both. No money is exchanged.

These are some of the things you can bring and/or take for free:

• books, clothes, bric-a-brac, baby equipment, toys and games, household items, CDs/DVDs/videos, electrical (only CE marked goods accepted)
• no large items please.

Recycle stations will be available for the following items:

• printer cartridges, mobile phones, light bulbs, spectacles, household batteries, CDs, used postage stamps, foreign coins

Cakes and refreshments available. If you need more information, please email Maureen on mdyroff@tiscali.co.uk or tel. 01844 352816.

Seed & Plant Swap - This Saturday

Following on from last year's successful Seed & Plant Swap, we are pleased to let you know we will be having a stall at the FoE Green Fayre on Saturday 14th May at the Village Hall, Church Lane, Chinnor, Oxon, OX39 4PQ (view map) from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Do you have packets of seeds you don’t want, half a packet left over or sown too much? This is where you can exchange seeds and plants, Bring your excess seeds and seedlings to our swap stall and swap with someone else. Herbs, vegetables, flowers, anything goes. Please label any plants and seeds clearly. It doesn't matter if you don't have anything to swap, everyone is welcome to take a plant (maximum of 3, whilst stocks last). Alan has been busy growing some of the seeds that were left over from last year as part of this year’s Swap.

We are pleased to say that we have received 30 packets of wild flower seeds from The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew as part of the 'Grow Wild' campaign they are running to inspire people across the UK to come together to transform local spaces by sowing, growing and enjoying native wild flowers.

As last year, there will be a children's competition and giving away free plants to the first 30 children. This year we're giving away beans and come the end of August we will want to see who has grown the tallest and who has grown the longest bean. We will also be having a children's draw for DIY Bee houses.

This is a chance for newbies to have a go at growing some vegetables or flowers, or for 'older' hands to exchange seeds and plants that you have too many of, or just to pick up a plant for free to have a go at “GROW YOUR OWN”.

This year we will also have a plant pot swap as well and will accept all pots that are in good order. Please ensure that all plant brought for swapping are clearly labeled. So bring along seeds, plants or pots to swap or just take a plant to try.

Our First Seed and Seedling Swap

We tried something completely new this year and ran a swap stall for seeds and seedlings at the Friends of the Earth Swap Shop. 

Before the event we were anxious about whether this idea would work. We were quickly reassured as we had enough swap items to completely fill two big tables. Linda and Lily were kept fully occupied handing out plants and seeds whilst giving growing tips.
Our thanks to people who gave plants and seeds most generously. It was really appreciated. Our best wishes for success to all of the people who are now trying to grow something new.

We will certainly run this again next spring at the Swap Shop and so all of you gardeners know where to donate your surplus items. We will do our best to make sure that they go to good homes.

Seed & Seedling Swap

Come along to our seed & seedling swap stall at the FoE Swap Shop in the Village Hall on Saturday 9th May. You don't have to bring anything to swap you can take a plant or seeds to try. We are also giving away sunflower plants to the first 30 children. I can see a competition coming!