Have you ever heard of a plant swap? If not, it’s pretty much exactly how it sounds, an event where plant lovers come together to trade plants! It’s an exciting and community-based event that gets people together who share common interests. Is there anything better?
As I’ve gone through life, and watched the way society works, I have realized that community is essential if we want to be able to grow and change. Living in an individualistic society has left its mark on me. I’m tired. I needed change. So recently, instead of relying on large corporations for everything I need, finding resources within the people around me has become my main focus.
This is true even for the non-essential items in my life like books, new clothes, and houseplants! Whenever I feel the need for a new houseplant, which is often, I won’t lie, I tend to look for community-based plant groups instead of heading directly to big-box stores.
Don’t get me wrong, I will still occasionally shop at these large stores full of plants in little plastic pots. I am in no way perfect, and I don’t think the responsibility of creating a more sustainable world is entirely on the consumer. However, when I can, I look to the people around me for the things I need. It’s all about community!
So, if you are also looking for some local ways to find new plants for free or really cheap, keep reading! I am going to talk all about plant swaps, why they are amazing, and what you need to do in order to host one!
What is a Plant Swap?
Okay, let’s start with the basics, what exactly is a plant swap? A plant swap is a locally hosted event where members of a community come together to trade or sell plants, plant accessories, and even full houseplants. The original goal of plant swaps was to exchange these items with no money, however, many modern swaps include the opportunity to sell houseplants as well.
A plant swap is an in-person event where people come together, make friends, and swap plants. However, today there are also many Facebook groups that are constantly swapping plants. Whether the group is local or national, people post about plants they have up for exchange, you make an offer, and a trade occurs!
If this sounds like fun, you are not alone! Who wouldn’t want a place to get fresh houseplants and meet people with similar interests?
There is a fantastic article on Gardening Know How if you want to read more about plant swaps!
Where Do You Find Plant Swaps?
For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on in-person plant swap events. Here are some places you can look to find events near you!
- Facebook: Joining plant swap groups or local plant groups on Facebook is a fantastic way to find events near you. Many of the local groups I am in will periodically post about an event occurring in a local park or nursery. Stay tuned into what people are posting and you are bound to find something happening soon.
- Local Nursery: If you have any small, local nurseries near you, those are another fantastic place to search. Stop in and see if they have any message boards near the front of the store. You might find a flyer for a nearby plant swap! And don’t be afraid to ask the employees too! They work with plants all day, so they might know of some events happening soon.
- Library: Another Great place to find out about the happenings in your town is through the local library. Who knows, they might be hosting a plant swap of their own. But if not, most libraries have message boards where you might find a flyer or announcement.
- City Website or Social Media: If your city has any form of social media or online presence, be sure to check those regularly. They might post about local plant events occurring in your town.
What to Bring to a Plant Swap?
Okay, you know what a plant swap is and you’ve found one nearby. Now is the time to prepare yourself and your plants to make new friends! Here are some things you can bring to a plant swap!
- Full Plants: Got any plants you don’t like anymore? Maybe it doesn’t fit on your shelf or you’re tired of taking care of it. Throw those in your car, maybe someone else will want them! Just don’t forget to put them in one of those plastic pots you have lying around, unless you are okay parting with the pot it’s in.
- Plant Cuttings: This is perhaps the best part of plant swaps. To me, there is nothing cooler than being able to grow an entirely new plant out of a simple cutting. So go through your current houseplants, take some cuttings, and bring them along! Trade with others and now everybody has even more plants without losing their own! Just make sure to do some research on where to cut the plants so they can grow into a new plant, each species is different!
- Pots and Other Plant Accessories: If you have any watering cans, pots, fertilizer, etc. lying around that you don’t use anymore, these are great things to bring to plant swaps!
- Cash: Check the information for the plant swap you are attending, you might want to get some extra cash just in case people are selling things!
- Motivation to Make Friends: The whole point of a community-based event like a plant swap is to make connections with others! Finding friends who share interests is the best, you might find your next gardening buddy!
How to Host a Plant Swap
If this all sounds great, but you are struggling to find a plant swap near you, don’t fear! There is still an opportunity to be surrounded by other plant lovers. Why not start your own plant swap? It’s like what they used to say in college right? If you can’t find a club for something you like, make your own. And it’s so true!
Hosting a plant swap takes a little preparation and planning, but it is totally doable. All you need to do are:
- Find a place to host and pick a date
- Set some ground rules so everyone is safe and prepared
- Get the word out about your event
- Have fun!
With four easy steps you can be on your way to creating a local event everyone loves and looks forward to! I’m going to go through each of these steps individually so you can feel excited about creating something from the ground up.
1. Find a place and date to host your plant swap
The very first step in creating your own plant exchange event is figuring out where it’s going to happen. Great places to host a plant swap include:
- local parks
- small nursery
- public library
- local community centers
For many of these places, you will need to contact the establishment. You can’t simply show up with 20 other people and assume you can use their property. If you choose to host your plant swap at a community center, nursery, library, or other similar places, be sure to get in contact and see if there are regulations or rental prices to use their properties. This also applies to some parks.
However, there are also parks where the only thing you need to do to reserve a section like a picnic table is to show up and claim it. Much of this information can be found online, so be sure to do your research, and have all your ducks in a row, before you show up at a place.
Once you have a location, pick a good date where many people can join. Picking the middle of a work day might not be best, however, Saturday and Sunday mornings are often good times for most people.
2. Set some ground rules for your plant swap
This is the point in planning when you want to sit down with a notebook and start writing out some rules. In order to ensure everyone is safe and has a good time, you are going to want to set some regulations before the event is even announced. Some examples of rules include:
- We welcome everyone to our event, Nobody will be turned away from spending time in this community and enjoying plants
- Everyone must bring something to swap
- Please have labels for every plant you bring to swap to ensure no one accidentally goes home with a plant they are allergic to
- No money is allowed to be exchanged at this event, this is purely a swapping of plants (if you don’t want people to sell things)
You can create whatever rules you think will create a safe and interactive environment for your community. Although plant swaps are a fun thing to put together, having a set of rules is important in ensuring everyone has a good time!
3. Spread the Word about your plant swap
Okay, you’ve done your planning, you have a place to do it, you have a date, and you have your rules. Next, you need to find people to actually come to your event! Spreading the word about your plant swap is the most important step, especially if you want people to have others to swap with! Great places to get the word out include:
- Social media
- Local message boards
- Messaging friends and family
- Word of mouth
- Physically passing out flyers
Any way you can spread the message that your event is happening is worth it! The more people at your event, the more swapping!
4. Have fun!
The day of the plant swap has finally arrived! It’s time. to have fun, swap some plants, and make connections with members of your community! Enjoy the fruits of your labor, you deserve it!
While the plat swap is occurring, you will be responsible for ensuring that everything is running smoothly. But hopefully, with a good amount of preparation, everything will be as close to perfect as possible!
If you want more information about houseplants, check out these related posts!
Beginner’s Guides to Succulents
Easy Houseplants to Take Care of as a Beginner
5 Lessons I Learned from My Houseplants
