Ok, so it's the wild swings/hard freeze that gets you when you don't expect it...I hope this year is milder for you. I guess we will be seeing you amongst all of Kevin's semps before Mother's Day arrives; Boy if that doesn't get you tempted, I don't know what will...

Right, I am an easy mark ... then have to deal with getting them home. I bet you don't go home empty handed either.
Are you flying in? But then you have suitcase space for two people.... that should provide some extra room for stowaways.

Space in suitcases? "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"...! (I copied your bathing suit "NO" with the 40 O's... May's trip calls for room in a SUV hatchback!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH now I am jealous. All that trunk space.

"Hortlandia" is another big show coming up in Portland that is more plant vendor based. Similar to the Salem Hardy Plant Society sale but more vendors.

https://hpso.memberclicks.net/...

Oh my, now what am I going to do? I could go crazy there with my camera.
Are you going Connie?

Don't forget how easy it is to pack up an nice big Flat Rate box full of plants. Mail them the day you are leaving for home, they arrive the day after you get home, maybe two days after you get home.

Hee hee... you mean I can actually buy more than I can fit in the cab of my truck? I'm a member of HPSO and can get a 10% discount from certain vendors if they offer it at the show. Some allow the discount only at their nurseries... I have plumb forgotten to ask at my visits to the Salem sales at Rickreal. I know Wild Ginger is one that offers the discount.

I need to find out what the rules are for bringing plants into California. Wonder if I keep all the pots as is when purchased and keep my receipts from place of purchase, that they will see that all was potted by reputable Nurseries and I can drive them into CA????
Wish me luck on that or else may have to pack a Flat Rate Box...or two...or three

Wow! I hadn't thought of that but it could be a problem (possibly). I guess you could check with a vendor that normally ships to CA. Maybe you will need an inspection certificate from the nursery. Or maybe shipping them is the better way.

Nursery vendors would need inspection certificate to get their stock from one place to another and so what would a inspection certificate from a nursery for me as a retail buyer do for me? Would that just verify that I got stock from them? in which case I would need one from every nursery vendor I get semps from?

It has been more than a few years since I crossed into CA but every time I did we were stopped at the border and asked about any plant material we may have. They would look at it (particularly fruit) and then let us proceed. They could have also confiscated it instead. I was thinking that a certificate would cover you. But I really don't know what would happen at the border nowadays. I do know some mail order companies just won't ship to CA (and usually OR too) so they don't have to mess with meeting the state's requirements.

Thanks, Connie for your thoughts. I might just step into a nursery nearby and ask them for info. Worse comes to worse I will be prepared to send plants home which might make me think about how much to limit myself to.

The last 2 times I went to CA (last year and the year before) the CDA booths were closed so were just drove through the border - no questions about our organic store bought apples

I would make a call to them http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/C...
Then if it sounds way to complicated I would just box them up and mail them.

for the "It was my Day!" story, Greg and for the link, Lynn!

We sure don't want your plants confiscated at the border. I think I would break down sobbing right in front of the inspector.

Aww, don't worry Lynn...I'll try to be prepared for whatever scenario comes...handkerchiefs, packaging tape, etc.

Wheel wells, secret compartments...

Under the back set, glove compartment, oversized make-up bag, headliner, dashboard, false wall in the trunk?

Maybe a glove compartment behind the glove compartment and a cryptic key code to open it...