Community Seed Swap Day (Free)
Save the Date: Rooted In Seed Swap
January 31 • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Rooted In – 12804 Pelzel Rd, Pilot Point, TX 76258
Mark your calendar! We’re hosting a free community Seed Swap on January 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be seeds available for everyone—you do not have to bring seeds to participate (but bringing some to share is totally encouraged)
Expect a mix of:
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Texas native wildflowers and grasses
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Hard-to-find and pollinator-friendly ornamentals
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Vegetables and herbs
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Fruits and other edible favorites
We’ll also have expert speakers throughout the day sharing tips on seed saving, starting seeds in North Texas, and choosing regionally adapted varieties. 🎤🌱
A few notes:
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The event is completely free and drop-in friendly.
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Please no invasive plants – we reserve the right to decline clearly invasive species.
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If you bring seeds, label them clearly with:
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Common name (and scientific name if you know it)
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Year harvested or purchased
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Any useful notes (color, height, flavor, heirloom/open-pollinated, etc.)
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Small envelopes, bags, or paper packets are ideal for sharing. (though we will have some on hand) Clean, dry, reasonably fresh seeds (last 1–3 years) are best.
Seed Swap Speaker Schedule & Talk Descriptions
Rooted In opens at 9:00am, so feel free to come as early as then.
9:00 – 10:00 Booth Set-up and welcome.
10:00 a.m.
Get started swapping!
10:20–10:50 a.m.
From Field to Packet: Harvesting, Cleaning, and Using Native Plant Seeds
Carol Clark
Expert naturalist; Monarch Watch conservation specialist; Bring Back the Monarch to Texas coordinator with the Native Plant Society of Texas; author of Carol’s World
Learn the purpose behind harvesting native plant seeds and how to do it responsibly, including harvest ethics and laws, proper timing, safety considerations, and effective collection techniques. This session also covers practical seed-cleaning strategies, proper storage, and the many ways harvested seeds can be used—from home gardens to seed swaps and community sharing.
10:50–11:00 a.m. — Q&A
11:10–11:40 a.m.
Starting Vegetables from Seed: Tips for Success
Jeff Davis
Garden Guru; Expert foodscaper; educator behind Texas Yard Ninja, focused on helping home gardeners grow their own groceries
A practical, home-gardener–focused look at starting vegetable seeds successfully—covering timing, germination basics, and the most common mistakes—designed to make seed starting approachable, attainable, and repeatable in real-world gardens.
11:40–11:50 a.m. — Q&A
12:35–1:05 p.m.
Propagation Basics: Growing More Plants from Cuttings
Jonathan Soukup
Owner, Southwest Perennials — a major U.S. producer of native and adapted propagated plants,
This session dives into the fundamentals of propagation from cuttings, including how to select the best material, maintain cutting health, use rooting hormones effectively, and apply simple techniques that dramatically improve rooting success without specialized equipment.
1:05–1:15 p.m. — Q&A
1:25–1:55 p.m.
Improving Germination: From Dormancy to Strong Starts
Daniel Cunningham
Owner, Rooted In; horticulture educator focused on practical, science-based gardening
This talk explores why seeds fail to germinate and what actually improves success—covering dormancy mechanisms, natural germination inhibitors, and proven techniques to break dormancy and improve germination across wildflowers, native plants, vegetables, and cut flowers.
1:55–2:05 p.m. — Q&A
2:05–3:00 p.m.
Open seed swap, meet-and-greet, wrap-up
