18th Blogoversary Giveaway (1-6 of 18 Items) NOW CLOSED

Next month marks the 18th year I’ve been posting online to this weblog. So much has happened, and my life has grown in unexpected and beautiful ways. I think it’ll be fun to start the holiday season with some gift giving to show my appreciation. I hope that you think so too.

This is the first of 3 posts containing the 18 items I’ll be giving away. This first parade of gifts will be up for grabs until December 3, 2025 at 11:59pm. (The next batch will arrive next Wednesday.)

To enter, be sure to do one of these three things: subscribe to this site through WordPress, follow @SpiffySeeds on IG, or send a request to follow my currently private account @ann.loves.plants on Instagram. (Please, only residents in the USA can apply. I can’t afford shipping beyond our borders.) Or, if you follow me at @annlovesplants.bsky.social that works too.

One entry per person per post. Please comment below and include which of the 6 items you’re most interested in.

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These items are all things I bought in duplicate. With a new job, and new goals, it only seemed fair (and kind of fun) to buy gifts for folks who take the time to read my posts. Some of these items I already have and love, while others were bought as gifts I thought would be fun to celebrate big life changes: one for me, one for you!

I also shopped at local shops and botanical garden gift shops so there’s that too…

And each of these 6 items this week will come with 5 origami envelopes I whipped up. They are an homage to the many years I sold seeds on Etsy at Milton’s Garden Menagerie. Until the final years, I always sold the seeds packed up in these origami envelopes I made by hand. (I made THOUSANDS of them over the years.)

Please use them for seed saving, or maybe turn around and regift them with a surprise inside to someone else.

‘Tis the season!!

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Prize 1: Journal for Grower’s Notes

I think of my grower’s notes as basically a kind of professional work journal. In my experience, it’s up to you to take/make deeper notes on your own time, so I bought one of these for my new job. (I kept a blue one.)

I make spreadsheets too, but this is for details from my workday that I want to elaborate on when I’m able to sit and think in clean clothing back on my comfy couch at home.

They’re great for learning from your observations and growing practices. Think Field Notes for the greenhouse (or garden).

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Prize 2: Teeny Tiger

If you don’t already know I love cats, well, you’re not a great reader of this site lol.

I was born in 1974, which was a year of the tiger. In Chinese astrology the tiger is associated with courage, power, and leadership.

When I saw this Teeny Tiger in the gift shop at Lan Su Chinese Garden in downtown Portland, I knew I needed one, so I bought two to support the garden. I hope one of you thinks it’s as great as I do! Mine is now riding with me in my Jeep, keeping me company while I commute.

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Prize 3: Botanical Specimen Labels

Here is an item that really excited me when I spotted it during my recent visit to the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden. There were only 2 package left and I bought them both.

Who wants to mount some plants with me?

Years ago I was so impressed with my childhood friend when she attended OSU and studied botany and taught me about mounting specimens. Ever since I visited the PSU herbarium I’ve been thinking about doing this. (I have a very large press my friend gave me after she no longer needed it.)

I want to do this with a friend. Who’s in?

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Prize 4: Renee’s Garden Seeds: Cupani’s Original Sweet Pea and Leafy Diana Dill

We all know how much I love seeds and growing plants from seed. I decided to pick two sets for this giveaway. This is the set of non-native PNW plants.

Nevertheless, these are two of my favorites. The Cupani sweet pea is named after a Sicilian monk, and is considered the original sweet pea. And as for the dill, well, it’s one of my favorite herbs. With allergies to spices, herbs are how I keep flavor in my food.

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Prize 5: Stickers

Here are some fun stickers for fronds—and a begonia too!

Years ago I was a mall rat collecting stickers and when I saw these they made me smile. Use them on your notebooks, notecards, or wherever!

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Prize 6: Willamette Wildings Seeds: Calochortus tolmiei and Plagiobothrys figuratus

This last pair of seed packets is for folks who live in the PNW. These were two plants I wanted to sow now for winter stratification, so I bought an extra set for one of you!

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Good luck folks and thank you so much for being you!!!

I hope you celebrate being alive this week, how special you are, and then wrap yourself up in some serious love. It’s rough out there right now, and we need one another.