I spent last week in my back yard, trying to remind it that it was supposed to resemble a garden. Despite a certain amount of weeding and cleanup, it wasn't taking the hint. After stepping back for a look, I decided it could benefit from a serious round of rearranging.

Several hours with a shovel later, parts of the yard looked less haphazard. But after that bout of purging, I was left with some plants I really like, just not right there .... or there...

I potted them up until I could figure out where they might show to best advantage. Then, eureka!, I remembered the Green Girls plant swap, where those plants could go to a new home where they do fit.

The plant swap is June 4 from 10 a.m. to noon, across from the Star Tribune building, between 4th and 5th streets on Portland Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Free plants! Free parking! Free seeds and prizes while they last!

So, if your garden could use some of this instead of that, pack up your extra plants, seedlings, books or supplies and come join us in seeing what someone else might want to swap. We had a ton of fun the last time we held the swap, and met lots of great gardeners with some really cool plants. And remember, one person's "unfavorite" plant can be another's favorite, so don't think you have nothing to offer in exchange.

I need to head out to the garden to pot up more goodies. (I swear I'm not including my many unstoppable invasive spreaders.)

Martha Buns, Star Tribune

The end result should leave my garden looking more intentional. It was just kind of like a 401(k): It needs periodic rebalancing when some plants (centaurea), outperform others (curly leaf hosta), and dividends need to be reinvested (plant swap).

What kind of garden designer are you? The chronic rearranger? The selective editor? The gap filler? Or the type that leaves well enough alone so long as it's not weeds?