On Plants and People At the 2022 Garden Bloggers Fling

The 2022 Garden Bloggers Fling is done, and I find myself reflecting on what it means. I know others have noted about past Flings how they enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. That is so true for me, too!

The plants are amazing, Madison in June was a great location for the Fling (that's why we volunteered!), and it was wonderful to tour lovely private and public gardens.

But it truly is the people who make the Fling: the attendees, the gardeners, the sponsors, and all the others who make it happen! Once everyone arrived and we began touring gardens together, my nervousness about logistics and scheduling began to fade. What a wonderful group of people!

Thanks to all who attended! Watch for more coverage here, and on blogs and social media feeds throughout North America. To learn more about this year's Fling, next year's Fling, and beyond, visit the Fling website.

And thank you, sincerely, dear Fling friends for a wonderful time together!

A Little Blog Break to Prepare for the Fling

Two of my favorite things to do are to share plant and gardening information with fellow gardeners and bloggers here in this space, and to visit your blogs. But I must take a break.

You see, we're ramping up for the Garden Bloggers Fling in Madison, June 23-26. We have a very small planning committee, and the details and last-minute planning are keeping me very busy.

We still have a few spots left on our second bus, if you're interested in attending. It's going to be amazing! But what's most amazing is the chance to reconnect with garden bloggers and online communicators ... friends I haven't seen since 2019 ... before COVID hit.

I know I'll see some of you there. Cheers!

I'll be back here and visiting your blogs in July. Until then, happy gardening and happy blogging!

Wordless Wednesday: May Fen

Insets, L to R: Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

January Fen

Magic Magnolia Buds

Magnolia stellata

The fluffy opening buds of Magnolias are so fascinating; I think I enjoy them almost (almost) more than the open flowers, themselves. Many of the Magnolia trees around here have suffered slight frost damage during the past week as we flirted for several nights with nighttime lows hovering slightly above and below 32F/0C. Now it's a little warmer, so they're bursting into bloom.

There's no denying the beauty and the magic of the buds AND the blooms.