Here I am with another call-to-action post. This time, it’s for the Garden Bloggers Fling, held this year in Madison, Wisconsin, June 23–26. (Check out the link; there’s plenty of information.) I could go on and on about how much I have enjoyed these annual gardeners’ gatherings, which focus exclusively on tours of cool gardens, public and private, and other garden-related sites (including nurseries). I could go on and on about the dinners together, the collegiality, and the fun. I could express my relief that there are no talks held in stuffy hotel seminar rooms, just gardens, gardeners, and informal garden talk.
A private garden included in Friday tours
But the most important thing to say about the 2022 edition of the Fling, which has been held since 2008 (except 20-21), is that it’s not just for bloggers anymore. Instagrammers, podcasters, and YouTubers who present mostly gardening content on those feeds are also eligible to attend. This is a first, as, over the years, we’ve found that many gardeners are preferring to use these feeds rather than blog. As a member of the Fling steering committee, it’s kind of disappointing that fewer are blogging, but it’s also understandable. Since 2008, new ways of expressing the joys and sorrows of gardening have grown and developed. It’s just progress. And it’s great to have these outlets. Keep in mind, your feed, whichever it is, must be active and mostly garden-related. It will be checked. And bloggers are still happily welcomed! Registration requirements are here.
Another private garden from the Friday tours
Madison, my Great Lakes neighbor, has much to offer gardeners. I feel an affinity, because when we had the Fling in Buffalo in 2010, some gardeners needed convincing that Buffalo—which now devotes the entire month of July to celebrating gardens and gardening—could offer so much gardening excitement. Like Buffalo, Madison might not arise as quickly to the mind as a gardening hotspot. Not like Seattle, Chicago, or Asheville, anyway (all of which have been Fling locations). But judging from what I see online, there are gorgeous public and private spots on tap for visiting, including the UW-Madison Arboretum (shown at top), the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the Flower Factory, and private gardens that focus on prairie, woodland, collector, edible, hybrids of these, and more. This is only what’s currently on the website, which presents additional information regularly.
Early bird registration rates for this end March 27.
Photos courtesy of the Madison Fling organizers.
I remember the Garden Bloggers Fling from its debut. I’ve never attended, although it always sounds like fun. (I can’t go this year either due to a huge # of unexpected bills this month.) Anyway, I would like to know why the Fling isn’t made open to everyone interested in gardening? What would be so wrong with that? I know Master Gardeners make their meetings open to the gardening public so people have the opportunity to see what Master Gardening is all about. I also doubt opening the Fling to the gardening public would add many people anyway. Are gardeners who don’t show off their skills on social media somehow “less than”? I don’t think they are. I don’t mean disrespect to the Fling or its organizers, but (trite as it is) inquiring minds want to know the reason why it’s limited. Thanks! P.S. Wisconsin sounds lovely.
It was a bloggers event from its inception, organized by bloggers who had already been communicating online. And the limit is about 70 people. Master Gardeners’ meetings have seminars, workshops and talks–they should be open to the public. Fling has none of that. There are many, many other conferences and events that are specialized and intended for people who participate in the specialty. I don’t think we’ll see an end to those anytime soon.
Tempting!
Might I offer a minor correction? It is Olbrich Botanical Garden, not Ulbrich. By the way, in my humble opinion, Olbrich is one of the best public gardens in the upper Midwest. If you visit, you will not be disappointed.
Thanks! A mistype.
A few ago, I read a novel set in Madison (But Not For Long, by Michelle Wildgen) that really made me want to go there, and I recall enquiring about whether there would ever be a fling there. I’ve only attended the Portland one because I don’t fly (combination of being too poor and keeping a small carbon footprint, the latter maybe sour grapes). I’m still excited it will be there because I hope to see lots of blog posts about gardens in that very interesting city. I hope someone will be inspired to walk us through every garden step by step in a series of blog posts.