Friday, August 12, 2011

I Went to a Garden Party...

From back facing camera: Willi, Cindy, Shayna, Katie, Shelley, Judy & Dee in Lorene's garden
to reminisce with my old friends and meet some new ones. The fourth installment of the traveling garden tour and blogger party known as Fling rolled into Seattle with high expectations and great relief, especially for the bloggers from Texas and Oklahoma. For four days, we traveled in tour buses to see beautiful gardens.











It was a chance to let our hair down and have some fun.





In beautiful surroundings, we walked,


we took lots of pictures,
we talked.




Bloggers traveled from near and far.
Local blogger Tatyana with the Brits, Victoria, Michelle and hubby

I wish I had a photo of everyone, but each year the Fling has gotten bigger, and with 70 attendees, I didn't even get a chance to talk with everyone.
Pat and I in Denise Lane's garden
Thanks go to the organizers, Debra, Lorene, Marty, In the Garden with Marty Wingate (who managed to avoid my camera), and Mary Ann for all their hard work. Seattle Fling exceeded expectations.

List of victims subjects in order of appearance:
Willi, Digginfood
Cindy, From My Corner of Katy
Shayna, Kitten Heels & Compost
Katie, The Garden of Words
Shelley, 29 Minute Gardener
Judy, Botanical Interests
Dee, Red Dirt Ramblings
Barbara, B Wise Gardening
Frances, Fairegarden
Jennifer, The Garden Life
Lorene, Planted at Home
Gail, Clay and Limestone
Leslie, Growing a Garden in Davis
Layanee, Ledge & Gardens
Mary Ann, Gardens of the Wild, Wild West
Suzi, Garden Media Group
Kathy, Cold Climate Gardening
Lisa, Natural Gardening
Kylee, Our Little Acre
Debra, Debra Prinzing
David Perry, A Photographer's Garden Blog
Helen, Toronto Gardens
Caroline, The Shovel-Ready Garden
Vicki, Playin' Outside
Jean, Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog
Janet, The Garden Show Blog
Anneliese, Cobrahead Blog
Robin, Bumblebee Blog
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Bonnie, Vintage Garden Gal
Nan, Plant Soup
Melissa, Houston Garden Girl
Pam, Digging
Cyndy, Gardening Asylum
Diana, Sharing Nature's Garden
Andrea, Grow Where You're Planted
Tatyana, My Secret Garden
Victoria, Victoria's Backyard
Michelle, Veg Plotting
Pat, Commonweeder

20 comments:

Darla said...

I love, love and love these collages of the gardeners behind the wonderful gardens they share!!

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

Wish I were thinner. Oh well, and look I'm talking as usual. Just kidding. I think your pics are fab, and you caught lots of cute folks in your lens.~~Dee

Layanee said...

LOL What Dee said! Still lots of fun photos where everyone is smiling. I have many of Kathy P. but her eyes are closed in all of them! Good job and so thorough.

Gail said...

What a treat to see so many Flingers again. I agree with dee and Layanee~Your photos are fab! gail

Alison said...

Great post! While I know many readers enjoy reading about everyone's garden, and getting advice, etc., it is the people behind the blogs that are often even more interesting! Your post gives people who didn't attend a small sense of who all the bloggers are.

I was actually a bit afraid of getting too many people in my pictures, not knowing any of them and how comfortable or uncomfortable they would be about appearing in pictures on my blog.

Commonweeder said...

Great post! I remember your taking that photo of the two of us in the mirror - right after I broke my camera! No more pictures that whole day.

Jennifer Koester said...

Fun post!! And, I even like my picture Whoot!! Happy gardening- was very nice meeting you.... Cheers, Jenny

Jean said...

Yeh, what Dee said. I have no idea why I was striking such a silly pose. It was great getting a chance to catch up on the bus. But you're right, with so many folks it was hard to meet or talk to everyone.

joey said...

Thanks for sharing! A joy to see the lovely faces of fellow gardeners ... and hopefully one day meet.

Lorene Edwards Forkner said...

Barbara - what a fabulous job you did, not only of capturing snapshots of all our Fling festivities but your masterful harvesting of the names as well!!! I'm impressed. So nice to have met you and witnessed your impressive energy!

vbdb said...

Absolutely loved this! You've captured a sense of the fun we were all having. Thank you so much.

Aerie-el said...

Great post! So fun to see the faces behind the blogs in their native environment--gardens!

Victoria said...

What Dee said! Plus I wish my hair didn't frizz in the rain. But I'm proud and flattered to be included in your collage, Barbara. And it was so lovely to meet you at last. xxooxx

Helen said...

A pretty darned good job, Barbara.

meemsnyc said...

Oh wow, what fun! I wish something like that was organized here!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

It is fun seeing these collages of the participants. What a collection of bloggers. They are as colorful as the gardens themselves.

Caroline said...

What a sweet post! I'm sorry I didn't get to meet everyone, too. Seems like if you were on one bus, you never really got talking with folks on the other bus. I'm glad I met you! :)

Cameron said...

Wish I could have been there to meet everyone! A happy group of people and I thank you for putting names to faces!

Pam/Digging and Tatyana visited my garden here in North Carolina this summer. Delightful to meet other gardeners and bloggers!

Asheville next year, right? That, I should be able to make!

PlantPostings said...

Looks like so much fun! I hope to make it next year. Gardeners, gardens, great weather, great conversation. Seems like a winning combination!

Rose said...

What fun to see some familiar faces and to put faces to some familiar names like VP and Tatyana. Your photos are great, MMD! I'm not making any commitments for next summer until I find out the date for the fling in Asheville!