Garden Bloggers are the nicest people

If you get a group of garden bloggers together, you get a a room full of plant geeks!

I am upside down, back the front and a day behind where I belong.  Add to the discombobulation of international travel I have absorbed so much new knowledge my head is all in a whirl.  I have made so many new friends, and many that weren’t more than thumbnail icons to me, yet I felt like I already knew them, so faces and names came to life.  However there were so many that I need to sit down with all my exchanged business cards and look up their blogs and reconnect thumbnails images with memories of laughter shared.

I’m not ready for winter – take me back to warmer climes…

Let’s face it – the weather is awful.  It is winter and it is cold and gloomy – the kind of cold that stops you feeling your nose when you go outside.  So it may be my last day in America, but I am going to sit in my room with the aircon cranked up, watch TV and the bizarre commercials that go with it and dwell in the gardens of some of the coolest bloggers.  I have been out today, I went to church with 2500 others and I checked out a supermarket, so staying in now is perfectly ok.  Besides, I am kind of going out – virtually.  Wrap up warm and come with me. Let me introduce you to some of my new friends.

I did get out. Atlanta Botanical Gardens was cool.

My most favourite new friend – oh you so need to meet Bren.   She found me.  She connected with me before I even left home and asked a question that added a whole new dimension to my online life.  She asked “Are you on Twitter?”  So I joined Twitter and love it.  It is like verbal snapshots – and some photos.  Follow me – I have random thoughts in the garden, you’ll love it.  Its @SarahtheGarden  (because I couldn’t fit the ‘er’ on the end).  But back to Bren – she is so cool.  She was the first blogger I saw.  I was behind her in the registration queue.  I didn’t get one of her business cards because I don’t think biosecurity would let me bring it back.   She gave seeds to everyone – even Nate Berkus who said he didn’t have a green thumb.  Bren is a twitter queen and is fabulous at bringing people together.    On Twitter you can find her at @BG_garden.  She also is part of a cool thing called #GardenChat where gardeners can share together.  You can find out more here: Connect Share Grow  and of course she has a blog: BG Garden

Me and my new buddy Bren

Then there was Jan.  She was one of our wonderful speakers and she is such a sweet person and fabulous speaker.  She makes me laugh so much. Two Women and a Hoe  She is also a huge inspiration.  I love her charm and style.

Lisa was cool too.   Lisa keeps chickens and is very popular, but she is so friendly and down to earth and I really enjoyed the time I spent with her.  She was also one of the speakers and I got so much from what she had to say.  You can find her at  Fresh Eggs Daily

Beth is so nice and you will love her. She is also a talented watercolour illustrator.  I really enjoyed her company. More Than Oregano   I also spent loads of time with Julie at Organic Delights.  You can find her blog at Julies Garden Delights

Jan is such a fabulous speaker She had us laughing so much, but was so wise.

And there were two Amy’s:  Amy at Get Busy Gardening.  She also shares a blog called Savvy Gardening.  The other Amy is also lovely and you should check her out at A Nest for all Seasons.

Oh and then there was Monica who has Gardening Products Review and Brandon who is with Botanical Interests and is pretty awesome, Shannon from the plant company Proven Winners.  She gave me a great coffee mug with Plant Geek on it, but I seem to have lost it.  So disappointed.

I have loads of new friends

We can’t forget Meg.  She was so high energy and a blast to be around.  I miss her bounce.  She wants everyone to buy alternatives to .com.  It just makes sense – pick up a ‘ dot anything else’ and be ahead of your game.

Betty who is actually Linda was lovely too.  She was one of the speakers and don’t tell the others but I think I may have learnt the most from her.  She made a lot of sense.  Having said that, there was so much to learn, it has all rolled into one big tangle in my head.  Check her out. Garden Betty

It was great to meet Shawna who was also a fabulous dynamic speaker.  You can find her at Shawna Coronado

I also have to mention:  David at The Good Garden and Kristyn at This Natural Dream and Deb at Counting my Chickens and Ellen at Learn to Garden..  They are so lovely.

The parties were incredible even if the location was interesting – a kitchen and bathroom show room.

Actually everyone is lovely.  Gardeners are sharing caring people.  I think they liked me.  But I did bribe the lot of them with bubbly.   If you want to find out more of what went on in Atlanta and you know about twitter hash tags check out #GBCATL.

But please do have a look at my new people.  I have had a fabulous winter afternoon, visiting gardens and revisiting gardens and clicking buttons to make sure I can pop into my new friend’s gardens whenever I want.

To make friends share bubbly – that’s how I do it!

Now all I have to do is process the learning.  But the ‘social’ part of social media is even more fun in person, especially when you can raise a glass with those that were once just thumbnails.

Come again soon – there will be changes – but I need to get home and check out my garden first.

Sarah the Gardener  : o )