Chicago Gardeners

Cast Your Vote For One Seed Chicago 2012

2012-01-15T20:06:00.003-06:00

One Seed Chicago is back for another round of voting in 2012. This year's candidates vying to be the one seed for Chicago in 2012 are: basil, chamomile and cilantro. How One Seed Chicago works: vote for your favorite of the three candidates, the seed with the most votes is deemed the winner and everyone in Chicago who votes get a free packet of seeds of the winner in the mail come spring. To vote visit the online ballot for One Seed Chicago and fill it out.

So far chamomile has received the endorsement Chicago gardeners blogroll members: 'Chicago Garden' and 'Garden Girl.' While 'Apartment Farm' has put its weight behind basil. Will you endorse a candidate on your blog and encourage your readers to vote for it? You can read the 2012 press release here, and grab yourself some One Seed Chicago graphics for a post here.

Notes/News
Congratulations to Chicago Gardeners blogroll member K-Town Homestead who probably had the best crop of the 2011 growing season. See why.

Chicago Gardener blogroll members check your Email inbox (spam folders in particular) in the coming weeks. Your contact information has been passed on to GreenMark Public Relations. They're handling marketing and PR for the Chicago Flower & Garden Show this year. We'll post a note closer to the show to remind you.

Subsidized Rain Barrels and Compost Bin Program in Chicago Canceled

2011-07-08T01:04:00.000-05:00

Northern Catalpa Tree Blooming in Chicago

The City of Chicago has ended their subsidized sales of rain barrels and compost bins. In place of that program is the new Sustainable Backyard Program, where you can get rebates on your purchase of a rain barrel, compost bin, tree or native plants. To learn more about the project see this article on Chicago's Sustainable Backyard Program.

Green & Growing Urban Gardening Fair This Saturday

2011-04-27T12:37:00.002-05:00

The Green & Growing Urban Gardening Fair is this Saturday at the Garfield Park Conservatory. If you've never been to Chicago's only urban gardening fair here's what to expect: Gardening demos, workshops, plant vendors, live music and activities for kids.

The fair takes place throughout the conservatory at 300 North Central Park Avenue on Saturday, April 30th from 10am-2pm.

The winner of One Seed Chicago 2011 will be unveiled at the fair and seeds will be distributed to attendees.

Don't miss it.

March Gardening Events in Chicago

2011-03-01T09:00:00.010-06:00

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show
March 5-13th

Buy tickets online or at Navy Pier.
Tips for discounts for tickets to Chicago Flower Show.

Peterson Garden seed swap.
Sunday, March 06 4pm-6pm
RSVP here http://petersongarden.eventbrite.com/

Wicker Park Garden Club
Workshop-Tool Sharpening
Saturday, March 19 10am-Noon or 1pm-3pm
Choose a time. $15. Pay at the Door.
RSVP wpgarden@aol.com or call 773-278-9075

Washington Park Conservancy
Garden tool sharpening & cleaning workshop
Saturday, March 26 10am-12pm
RSVP: 773-203-3418
Washington Park
5531 S. King Drive.
Chicago, IL

One Seed Chicago voting continues until April 1st. Pick your favorite seed and vote for it. The winning seed will be mailed out to you for free. Encourge your friends to vote for their favorite too.

Sweet Saturdays and Seed Swap in Chicago

2011-02-03T14:39:00.001-06:00

Sweet Saturdays kicks off this Saturday at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Sweet Saturdays are held the two Saturdays before Valentine's Day. You can tour the conservatory, learn about which plants are used to create many of our sweets, sample some tasty treats, listen to live music and kids can play in the craft area.

The Lurie Garden is setting a romantic mood for lovers this Valentine's Day. See what evenings you can take an illuminated stroll in the garden with your special someone.

On February 12, 2011 the Lurie Garden hosts a seed swap at the Chicago Cultural Center in the 1st Floor Garland Room for gardeners in the Chicagoland area. See here for more information on how to register and how to pack your seeds.

Visit the home page for the blog to see the latest posts by Chicago Gardeners. Lots and lots of pictures of snow. We've had a couple of new members since the last update. Tired of the snow? See the year-round-gardens The Garden of Live Flowers found at the Art Institute.

If you're a member of the Chicago Gardeners blogroll and would like to meetup with other members during the Chicago Flower & Garden Show in March, please shoot us an email ASAP. You can find the email address on the homepage of the blog.

One Seed Chicago & Seed Starting Workshop

2011-01-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

Voting is now open for One Seed Chicago 2011. If you're not familiar with One Seed Chicago, it is an urban greening project that puts up three seeds for a vote and allows Chicagoans to vote for their favorite seed. The seed that gets the most votes by 4/01/11 will be distributed for free to Chicagoan that voted. This year's candidates are eggplant, radish and chard. This year One Seed Chicago is encouraging backyard gardeners across Chicago to share the bounty of their gardens by cooking meals for family and friends featuring the candidates.

In the coming weeks One Seed Chicago will be publishing recipes from celebrity chefs in Chicago, foodie bloggers and Chicago garden bloggers at http://www.OneSeedChicago.com . If you're a gardener in Chicago they're encouraging you to blog about the One Seed Chicago project telling your readers who you're voting for and encouraging them to vote for their favorite candidate. There are graphics you can use for your blog post or buttons for your blog here. If you blog about One Seed Chicago 2011 send a Tweet to @OneSeedChicago or post a link to your post to the One Seed Chicago Facebook page.

Seed Starting Workshop.

The Wicker Park Garden Club is holding their annuals plant propagation workshop on Jan 8th. Here are the details of the workshop along with information on how to RSVP.

Saturday, January 8

10am - Noon or 1pm - 3pm

(Choose one of the two sessions)

Richard Tilley, Doug Wood, Denise Browning

Wicker Park Home – Address Given to Registered Students

RESERVATIONS - $15 – Limited Seating - 30 per class

wpgarden@aol.com or (773) 278-9075

Pay at Door Cash or Check to WIcker Park Garden Club

"Winter is the time to think about what you'd like to grow next year. Take time to search web sites and catalogues to find something exciting either for your vegetable or ornamental gardens. The workshop covers the techniques of propagating plants from seeds and from other plants.

In the class you will learn techniques for starting seeds either inside under lights or outside in the garden. Richard Tilley will demonstrate how to create an inexpensive seed starting light set up, techniques and timetables for starting vegetable and annual seeds indoors, techniques of transplanting, growing on, and hardening off the young plants. We will discuss the time tables for growing vegetables from seed and how to you can extend your season with combination, repeat or periodic plantings. Doug Wood will discuss various techniques of starting ornamental perennials from seed (stratification, scarification, soaking), various timetables for these seed types, and discuss the options of starting these seeds inside or planting the seeds directly outside in the garden. In addition, he will discuss how to enhance the drama and extend seasonal color in your perennials beds by incorporating hardy and half-hardy annuals that you seed right in the beds. Denise and Richard will demonstrate techniques to propagate shrubs, annuals, and perennials from cuttings or from layering techniques.

RICHARD TILLEY grows thousands of vegetables and ornamental annuals in his growing rooms.

THE WICKER PARK GARDEN CLUB designs, funds and maintains 10,000 sq. ft of garden in Wicker Park - the Park - and produces an educational series for adults and children. The gardens are a Registered Community Gardens in the Parks Project in collaboration with the Chicago Park District. See www.wpgarden.org "

July 2010 Gardening Events in Chicago

2010-07-13T22:03:00.007-05:00

I had planned to make monthly posts here about gardening events, blogs and people around Chicago, but I've lost track of time this season. July gives us the opportunity to grow a second harvest and gives me a second chance to bring up some links.

The 52nd Annual Dearborn Garden Walk is July 18, 2010. I've got a post (including photo gallery) about the tour there.

Rachel, of On the Shores of Lake Chicago, reminds us that the Midwest Pond and Koi Society pond tour takes place July 24-25 and July 31-August 1.

The Rogers Park Garden Group's 4th Annual Garden Meander is July 27 from 6-8:30 pm.

There are still four Sustainable Backyard workshops available this year so you can participate in the rebate program for rain barrels and compost bins in Chicago.

You can play bingo to support Chicago's community gardens every Wednesday night at the Hide Out. Each week a new community garden is highlighted at Veggie Bingo. You should check it out. Now through September.

Garfield Park Conservatory Events:

Tree ID Walks- July 16 from 10am-noon

Free for participants!

Walks leave at 10:00am from the Conservatory’s front lobby

Spring, summer, & fall - learn to identify city trees throughout the seasons with tree-keeper

Jim DeHorn of the Openlands Project. Jim will explore the trees of beautiful and historic Garfield Park. Interested children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. Please dress appropriately for the weather - walks take place rain or shine!

Art & Nature Series: Weaving the Wonder of Nature- July 31, from 10am-noon

Free, however pre-registration required (see below)

Come to this hands-on workshop, where we will explore a number of techniques incorporating looms and natural materials. This workshop is presented in partnership with the Chicago Public Library’s celebration of “Reading is Art-Rageous” theme.

Program is free, but requires pre-registration with the Chicago Public Library. Please call and register at this Chicago Public Library # as space is limited. (312) 747 4011

Location: The Jensen Room @ the Garfield Park Conservatory

Harvesting and Using Your Compost- July 24 from 1-3pm Free!

Now is the time to start harvesting that finished compost from spring. Learn how to use your compost as mulch and potting mix. Compost sifting will be demonstrated.

Chicago Botanic Garden Events

Summer is all about growing and enjoying delicious, healthy food. Don’t miss these tasty events: Farmers’ Market, the first and third Sundays of the month; Garden Chef Series, every Saturday and Sunday; and the Farm Dinner on July 28.

Sorry I haven't kept up with blogroll requests. If you'd like to join the Chicago Gardeners blogrolls please add a link to this blog http://chicagogardeners.blogspot.com on your blog and send me the link and I'll add you to the blogroll. If you sent one last one, or the month before that, please feel free to send it again.

-MrBrownThumb

One Seed, Beer Under Glass,Thomas Street, Peterson Garden and Plant Sales

2010-05-10T19:26:00.004-05:00

One Seed Chicago
The 2010 One Seed Chicago has been announced, you can read about it at www.OneSeedChicago.com

Thomas Street Community Garden
The folks at the Thomas Street Community Garden are having a workday on the 15th. Here is part of the Email sent out asking for volunteers.

"We're having our big AmeriCorps workday at the Thomas Street Garden (2655 W. Thomas Street), on Saturday May 15. We'll kick things off at 10 a.m. and run 'til sometime after noon. We should have 8-10 AmeriCorps volunteers showing up to help rebuild the flagstone circle with mortar that we've purchased. Other projects on the to-do list for Saturday are to build new raised beds along the fence lines in the veggie garden, install our glass bottle pathway in the parkway, harvest our compost, and of course, plant some perennials and vegetables. I've got a few more projects tucked away if we run out of work to do..."

Peterson Garden
LaManda over at The Yarden is leading the efforts to revive an original victory garden in Chicago's 40th Ward. Visit www.PetersonGarden.org to learn how you can become involved or help with this awesome project.

Beer Under Glass
Beth Botts at Growing in Chicago tells us about the Beer Under Glass fundraiser at the Garfield Park Conservatory on May 13, 2010.

Forest Park Community Garden
Our friends at the FP Community Garden are having a work day on May 15, 2010 if you can't pitch in to help the Thomas Street Community Garden because you're in the 'burbs stop by to help these ladies build some raised beds.

Plant Sales
Plant and seedling sales continue around Chicago. See this post for an updated list of sales where you can purchase herbs, flowers, perennials and vegetables for your garden while helping some great clubs and organization.

Green And Growing Urban Gardening Fair & Plant Sales in Chicago

2010-04-18T20:45:00.005-05:00

The gardening season around Chicago gets underway this month and in May. There are a number of seedling and plant sales starting on April 24th and continuing through May where you can purchase perennials, herbs, annuals and vegetables for your garden.

There's also the 18th Annual Green & Growing Urban Gardening Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory on Chicago's West Side on April 24, 2010. Here is a copy of the press release with information about what you can expect as an attendee of the Green & Growing Urban Gardening Fair.

Kick off the growing season, and celebrate Earth Day, with the 18th Annual Green & Growing Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The fair, sponsored by GreenNet, Chicago's Urban Greening Network, plunges into spring by hosting a variety of vendors, workshops, demonstrations, and family activities to get your rusty green thumb up and running.

On the schedule for the day:

·Gather Resources for Starting Community Gardens & Green Spaces @ GreenNet Member’s Information/ Exhibition Tables, Which include but are not limited to-
- Openlands Project
- GreenCorp Chicago, part of the Department of Environment
- NeighborSpace
- The Chicago Park District
- The Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
- The Chicago Botanic Garden
- Friends of the Parks
- Archi-Treasures
- American Community Garden Association
- University of Illinois Extension Program and Master Gardeners

·Purchase heirloom seeds, unique seedlings, and other inspirational garden materials to jumpstart the growing season

·Participate in Family Take Home Planting Activities
-Rot Pot Seed Starting Activities (with One Seed Chicago’s One Seed Candidates)
-Grow a Pizza Garden
-& More!

·Attend our Native Landscape Workshops
Lecture Presentations take place in the Community Room (Each session is 5 $, and requires no pre-registration. Come early to purchase your tickets. Registration begins @ 9 am. All proceeds from workshops go to supporting GreenNet.)

Knock on Native Wood
10 am – 10:45 am
Presented by Kelsay Shaw of Possibility Place Nursery
Native woody plants add structure, promote wildlife, and thrive in local conditions. They fit into many landscapes, including your home, school or community garden. Mr. Shaw is a botanist and sales consultant at Possibility Place Nursery and has worked in the industry for the past 17 years.

Jens Jensen and Prairie on Chicago’s West Side
11 am - Noon
Presented by historian Barbara Geiger, IIT, CBG, SAIC
It took Jens Jensen, a Danish immigrant, to teach Chicagoans the value of their natural prairie plants and landscape when he began designing here in the 1890s. Much of his early experimenting happened here in the parks on Chicago’s west side. Today, we appreciate even more the subtle beauty and usefulness of our natural ecosystems and topography because of Jensen’s influence. Professor Geiger shares the story of Jensen and his work, and that of his colleague Henry Cowles, “the father of modern ecology.”

Landscape historian Barbara Geiger is adjunct professor in the College of Architecture at IIT, and also teaches at the Chicago Botanic Garden, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and other local institutions. Her research has focused on O.C. Simonds and other early exponents of naturalistic design and native plants in Chicago, and their continuing influence on our area.

·Visit Outdoor Drop-In Learning Stations on the Bluestone Terrace from 11 am to 3 pm

Basics of Composting, facilitated by U of I Extension Master Composters
Learn about the basics of composting, from backyard bins to indoor worm composting.

Rot Pot Seed Starting, facilitated by GPCA Volunteers
Plant One Seed Chicago Candidates (Bee Balm, Purple Coneflower, & Nodding Wild Onion!) in a newspaper rot pot, then make a recycled garden marker for your future garden

Tool Sharpening with Chicago Botanic Garden Green Youth Farm
Watch and learn how to sharpen your own tools. Bring your own tools, and get them sharpened for a small fee.

Bean Teepees & Tomato Cages made with Sticks & Bamboo Facilitated by North Park Village Nature’s Sean Shaffer Chicago Park District’s famous “stick guy” shows lashing techniques and more.

Native Plants for your Yard with Chicago Botanic Garden’s Chrissy Jacobsen
Consult with the CBG’s expert resident natural area restorer and native plant specialist. Visit with Chrissy Jacobsen, Aquatic and Native Plant Specialist Chrissy Jacobsen is the Aquatic Plant Specialist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Her job is to monitor and maintain three miles of restored shorelines, which mainly consists of planting natives and removing invasive species in and out of the water. Chrissy chooses to plant native species because they are very resilient to floods and periods of drought. Purple Coneflower, Prairie Dropseed, and Great St. Johnswort are just a few of the native plants that can be found along the shoreline. These, along with many others, are perfect for your front or backyard!

Soil Information Station with U of I Extension Expert, Ellen Phillips
Come get the dirt on your garden soil, and learn the steps for finding out more about what you’re walking on in your back yard.

The Buzz on Beehives & Honey Tasting Presented by the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Volunteer Beekeepers
Sample the flavors of honeybees from around the world, and make sure to taste a bit that was made by the Conservatory’s very own bees.

Body-Smart Gardening, presented by CBG’s Gene Rothert in the Monet Garden
Learn to avoid the aches and pains of crouching and kneeling to garden, by exploring tools and techniques that are kind to the gardening body.

·The Winner of ONE SEED CHICAGO’s Seed of the Year is Announced @ noon!

-Each year, the One Seed Chicago folks select a group of seed contenders for Chicagoland growers to vote on.
2010’s candidates are:
Bee Balm
Purple Coneflower
Nodding Wild Onion
To meet the candidates and cast your vote, go to the OSC website: www.OneSeedChicago.com Voting ends April 1st and the winner will be announced and free seed packs distributed at the Green and Growing Fair. Then complete the season by showing what you’ve grown at the Garfield Park Conservatory’s Annual County Fair, September 18, 2010, in our annual Harvest Showcase.

·Share food & live music with friends in our Green Café Musicians Lined Up:
-Calypso Music by The Bottle & Stone Battalion
-Americana Music from The Lost Cartographers
-Performers from the Lawndale/ Ravinia Community Music Conservatory & Suzuki Orff School of Music
·Participate in a Silent Auction of Urban Gardening Treasures
·Shop our used gardening book sale

Macy's Flower Show, Chicagos Victory Gardens

2010-03-27T14:36:00.002-05:00

The flower show on Macy's on State Street Chicago, opens on Sunday with the 'Spring is in the Air' theme. Yesterday two of the Chicago Gardeners blogroll members attended the media preview of the show. Check out their pictures.

Chicago Garden: "Spring is in the Air" at Macy's on State Street Flower Show
My Skinny Garden: Macy's Gets it Right With 2010 Flower Show

Also on Sunday, LaManda of TheYarden is producing a lecture on the history of Chicago's Victory Gardens. It sounds like part history lesson and performance piece and all fun. Tickets are only $7.00.

When
Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Where
Dank Haus Cultural Center
4740 North Western Avenue
Chicago IL, 60625-2013

You can purchase your ticket online here.

Chicago Flower & Garden Show, Workshop, Macy's Flower Show

2010-03-15T23:13:00.003-05:00

Here is a roundup of some post by members of the Chicago Gardeners blogroll. Look over the archives of each of the blog's linked to find their other posts on the show.

Chicago Garden
Garden Hits and Misses at Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

Garden Girl

Sun & Moon at Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

Sneak Preview: Chicago Flower & Garden Show.

K-Town Homestead

I'd Rather be Gardening.

Welcome...

The newest members of the Chicago Gardeners blogroll are The Worm Girl News and The Garden at Liberty. If you'd like to become a member of the blogroll simply add http://chicagogardeners.blogspot.com to your blogroll on your blog and send an Email to let us know and we'll add your feed along with the rest of our blogs. With our numbers growing perhaps this year we can have some kind of local garden blog gathering at some point.

Save the Date

If the Chicago Flower and Garden Show has you searching for more greenery and blooms, you're in luck. Macy's Flower Show returns March 28-April 11, with the theme "Spring Is In The Air." We'll post more details soon.

Workshop

Get your tools ready for Spring with this tool sharpening workshop at the Wicker Park Garden Club. Saturday, March 20 - 10am-noon or 1pm-3pm - $15

Held in Wicker Park Home - Address Given to Registered Student

Reservations: wpgarden@aol.com (773) 278-9075 (Pay at Door)

Tool Sharpening Workshop - Richard Tilley, Jim Angrabright, Larry Clary, www.wpgarden.org

Learn how to sharpen your pruners, loppers, shovels, and other hand-held garden tools. Bring your hand-held tools-- go home with sharpened tools.

Movie

"A Chemical Reaction" will be screened at Columbia College Chicago on March 20.

2/1/10 Newest Members And Events

2010-02-01T00:04:00.007-06:00

Welcome the newest members of the Chicago Gardeners Blog/FeedRoll. For those of you using Blogger check out the Table of Contents at www.GardenBloggers.com for some tips if you'd like to experiment with modifying your blog's template.

City Diggity Balcony gardening in Chicago.

Finding My Green Thumb Culinary trained gardening newbie in Chicago

The Yarden Established gardener focusing on growing vegetables in Chicago

K-Town Homestead Homesteader on Chicago's West Side.

The Suburban Gardener Suburban gardener with an appreciation of flowers.

Visit http://chicagogardeners.blogspot.com to see the latest posts of all the local garden blogs we're collecting . If you're a garden blogger in Chicago and would like to join the blog/FeedRoll just add a link to this blog in your blogroll or link list and let us know and we'll add your feed to the list of feeds on the right.

News

February 6 & 13, 2010: Sweet Saturdays at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

March 6-14, 2010: The Chicago Flower & Garden Show.

Writer and member of Chicago Gardeners, Beth Botts, writes about the budget cuts facing the University of Illinois Extension.

One Seed Chicago 2010

2010-01-01T18:20:00.002-06:00

Voting for One Seed Chicago is now open. If you live in the Chicagoland area you can visit www.OneSeedChicago to vote for either Bee Balm, Nodding Onion or Purple Coneflower.

The winning seed will then be distributed to all who voted so you can plant them in your garden or in a community garden in your neighborhood. You don't have to be an experienced gardener or even currently own a garden, you just have to have a desire to grow a garden and beautify your surroundings.

If you have a blog or website in the Chicagoland area consider writing about One Seed Chicago and tell your readers about who you voted for, why and suggest that they vote too and get free seeds for their garden. You can get a graphic like this one in this post and images for the sidebars of your blog here. If you don't have a blog or website you can share One Seed Chicago with you friends on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Voting closes April 1 2010. For more information visit www.OneSeedChicago.com and Grow Together.

Re-Thinking Soup in Chicago Needs Volunteers

2009-12-07T14:38:00.003-06:00

Do you live in the Chicagoland area and looking to volunteer with some cool projects? Re-Thinking Soup and the Community Farm (both on the UIC campus) need volunteers. You can see more pictures of the community farm here.

About Re-Thinking Soup:

Every Tuesday from 12:00-1:00pm, the Hull-House Museum hosts a modern day soup kitchen that is a public and communal event where we gather together and eat delicious, healthy, soup and have fresh, organic conversation about many of the urgent social, cultural, economic and environmental food issues that we should be addressing.

Jane Addams was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and worked on many issues in her life to create the conditions of peace to flourish. We meet in the historic Residents' Dining Hall, where Upton Sinclair, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Gertrude Stein and other important social reformers met to share meals and ideas, debate one another, and conspire to change the world. Activists, farmers, doctors, economists, artists, and guest chefs join us each week to present their knowledge, ideas and projects and foster a space where we can move toward solutions.

The mission for the farm reflects our belief that monocultures are undesirable and dangerous for the environment and that promoting a pluralistic society is essential for a healthy democracy. The Heirloom Farm at the Hull-House Museum affirms the link between a healthy, diverse bio-culture that is sustained by varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables, and a vibrant and diverse culture in society, promoted by artisans, farmers, ethnic restaurants and markets and by the people who support these spaces.

YES WE CAN!

For information about volunteer opportunities for Re-Thinking Soup or the Community Farm and Garden project, please contact Kelly Saulsberry at ksuzanne@uic.edu or 312.355.4683

Gardeners on the Roof

2009-07-18T13:24:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was the dedication ceremony of the Organic Rooftop Farm at Uncommon Ground on Devon. Four Chicago Gardeners were there to document the event.

Chicago Garden

Mayor Daley Didn't Answer My Question

Garden Girl

An Uncommon Rooftop Farm

Growing in Chicago

The Nation's First Rooftop Organic Farm, in Edgewater

My Skinny Garden

First Certified Organic Rooftop Farm

Press Passes: Independent Garden Center Show

2009-07-08T09:06:00.002-05:00

The Independent Garden Center Show will be in Chicago at Navy Pier August 18-20. We've been in contact with the show and if you are a garden blogger in the area and would like to cover the show send us an Email with your contact info to get registered for a press pass.

Include the following info,

Name

Company name

Address

City/state/zip

Phone

Web address

in an Email to ChicagoGardeners@Gmail.com and we'll pass it on for you. This information will only be used to get you press credentials to the show.

6-20-9 Chicago Garden Blogger Synchronicity

2009-06-20T15:12:00.003-05:00

Something funny that should be documented occurred on garden blogs across Chicagoland. It was a moment of garden blogger synchronicity

This week there was a moment of Chicago gardener synchronicity that occurred across a few Chicago garden bloggers that should be documented.

Mr Brown Thumb started the week inside the Garfield Park Conservatory and The Garden of Live Flowers ended the week with a post that started inside the same location. Maybe the rainy weather made them think of drier climates.

Chicago Garden looked up and was mesmerized by Northern Catalpa tree blooms and Garden Girl looked up and saw the same flowers and possibilities.

Chicago Gardener's Journal harvested garlic scapes and so did My Skinny Garden, maybe they're planning a dinner garden party to surprise us with.

About Chicago Gardeners

2009-06-13T23:53:00.004-05:00

In the winter and spring of 2009 an organizing committee consisting of five Chicagoland garden bloggers was formed and organized an event called Chicago Spring Fling. It was a gathering of garden bloggers from across the country. The archive for the event can be found here. For several of us this was the first time we had met in person. After the event we decided we wanted to keep in touch with each other and meet more of our Chicagoland garden bloggers.

The Chicago Gardeners blog, right now, serves as a collection of RSS feeds & links to make finding others like us a little bit easier. If you have a garden blog in the Chicagoland area and you want your feed added to the feed pool, simply add the Chicago Gardeners link to your blogroll or blog list and your feed will be added. The RSS pool is not limited just to garden bloggers, garden clubs, Foodies and other groups who publish a feed are welcomed as long as gardening is a large portion of your content. There is also a Flickr pool if you share photos on Flickr. We've set up a Google Group for discussing gardening, blogging issues or pass on information.

Note: For some reason the followers through Blogger accounts don't show up on the Google Friend Connect badge. If you've added Chicago Gardeners to your blog list or sidebar and your feed wasn't added leave a comment below or send an Email and you'll be added. Click the title of a particular blog post to read the comments.

Chicago Spring Fling, That's A Wrap!

2009-06-08T22:52:00.027-05:00

What was Chicago Spring Fling? Who attended Chicago Spring Fling? Who sponsored Chicago Spring Fling? Who was on the organizing committee for Chicago Spring Fling? Below you'll find posts by garden bloggers from across the country who attended Chicago Spring Fling in 2009. You can also find photos on the garden bloggers flickr pool.

Garden Girl:

Spring Fling Friday

Spring Fling Saturday

Spring Fling Saturday-Rick Bayless Garden

Spring Fling Saturday-Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Spring Fling Saturday-A busy Day

Spring Fling Sunday-Winding Down

MrBrownThumb:

Chicago Spring Fling in Words

Chicago Spring Fling in Pictures

Rick Bayless' Urban Edible Garden

My Skinny Garden:

Ginkgo Organic Community Garden

5 Things I Loved About the Rick Bayless Garden

On the Shores of Lake Chicago:

Spring Fling, Days 2 & 3

Spring Fling, Day 1

Garden Faerie's Musings:

Chicago Spring Fling

Flatbush Gardener:

Native Plant Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Edible Plant Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Model Train Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden

Rick Bayless Garden

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Chicago Spring Fling 2009

Ramble on Rose:
Spring Fling '09 Wrap Up
Muse Day Final Fling Thoughts

Art of Gardening:
Garden Bloggers Spring Fling

Garden Blogging Influencing

Digging:
Caldwell Lily Pool, an oasis in Chicago
Visit to Garfield Park Conservatory
Intimate Gardens of Spring Fling
Art Institute Garden in Chicago
On Cloud Nine in Lurie Garden
The People Behind The Blogs
Chicago Botanic Garden wows Spring Flingers

Dig Grow Compost Blog:
Loving It-Chicago Botanic Garden
Rick Bayless Garden
Thank You Chicago Garden Bloggers

Fairegarden:

People of Spring Fling Chicago

Experiencing Chicago

faire Lurie garden Someday

Prairie Rose's Garden:

Spring Fling Finale

Garden Muse Day: Chicago

May Dreams Gardens:

Unpacking some misc Ideas Brought Home

Reforming one of my ways Again

Chicago Beans

Step back and see Gardens

The Garden of live Flowers:

Spring Fling Chicago photos

Chicago Spring Fling: The rest of the story

Time to get Cereus

Sharing Nature's Garden:

Chicago ala Mexicana

Lurie lures us In

Fling has Flung

Each Little World:

Chicago Spring Fling Sampler

Spring Fling Recap-Images and Impressions

Outside Clyde:

Garfield Park Conservatory

More Fling

Around Millennium Park

Chicago Botanic Garden

Eye on Chicago

Growing a Garden in Davis:

Spring Fling Chicago

Garden Punks:

Chicago Spring Fling 2009

Chicago Botanic Garden:

Spring Fling

Our Litte Acre:

Spring Fling Garden Party Giveaway

The Lurie Garden in Millennium Park - Chicago

Spring Fling Chicago 2009

There's a Sweet Home & Garden in Chicago

Who Is Rick Bayless Anyway?

Ohhh...the Lily Pool

Chicago's Lincoln Park Conservatory

-
Garden Rant:
Return of the natives—and a Prairie School landmark—in Chicago
Next year in Buffalo

Mr.McGregor's Daughter:
A Grand Day Out At the Chicago Botanic Garden
But Wait, There's More.

Searching for the Unique Angle
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Chicago Spring Fling

2009-05-26T17:44:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: You can see an archive of Chicago Spring Fling here.

On May 29th through May 31st Chicago, IL and Chicagoland garden bloggers will host the second annual garden blogger meetup. The first event took place last year in Austin, Texas. It's fitting that the City in a Garden continues the tradition. Chicago's 12,000 acres of public parks and waterfront space helped it secure a position in the Top 10 of America's 50 Greenest Cities as ranked by Popular Science.

On the agenda will be tours of crown jewels of the Chicago Park District, visits to a private garden, the Chicago Botanic Garden, a Friday dinner/reception, Saturday pizza party, group lunches, sightseeing, discussions and more. Unless noted, these events are free.

Events:

Friday, May 29th.

Saturday, May 30th.

Sunday, May 31st.

Pages:

Registered Participants & Invited Guests: See which garden bloggers from across the country are attending Chicago Spring Fling.

Chicago Spring Fling on Twitter: We'll be using Twitter to communicate with participants during the three day event.

Transportation: Transportation details are provided on events pages.

Visit the transportation page to discuss issues related to transportation either to Chicago or in and around the city.

Sponsors:Visit our sponsors page for information on the people helping make Chicago Spring Fling possible. Please contact us if you'd like to become a sponsor.

Of interest:

The Wikipedia entry on Chicago.

The website for the Chicago Transit Authority.

The website for EasyAccessChicago.

If you're attending we'd appreciate it if you'd blog/tweet/bookmark this event to help up spread the word. If you aren't attending go ahead and help up promote our garden blogger convention because you're cool like that.

CSF Reminders for CBG Tour On Friday

2009-05-26T17:41:00.001-05:00

For those heading to the Chicago Botanic Garden Friday morning, we plan to assist both the early and later groups in getting to Ogilvie station for the train. To provide ample time for the 6-block walk and time for everyone to purchase their train tickets, we'll leave from outside the front entrance of Club Quarters at 8 a.m. for the early group, and 10 a.m. for the later group. You're welcome to walk or take a cab to Ogilvie on your own, however if you prefer to walk with the group, please be on time, as we plan to leave promptly. We're allowing enough time for the walk, ticket purchases, and boarding the train.

Ideally we'll all have our tickets in hand when we board, but if not ticket purchases can also be made on the train.

Ogilvie is at 500 W. Madison, the northwest corner of Madison and Canal (first street west of the river) in the Citigroup building. The ticketing area is on the second floor, to the left of the escalators, and the train boarding areas are on the
second floor as well. We'll be taking the Union Pacific North Line to Waukegan, and getting off at Glencoe for the trolleys to the Botanic Garden. The train numbers are 319 (8:35 am) and 321 (10:35 am).

As a reminder, feel free to visit our event blog's Google map, which includes marked SF locations of interest.

This will likely be our last email update. . . it's hard to believe Spring Fling is finally upon us. We're looking forward to meeting everyone on Friday!

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CSF Registration Countdown

2009-05-20T10:46:00.001-05:00

There are still a few more days left to register for Friday's reception, Saturday's bus, and Sunday's breakfast. These events require advance payment. Saturday's lunch and pizza dinner require registration, and we'll collect payments (exact change please,) during those events. We'll need to provide final counts to the restaurants shortly, and need to finalize all registrations by the end of this week.

All garden bloggers in attendance at the reception will receive a selection of gifts from Spring Fling Sponsors, including books, seeds, and even a chance to win a Troy-Bilt rototiller. For more details about sponsor gifts being provided at the reception, please visit the swag page of the event blog. Not pictured on the swag page, an additional gift for garden bloggers attending the reception will be a pair of Ethel gloves. And on Saturday during our visit to Carolyn Gail's home, she will have annuals from Proven Winners to give away to all garden bloggers visiting her garden. (No registration is required for the visit to Carolyn's garden.)

As you know we did have some problems with the links we initially emailed for Friday's reception and Sunday's breakfast. We apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this may have caused. If you haven't registered for these events yet, we hope you will this week so you can be a part of all the fun!

For more information about the reception, please visit the Friday page of the SF event blog.

Or to register for Friday's reception, simply use this PayPal link. http://tinyurl.com/chifling-friday

For more information and to register for Saturday's charter bus, please visit the bus survey page here.

Or to register and pay for a seat on Saturday's bus, simply use this PayPal link. http://tinyurl.com/chifling-bus

For information and to register for lunch at Andies Saturday, please visit this page on the events blog.

For information and to register for Saturday's pizza dinner, please visit the Saturday events page.

For more information, and to register for Sunday's breakfast, please visit the Sunday page of the SF event blog.

Or to register and pay for Sunday's breakfast, simply use this PayPal link. http://tinyurl.com/chifling-sunday

Please note, the PayPal registration/payment links are also available on the event blog on the events pages.

One final note - we've added a new event to Saturday's schedule. We'll be visiting the Gingko Organic Garden after our visit to Carolyn Gail's and before Lincoln Park. This event is free, and no registration is required. We plan to leave Lincoln Park around 5:15, and the bus will drop us off at Club Quarters where you can rest, relax, visit, or catch up on blogging before heading to Giordano's for our pizza dinner. For more information about the Gingko Garden, please visit Saturday's events page.

If you have any questions please let us know. We're looking forward to seeing everyone here in Chicago in about a week-and-a-half.

Sincerely,

Your Spring Fling Committee

Breakfast at Spring Fling

2009-04-24T13:01:00.017-05:00

Breakfast at Spring Fling Friday and Saturday will be on your own, and we encourage you to include other participants in your breakfast plans. Doing this will provide additional opportunities for getting to know new friends and catching up with old friends in smaller groups.

Sunday we'll be gathering for breakfast at Elephant & Castle. Coffee and juice will be served beginning at 7:00 a.m. for early risers, and breakfast will be served at 8:00. For more details on Sunday's breakfast, including how to reserve your seat, please visit Sunday's events page.

There are lots of restaurants serving breakfast near Club Quarters Hotel. Here's a sampling:

Elephant & Castle is adjacent to Club Quarters. Although their breakfast menu isn't available online, they serve British-style breakfasts 7 days a week beginning each morning at 6:30 a.m.

Corner Bakery Cafe is just about 600 feet door to door from Club Quarters, at 120 South LaSalle.

Potbelly serves breakfast M-F starting at 6:30 a.m. There's more than one location very close to Club Quarters. Potbelly offers breakfast sandwiches and other breakfasty stuff like muffins, bagels, yogurt, and oatmeal. The link for Potbelly will take you to the store locator - enter Club Quarters zip code (60603) to see where they are.

Ristorante We down the street from Club Quarters at 172 West Adams is Tuscan-inspired, serving breakfast M-F starting at 6:30, and on the weekends starting at 7:00 a.m. You can see their breakfast menu here. Don't be scared off by their elegant website - casual attire is perfectly acceptable, including shorts if that's what you're wearing.

There are several McDonald's nearby. The menu requires no explanation. :) Wabash & Adams, 119 North Wabash, and 230 South State are close to Club Quarters. There are more locations downtown - click on the link and insert Club Quarters zip code (60603) for additional locations.

Starbucks is steps from Club Quarters at the corner of Adams and LaSalle.

There are many more breakfast restaurants near Club Quarters. These are are few spots, and we encourage you to check out more options either online or after you arrive. Chicago natives and past visitors, please feel free to add more suggestions in the comments below. Get adventurous for breakfast, meet and mingle with with your fellow participants, and be sure to allow plenty of time to get back to Club Quarters so we can board our trains Friday morning, charter bus Saturday, and El train on Sunday.

If you're staying at Club Quarters, coffee makers are in guest rooms, and coffee is also available in the lobby until 6:00 p.m. You can pick up free, chilled bottled water on every floor of the hotel.

Saturday Group Lunch

2009-04-24T10:01:00.008-05:00

Our lunch reservation is set for Andies Restaurant in Chicago's north side Andersonville neighborhood. Andies is a long-time local favorite - a gem of Eastern-Mediterranean flavor serving healthful and delicious Lebanese, Greek, and vegetarian selections.

Highly recommended, Andies is a favorite of Carolyn Gail's. We'll enjoy Andies' outstanding buffet of marvelous dishes including gluten-free selections. The cost per person for lunch at Andies, including tip and tax is $18.25. Please reserve your seat using the registration form below. Payments (exact change please,) will be collected before Saturday's lunch.

We hope as many guests as possible will join us for Saturday's group lunch.

For those who might prefer an even more budget-friendly option, there are small sandwich shop and fast food spots very nearby.

Chicago Weather, and What to Pack

2009-04-24T00:19:00.017-05:00

Since many of you may not have visited Chicago at the end of May, we thought it would be helpful to provide some information on what kinds of clothes to pack for our weather. To help with planning, you can go here for a 10-day forecast. If you check back before packing you can be well-prepared.

Casual and comfortable (not grubby) will be fine. Jeans, skirts, or even nice shorts are perfectly appropriate. For the restaurants we've chosen, a light cardigan or jacket can be added for a little more polish, and to keep you from getting chilled in the air conditioning.

Average high temperatures in late May are in the low 70's, with average lows in the low 50's. It's not unusual though, to have high temperatures in the upper-50's to low 60's, especially if there's rain, or even low-to-mid 80's sometimes.

A compact umbrella might be a good thing to have handy in case of light rain. Fortunately most of our events will include indoor components in case of thunderstorms, (not unusual this time of year.) Sun screen and/or a hat might be advisable too.

Light layers are suggested, including a light sweater and/or jacket . Morning temperatures are usually several degrees cooler than afternoon highs, and it will be cooler again in the evenings. In the shadows of tall buildings downtown, it can often feel much cooler than being in a more open area in full sun. And they don't call Chicago 'The Windy City' for nothing! The lake and the tall buildings tend to increase wind velocity.

Comfortable footwear is advisable since we'll be doing some walking.

We hope this information will help you prepare for your trip. If you have more questions about the weather or what to wear, please feel free to post them here.

CSF Swag

2009-04-15T13:27:00.002-05:00

Update: 5/19/09

Two books arrived today. The Garden of Invention and Waking up in Eden to be given out to garden bloggers at the dinner on Friday May 29th.

Update 5/18/09

Today we received a number of seeds and mouse pads to give out at the Friday dinner/reception to garden bloggers from Botanical Interests. Scroll down to view more items and visit the sponsor page to see a list of sponsors of Chicago Spring Fling.

Possibly the largest item we'll have available to give away to a garden blogger attending Chicago Spring Fling will be the Super Bronco ™ CRT tiller from Troy-Bilt ® .

Here are a few items that garden bloggers attending Chicago Spring Fling may take home with them. For a full list of sponsors of Chicago Spring Fling visit the sponsor page. These are only some of the items we'll have on hand and available to garden bloggers.

A book, shirt and buttons courtesy of Gayla at YouGrowGirl

Issues of Sunset courtesy of Sunset Mag

Two cook books and seed packet courtesy of Renee's Garden

A few gift certificates courtesy of Garden Shoes Online

Garden journals from Troy-Bilt ®

Please visit and support the sponsors by clicking on the banner ads on this blog. The banners are not generated by any advertising programs. The ads are for companies and people who understand that garden bloggers have a value and who wanted to be part of Chicago Spring Fling. If the current economic crisis we are in has affected the amount of disposable income you have available write an email thanking them for their generosity. A few of our sponsors even have blogs were you can easily leave a message thanking them for their support.

If you would like to become a sponsor of Chicago Spring Fling there is still time before the event at the end of May.

Email sent to participants of Chicago Spring Fling.

2009-04-13T22:38:00.002-05:00

Moments ago a mass email was sent out to participants of Chicago Spring Fling from the Chicago Gardeners email account. The subject of the email reads: "Charter Bus/Chicago Spring Fling Update." Please check your spam folders & read the email carefully and complete the reservations for the Chicago Botanic Garden tour & the group dinner on Saturday night. If you were one of the attendees that wanted a bus please pay for your seat on the bus by following the link provided. Seats on the bus are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Thanks.

CSF Registration to Close Midnight April 12th

2009-04-08T18:44:00.000-05:00

With less than two months to go before Spring Fling comes to Chicago, it's almost time to close registration.

For those planning to attend Spring Fling who haven't yet signed up, please complete your registration form no later than midnight on Sunday, April 12th so we can finalize details. Thanks for your cooperation.

We're looking forward to meeting everyone in May!

CSF Events Sunday, May 31st

2009-04-08T15:50:00.014-05:00

Sunday, May 31st

Breakfast: We'll be gathering for breakfast at the conveniently-located Elephant & Castle restaurant adjacent to Club Quarters. Coffee and juice will be served beginning at 7:00 a.m. for early risers, and breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m. To maximize our enjoyment, we'll have a private party room. Details on the menu are provided in a group email to SF participants on May 8th. The cost for breakfast is $26.05, and you may reserve your spot by paying for it via this PayPal link. Please reserve as soon as possible, but no later than Saturday, May 23rd, so we may provide a count to E&C.

10 a.m.

The Garfield Park Conservatory has been home to rare tropical plants for 100 years, opening to the public in April, 1908. We'll be exploring this Chicago gem, saying goodbye to new & old friends who leave on this day, and talking about issues related to garden blogging.

A short walk east from Club Quarters we'll board the El (elevated train) at Adams and Wabash for a 20-minute ride on the Green Line to our stop at the Conservatory's doorstep. The Green Line runs every ten minutes on Sunday. For those who might prefer a taxi, the six-mile ride from Club Quarters would be a reasonably-priced fare, and even more economical if cab rides are shared.

Directly behind the Conservatory lies Garfield Park, designed by noted landscape architect Jens Jensen, and the Garfield Park Lagoon. The last day of 2009 Chicago Spring Fling, we're planning a laid-back day enjoying the scents, sights and sounds of one more crown jewel of the Chicago Park District.

See Events Page for Friday, May 29th

See Events Page for Saturday, May 30th

See Chicago Spring Fling map

CSF Events Saturday, May 30th

2009-04-08T15:32:00.018-05:00

Saturday, May 30th
9 a.m.
Tour of Rick Bayless's private urban/edible garden. This tour is only open to garden bloggers and special guests of Chicago Spring Fling. There is a reasonable cost associated with this tour of $12 per person. This is a private garden and the location of this event will not be made public. This will be the first event of the day and we will need to arrive there by 10.a.m. This event is limited to 45 people. We'll meet outside Club Quarters and leave as a group.

For those not attending the Bayless garden tour who have registered for Saturday's charter bus, we'll arrange for the bus to circle back and pick you up at Club Quarters at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, May 30th 11:45 a.m.
Chicago Spring Fling attendees who didn't attend the urban/edible garden tour can meet us for a group lunch at Andies in Andersonville. The cost for lunch is 18.25 and includes tax and tip. Please have exact change. From here we'll board our bus for a short ride to Carolyn Gail's garden. She's graciously invited us into her garden for conversation and light refreshments. Carolyn will be raffling off her painting Jasper in May valued at $350 to an attendee on this day at her home.

Saturday, May 30th 2:15 p.m.

Ben Helphand, Executive Director of NeighborSpace, will give us a tour of the Ginko Organic Gardens. The Ginko Organic Gardens were started to help ease hunger among residents of the Uptown neighborhood. He'll talk to us about community gardening in Chicago.

Saturday, May 30th 3:30 p.m.
The gardens at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. We'll enjoy a leisurely stroll through the formal gardens outside of the conservatory or the rambling beds of Grandmother's Garden across the street, to continue our conversations from lunch within earshot of the roaring lions next door at Lincoln Park Zoo, the fluttering butterflies at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool Gardens. For those wishing to see the butterfly room, admission to the Notebaert museum is $9.00 for adults, $7.00 for seniors age 60+ and students. The Conservatory, outdoor gardens, and zoo are all free.

Saturday, May 30th 7 p.m.-?
Saturday's reservation at Giordano's - the quintessential Chicago pizzeria experience, (located at 223 W. JACKSON BLVD., an easy walk from Club Quarters,) - is set for 7:00 p.m. The menu includes an assortment of thin-crust and Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, salad, and soft drinks. It's all-you-can-eat and drink, and the *total per person including tip and tax will be $17.00 (exact change please)* We'll have discussions on garden blogging & door prizes for garden bloggers. Please fill out the form below to reserve your space & help us provide a count to the restaurant. Saturday's pizza party registration will close Saturday May 9th at midnight EST.

Transportion
We've reserved a 52-passenger ADA charter bus for Saturday. The bus will board at Club Quarters Hotel at 9:30 a.m. with stops at each of our destinations, then back to Club Quarters at about 5:00 p.m. For those not attending the Bayless garden tour, we'll arrange for the bus to circle back and pick you up at Club Quarters at 10:30 a.m.

Seats on the bus are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We've reserved the largest bus available, and with the number of participants registered for Spring Fling it's possible we could reach or exceed capacity.

The cost per person is $26.00. In order to expedite this process you may reserve your seat by paying for it via PayPal here, with no additional registration forms to complete. Payments are being accepted today through April 30th.

If the bus is filled to capacity, the cost could drop to as low as $20.00 per person. If that occurs we'll refund overpayments in cash at Spring Fling. Because we can't predict how many people will reserve a seat, we felt this would be the most efficient way to manage reserving and pricing seats. We hope you'll join us on the bus Saturday. Please let us know if you have any questions.

See Events Page for Sunday, May 31st.

See Chicago Spring Fling map.

CSF Chicago Botanic Garden Tour

2009-03-24T19:41:00.009-05:00

Update 4/24/09

Registration for the Chicago Botanic Garden tour is now closed. If you indicated you are driving you will be emailed a parking pass for the day. If you are taking the Metra with the group passes for the trolley bus will be provided. There wasn't enough of an interest in the speaker so the offer had to be withdrawn.

Update 4/1/09
The majority of the people who have opted for the speaker below seem to be going on the early train. Today we received word that the speaker would likely from the plant evaluation garden & consist of a tour of the two evaluation gardens. If you've already opted out of the speaker but this information has caused you to reconsider, leave a comment below and your preference can be changed.

CSF Saturday Night Survey

2009-03-23T17:55:00.002-05:00

This survey is now closed, thanks for voting! The overwhelming majority of attendees want to have a group dinner on this day. We've added the details for the group dinner on the page for the schedule of events for Saturday, May 30th 2009. Please look over the events and make your reservations for the dinner on this night by filling out the form.

See you in the spring!

CSF On Twitter

2009-03-23T11:55:00.007-05:00

The official Twitter account of Chicago Spring Fling is @ChiGardenBlogs. We've been using it as the micro-blog for Chicago Spring Fling. We made changes to this blog's template so we could display more of these tweets and hopefully reach more of the attendees who may have missed an email we send out. You don't have to be a member of Twitter to be able to read the updates posted there.

During Chicago Spring Fling, members of the organizing committee will use this account (and their own) to give updates about times, locations & other information about events. The official hash tag for Chicago Spring Fling is #CSF9.

We'll use this page to list all of the accounts of the organizing committee, sponsors and participants who have Twitter accounts and who would like to use this tool to communicate with each other. If you would like to get listed in this directory so your fellow attendees can follow you leave a comment below with your Twitter screen name.

Organizing Committee

@ChiGardenBlogs

@MySkinnyGarden

@SSGardenGirl
@CarolynGail

@MrBrownThumb

Attendees & Guests

GET LISTED HERE BY COMMENTING BELOW.

@xrisfg

@OurLittleAcre
@GardenFaerie

CSF General Talk

2009-03-23T11:52:00.001-05:00

The organizing committee for Chicago Spring Fling aims to be an open and transparent group where your needs and wishes will be taken into consideration and fulfilled within reason. The only definitive source there is for news, information and updates for Chicago Spring Fling can be found on these pages where they are visible to all attendees.

This page can be used to discuss any questions you may have that are not covered by the about page, events page, room share page or transportation page. Instead of communicating in private emails or social websites we all use, we hope that you find this page a useful tool for interacting with the organizing committee & getting the most accurate information.

Registered Participants & Invited Guests

2009-03-20T12:04:00.014-05:00

Spring Flingers - below is a comprehensive list of registered participants and invited guests. Remember, you need to complete the registration form to be officially registered.

Please take the time to visit the blogs listed here to introduce yourself.

Update: 5/31/09 I've updated a few URLs and cleaned up the list to those who attended at least two days, to help anyone who may need to remember who you met.

Room Share Talk CSF

2009-03-11T14:07:00.003-05:00

Do you want to attend Chicago Spring Fling and save money? You can use this page to discuss the possibilty of splitting the cost of a hotel room with another attendee. The main hotel people are staying at is Club Quarters (see this page for instructions on booking a room there) but you can always make arrangements on your own and use one of the many discount brokers on the internet. Choose Chicago is the official visitor site for Chicago and you can always use that to find a hotel. Not far from Club Quarters is Hostelling International Chicago and the rates there are $28-34. It is clean, safe, modern and near Saturday's events and the block of attendees staying at Club Quarters.

Feel free to use the comment section below this to discuss sharing rooms or ask questions if you need help finding a room. There is also the Transportation page where you can discuss things like sharing cars or getting to and around Chicago.

Registration Form For Chicago Spring Fling

2009-02-14T00:04:00.003-06:00

*UPDATE 4/13/09* Registration for Chicago Spring Fling is now closed. Thanks to everyone who has signed up and made plans to be in Chicago May 29th-31st. We can't wait to meet all of you wonderful garden bloggers from across the country.

If you're attending Chicago Spring Fling & would like to participate in the Chicago Botanic Garden tour on Friday, May 29th please fill out this form. The Chicago Botanic Garden has planned to sent a trolley to pick up attendees from the train station. Please fill out the form to reserve your spot on the trolley or to sign up for the parking pass. If you do not sign up for the trolley or parking pass may you may be in for a long walk or have to pay the $20.00 parking fee.

On the night of Saturday, May 3oth we will be having Chicago-style pizza. Please fill out the reservation form for dinner on that night so we can provide the restaurant with a count of attendees.

If you have any comments or questions feel free to leave them on the appropriate page. See you in the spring.

*UPDATE 4/8/09* Registration for garden bloggers wishing to attend Chicago Spring Fling will close on 4/12/09 at 11:59 P.M. CST. If you were planning to attend Chicago Spring Fling make sure to to fill out the form below before that time. We can't wait to meet you all. See you in the spring!

*UPDATE 3/28/09* Today, emails were sent out to the first 45 registered garden bloggers for Chicago Spring Fling. Please read it and complete the action described in the email by the stated date. If you don't see it in your inbox please check your spam folder.

Updates 2-14-09

2009-02-14T00:03:00.000-06:00

A registration form for Chicago Spring Fling has been added and events updated.

Transportation

2009-02-13T23:49:00.008-06:00

Some interest has been expressed in having an area where we can discuss issues related to transportation. If you're driving or renting a car or looking to carpool feel free to use the comments section below to discuss these issues with your fellow garden bloggers. Make sure to sign in first to the group so you can comment. If you need help we've provided a tutorial on joining and commenting.

If you will be participating in Spring Fling and getting around via public transportation, instead of paying the cost of a single ride every time you board a bus or train consider buying a CTA transit card from the kiosks at the airports, online or at any train station in the downtown area.

Friday, May 29th

Transportation for Friday's CBG trip will be via public transit - a commuter line traveling against rush hour and generally sparsely occupied. If we arrive at the station a bit early we should be able to ride together on one or two train cars. We anticipate this to be a low-stress, comfortable, economical trip, and the CBG trolleys will be waiting for us at the train station to shuttle us to the CBG entrance.

Saturday, May 30th

We've reserved a 52-passenger ADA charter bus for Saturday. The bus will board at Club Quarters Hotel at 9:30 a.m. with stops at each of our destinations, then back to Club Quarters at about 5:00 p.m. For those not attending the Bayless garden tour, we'll arrange for the bus to circle back and pick you up at Club Quarters at 10:30 a.m.

Seats on the bus are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We've reserved the largest bus available, and with the number of participants registered for Spring Fling it's possible we could reach or exceed capacity.

The cost per person is $26.00. In order to expedite this process you may reserve your seat by paying for it via PayPal here, with no additional registration forms to complete. *UPDATE 5/12/09* We've extended registration for the bus. Participants still wishing to ride the charter bus on Saturday may use the PayPal link above to reserve their seats.

If the bus is filled to capacity, the cost could drop to as low as $20.00 per person. If that occurs we'll refund overpayments in cash at Spring Fling. Because we can't predict how many people will reserve a seat, we felt this would be the most efficient way to manage reserving and pricing seats. We hope you'll join us on the bus Saturday.

Sunday, May 31st

Transportation to the Garfield Park Conservatory will be via public transit. The conservatory is easily reached via one quick train ride from the hotel.

Events

2009-02-13T18:44:00.041-06:00

Friday
Chicago Botanic Garden: This 385-acre Botanic Garden features 23 display gardens and three native habitats, uniquely situated on nine islands surrounded by lakes.

Start Times: Leave Ogilvie Station at 8:35 a.m. arrive at Glencoe Station 9:16 a.m. A later start time for those who may have missed the first train: leave Ogilvie Station at 10:35 a.m. arrive at Glencoe Station 11:16 a.m. We'll be using public transportation to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Typically suburban train lines leaving the city during morning rush hour are fairly empty. If we get to the train station early we hope to all ride together on one train car or two.Trains going back into the city when we'll be on our way back typically have lots of room as well.We'll be picked up at the train station by Chicago Botanic Garden trolleys who will shuttle us to the entrance of the Garden. We anticipate this will be a low-stress, comfortable, economical trip. A round-trip ticket on Metra costs $8.70.

The Chicago Botanic Garden has published a webpage just for Chicago Spring Fling to help you make the best use of your time.

Lunch:
The Chicago Botanic Garden has a wonderful Cafe.

End Time:

There will be one special return trip leaving the Visitor Center everyone should be on board by 2:10. This Trolley will meet the train leaving Glencoe at 2:42 p.m., arriving Ogilvie at 3:35 for the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park at 4 p.m.

Friday, May 29th 4 p.m.
Millennium Park: The Lurie Garden
"Designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel, this 2.5-acre garden pays homage to the City's motto, "Urbs in Horto" (City in a Garden), which refers to Chicago's transformation from its flat and marshy origins to a bold and powerful city. Highlights of the garden include the dramatically lit, 15-foot-high "shoulder" hedge. This physical representation of Sandburg's famous description of the "City of Big Shoulders" encloses the garden on two sides and protects the delicate perennial garden. A graceful hardwood footbridge over shallow water divides the garden diagonally between "light" and "dark" plates."

The Lurie is just a quick 12 minute walk- straight down the street from Club Quarters. After the Lurie you can spend as much time as you like exploring Millennium Park and the surrounding area or head to the hotel to freshen up to get ready for the reception . See CSF Map.

Friday, May 29th 6:30 p.m.-?
Group gathering and reception. Door prizes and raffles for garden bloggers. Our reception will be held at Elephant & Castle, adjacent to Club Quarters Hotel, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., and dinner at 7:00. The reception is open to all registered participants and special guests of Spring Fling. We'll enjoy a private party room with a British-style dinner to include salad, dinner rolls, garlic mashed potatoes, veggies, London Broil, Chicken & mushrooms, desserts, and cold and hot beverages. We'll have a private, cash bar in our party room. Besides enjoying a great meal, we have some wonderful surprises in store, including gifts for all garden bloggers in attendance thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. The cost per person is $31.20, and you may reserve your spot by paying for your meal via this PayPal link.

See Events Page for Saturday, May 30th

See Events Page for Sunday, May 31st

See CSF Map

CSF Bus Survey

2009-02-12T17:50:00.011-06:00

Thanks to all who voted in the bus survey. Nineteen people voted for a charter bus - approximately one-third of registered participants. We've analyzed the survey results and weighed them with our public transportation options.

*Update 4/13/09* We've reserved a 52-passenger ADA charter bus for Saturday. The bus will board at Club Quarters Hotel at 9:30 a.m. with stops at each of our destinations, then back to Club Quarters at about 5:00 p.m. For those not attending the Bayless garden tour, we'll arrange for the bus to circle back and pick you up at Club Quarters at 10:30 a.m.

Seats on the bus are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We've reserved the largest bus available, and with the number of participants registered for Spring Fling it's possible we could reach or exceed capacity.

The cost per person is $26.00. In order to expedite this process you may reserve your seat by paying for it via PayPal here, with no additional registration forms to complete. Payments are being accepted today through April 30th.

If the bus is filled to capacity, the cost could drop to as low as $20.00 per person. If that occurs we'll refund overpayments in cash at Spring Fling. Because we can't predict how many people will reserve a seat, we felt this would be the most efficient way to manage reserving and pricing seats. We hope you'll join us on the bus Saturday.

Friday's and Sunday's events will include public transportation. Please visit each day's events pages for details. On Sunday, anyone preferring not to use the El's (elevated train) Green line (leaving every ten minutes from Adams & Wabash) to the Conservatory stop on Sunday, may consider a cab. A six-mile trip is a reasonably-priced cab fare, and even more economical if cabs are shared.

Hotel Rates For Chicago Spring Fling

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Gina has posted information on hotel rates. To view them and book them please visit the events page.

Chicago Spring Fling Map

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Below you should find a Google Map of Chicago with places of interest marked.

The camera icons represent gardens or places we'll stop and visit during Chicago Spring Fling.

The gold house icons represent the location of the two places we've recommended staying during Chicago Spring Fling.

The plane icons should be self-explanatory. The train icons represent the train stops at both airports that you should take into downtown Chicago. The train system in Chicago is generally referred to as the 'L.' Trains mostly travel north, south, east and west. To differentiate between the various routes we use a color system: blue, pink, red, green, orange, yellow, purple and brown. From O'Hare International Airport take the "Blue Line" into downtown Chicago. From Midway Airport take the "Orange Line" into downtown Chicago. Both trips are straight shots into what we call "The Loop." The Loop is an area of downtown Chicago surrounded by the 'L' tracks.

The food icons are places where you can grab a quick bite to eat without breaking your budget.

The shopping bag icons are places to pick up small items you may have forgotten to pack. Ranging from personal care items to batteries and memory cards for your camera.

The green arrow and star icons are used to mark various places of interest for people who may be traveling with you who don't think visiting gardens is all that fun. They cover a range of interests including sports, shopping, eating and places to spend the afternoon with kids.

This map will be updated up until the first day of Spring Fling. If you have comments or suggestions feel free to speak up here or directly to one of the coordinators.

View Larger Map

Chicago Spring Fling Sponsors

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Chicago Botanic Garden: A living museum, the Chicago Botanic Garden is built on nine islands that house a collection of more than 2.3 million plants in 23 specialty gardens, three native habitats, six miles of shoreline, and 81 acres of waterways. The mission of the Garden is topromote the enjoyment, understanding and conservation of plants and the natural world.

The mission of the Garden’s plant conservation efforts is to conserve global biodiversity through the study of, and dissemination of information about, rare native plants and communities.

Troy-Bilt: In 1937, Troy-Bilt introduced the first American-made rototiller. Troy-Bilt has expanded on its legendary expertise and durable product line to create a complete selection of the industry’s finest lawn and garden tools. Troy-Bilt’s award-winning product line includes top-quality tractors, mowers, tillers, cultivators, trimmers and a variety of outdoor power tools. Troy-Bilt machines are built to last and engineered to take on the toughest challenges to make jobs simpler and safer. For more information, visit http://www.troybilt.com/.

Proven Winners: Proven Winners is the leading brand of high quality flowering plants in North America, sold under the Proven Winners name. We're grateful for their support and ask that you visit their website and shop Proven Winners.

Botanical Interests: is a family owned seed company that offers high quality garden seeds. Their goal is to inspire and educate gardeners. The seed packaging merges art, gardening and science. With over 500 varieties, they have many popular favorites as well as heirloom, organic and gourmet seed varieties.

Sunset magazine is the premier guide to life in the 13 western states, covering the newest and best ideas in Western gardening and landscaping, home design and decorating, food and entertaining, and travel. The magazine has five zoned editions to give readers regional Garden and Travel ideas, and is read by nearly 5 million people each month.

Sunset.com is the 24/7 how-to arm of the magazine. Its Garden section includes guides to edible gardening, backyard projects, going organic, saving water, garden design, climate maps, how-to videos, and more. Garden writers Jim McCausland and Sharon Cohoon update Fresh Dirt daily with their latest scouting finds, garden events, tips, and ideas. We hope to see you there!

YouGrowGirl:was launched by Gayla Trail in early 2000 and has grown into a thriving online community that speaks to a new kind of gardener, seeking to redefine the modern world relationship to plants. This contemporary, laid-back approach to gardening places equal importance on environmentalism, style, affordability, art, and humour.

Chicago Honey Co-op: In the winter of 2004,three passionate urban beekeepers conceived and created Chicago Honey Co-op. Their purpose was simple, to provide job training opportunities for the under-employed while operating a small business model that is dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices and aims for the highest product of quality standards.

Renee's Garden: Renee's Garden is a personal selection of time-tested heirlooms, superior open-pollinated seed varieties and the best international hybrids all chosen for great flavor, easy culture and exceptional garden performance. This company is Renee's way of sharing the joy of gardening as a productive and satisfying activity that connects us to each other and the earth. Renee's Garden seeds are available online and at fine nurseries and garden centers.

Ethel Gloves: are fashionable gardening gloves made to fit women's hands, offering full function and protection. When the Ethel Gloves team was creating the current line of gloves, we focused on creating quality gloves with style, inherent functionality, and integrity. The result? Gloves that are:

* Fashion-forward and stylish

* Made to fit women's hands for maximum comfort

* Durable and tough, yet refined

* Designed to protect with an elasticized extended cuff and reinforced fingertips

* Full of function and have greater dexterity with rubberized grip

* Machine washable

Ethel Gloves are currently available in five styles: Signature, Expression, Gala, Rendezvous and Jubilee. All styles are available in sizes small, medium and large.

The Garden Guys, with your host Jim Zoppo, Layanee DeMerchant, and Sam Jeffries, air Sunday mornings from 6:00AM-10:00AM and stream live from the website at http://www.garden-guys.com/. Please check website for current radio information They are 'Down to Earth, Up to Date, and On the Air' to answer all of your gardening questions with an emphasis on organic methods and tools. Call in during the show with your questions at Toll Free 1-888-GGEWISE (1-888-443-9473). So sit back, relax, and be ready for some entertaining and educational fun with the Garden Guys.

Garden Shoes Online: Is a family-owned online retailer specializing in garden shoes and other gardening accessories. Featuring Muck Garden Shoes and LawnGrips, we offer brand names shoes, clogs and boots at bargain prices. We stand behind our products and services and we go above and beyond to ensure that our customers are always satisfied.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Plant a Row for the Hungry and Feeding America have joined forces in an effort to provide fresh produce to the hungry this summer by asking Americans to take the GroGood pledge: Grow a garden for the greater good. To launch the GroGood pledge campaign, ScottsMiracle-Gro will donate 1 million pounds of produce and call on Americans to help double that donation by pledging to grow and donate an additional 1 million pounds of fresh produce to help feed those at risk for hunger.

Fulfilling the pledge is as easy as planting an edible garden – adding a pot, plot or row for those in need – and donating the extra harvest to a participating soup kitchen, food or hunger relief agency. To get started, consumers can visit www.GroGood.com to take the pledge, obtain tips and techniques on how to grow an edible garden, and how to find information on local food agencies that accept fresh produce donations.

Waking up in Eden by Lucinda Fleeson: An unexpected offer to work at a celebrated and mysterious botanical garden on the island of Kauai restores a woman’s passion for life and reveals an exotic, endangered, paradise. Available June 16, 2009.

The Penguin Press was founded in 2003 by Ann Godoff and launched its debut list in the Winter of 2004. Dedicated to publishing literary nonfiction and select fiction, its distinguished roster of authors include, among others, John Berendt, Ron Chernow, Steve Coll, Ruth Reichl, James M. McPherson, Alan Greenspan, Michael Pollan, Thomas Pynchon, Thomas E. Ricks, Frank Rich, Mark Helprin, David Nasaw, Zadie Smith, Gordon Wood, Maira Kalman, Jerome Groopman, James B. Stewart, Samantha Power, Daniel Yergin, Bryan Burrough, Naill Ferguson, Michael Kimmelman, Roger Lowenstein, Claire Tomalin, and Eric Schlosser. In its first six years, The Penguin Press has published numerous New York Times and national bestsellers, earning an array of prestigious prizes and citations that include the Pulitzer Prize, the James Beard Award, the Orange Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Man Asian Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize, the Arthur Ross Book Award, the Sidney Hillman Foundation Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

We're open to sponsors (large or small) who would like to place their brand, products or information on their services in the gardening, blogging or photography field directly in the hands of the people who help shape public perception on the internet. Sponsors will receive banner advertisement on this blog, a special post here with links to their blogs and certain CSF committee members have agreed to create a post about them on their blogs.

The ads you see on this blog are for sponsors of Chicago Spring Fling. Help us thank our sponsors by visiting their websites.

Garden Girl

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I'm a native Chicago northsider and long-time south suburban resident. A passionate life-long gardener, I grew up in a gardening, farming family, helping tend the humongous organic vegetable garden and ornamental plants of my childhood home, spending time on my grandparents' farm in the Missouri Ozarks, and visiting the Nebraska farm our family has owned for generations.

I'm currently deciding whether I'm enjoying a sabbatical or retirement from corporate America after my job elimination a couple of years ago. In the meantime I've started a garden design/coaching/maintenance business and work a couple of days a week at the mom-and-pop nursery down the street. Beginning February 2009 I'll attend the Master Gardeners training program at the local county extension office. I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for gardening through the volunteer program.

Since moving in with my new husband about four years ago, I've been gardening in the shade of three mature silver maples, and blogging about it since early 2008. Not my favorite tree, the maples do give us lots of shade while sorely testing my patience and gardening skills. What the squirrels don't dig up, the maple roots strangle. It's been trial and error figuring out what will survive, never mind thrive in the shallow roots that seem to suck every last ounce of moisture from the soil in midsummer, but I can spot a maple seedling at thirty paces now.

Gina from My Skinny Garden

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I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and moved to Chicago almost eight years ago on the count of a boy. It was the best thing I've ever done in my life - I love it here and I'm never leaving.

On May 21st, 2007 I went to the Forest Park farmer's market to buy some organic tomatoes. While there, I became pissed off over the price of the tomatoes and decided that I ought to be able to grow some myself. So, I went straight to Home Depot, bought a bunch of organic vegetable plants and set out to plant my first vegetable garden. I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously, I dug the holes right through the sod - it was brutal! (I didn't know I was supposed to remove the sod first) It took me four hours to finish but once I showered and recovered from the back-breaking digging, I realized it was the only four-hour block of time that I had not thought about my job, at all. From that moment, I was hooked on gardening.

I'm not sure how long you are a "novice gardener" before you graduate to "avid gardener", but I consider myself a novice. I still kill lots of stuff, but it keeps me sane, and helps me make friends.

I started a blog about my garden in order to prove to my family back home that I really had an actual garden (if you knew me, you'd know why they'd doubt me) but in the meantime I've come to rely on my garden blogging friends for all kinds of advice. They've saved me from some gardening disasters of epic proportion.

I'm a healthcare administrator by day, but at night and on the weekends I garden, and write about it, and obsess about how I can make a career out of it.

Lake Chicago Shores

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The gardener at On the Shores of Lake Chicago hasn't gotten around to submitting a bio but I thought I'd at least publish a link here on her behalf for the work she's doing on CSF.

Sweet Home And Garden Chicago

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I'm a transplant from Sweet Home Alabama. Except for the long, cold Chicago winters I love Sweet Home Chicago, thus the name of my blog.

I grew up on a farm in rural Northern Alabama where we were green before it was cool. We grew almost everything we ate including the chickens, pork and beef. That's about the best master gardening course that I know of -rigorous on-the-job-training starting at around age 10.

After relocating to Chicago I got married, raised 3 kids, and held a full-time job. My two passions-Gardening and Art were put on the back burner.

Once the nest was empty and I had clocked 30 years on the job I jumped head-first into painting and garden design and haven't regretted a single moment since. I took up garden blogging two years ago as something to do in the long Chicago winters and have made many like-minded friends and fellow garden geeks.

Last year the first meet-up of garden bloggers took place in Austin and it was a huge success. As much as I would have liked to go I wasn't able to attend due to my garden design business. This May is Chicago's turn and I am looking forward to meeting my cyber space friends in person.

In March last year , without prior notice or warning, Google's Blogger of Note selected Sweet Home and Garden Chicago. I awoke to 100,000 visitors in one week. Talk about 15 minutes of fame !

I'm kind of opinionated and some would even say sassy. I blame it on being the middle child and old age. You wouldn't know it now but I used to by shy. You can get away with a lot more stuff when you get old.

And, oh yes, I know that many readers are puzzled when they look at my photo and my last name . No, I haven't had cosmetic surgery. I'm married to a gentleman from the South - of Korea. So much for the saying that " East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet. "

Looking forward to seeing Y'all in May.

MrBrownThumb

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MrBrownThumb is the nom de plume of a gardener on Chicago's Southwest side. His interests in gardening began when as a kid he watched The Karate Kid movie franchise and was fascinated with the bonsai Mr. Miyagi trained. Eventually his interest in plants evolved and now cover a range of topics related to gardening. After five years of living without plants in 2005 he started the MrBrownThumb blog as a place to host some images and experiences related to gardening. It eventually blossomed into a "legitimate" gardening blog that covers indoor & outdoor gardening, cacti & succulents, houseplants, seeds, plant propagation, bugs he finds in his Chicago garden and general gardening tips & tricks. In 2007 he started www.AmaryllisBulbs.org, another blog this time devoted to the popular tender bulbs. In 2008 he started www.GardenBloggers.com yet another blog but this one dedicated to the mechanics of garden blogging focused on the Blogger platform.

MrBrownThumb holds a B.A in Marketing Communications with a concentration in Advertising that his mom liked to point out was going to waste since he never bothered to attempt to gain employment in the field post college. MrBrownThumb currently brings home the bacon selling stock photos and doing whatever creative thing he can do to make money in order to avoid getting a real job so he can stay home and tend to his Marimo. Besides blogging, plants, advertising and photography MrBrownThumb is also interested in the Social Web, urban beautification, garden proselytizing to at risk youth in his neighborhood, community gardens, learning to write about himself in the third person and he hopes to one day sit on several boards so he can casually drop that fact at parties. In the meantime he toils away on his little blogs and waits for the day Oprah or Martha Stewart discover him and make him bigger than P. Allen Smith.

MrBrownThumb can be contacted through his blog or using this contact form. He's always interested in meeting fellow wannabe plant nerds, showing people how to blog, seeing gardens and meeting gardeners he can cover on his gardening blog.

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I've removed the form below because recently I was contacted and presented with some unique opportunities for people interested in a more urban experience. We'll need to see where they can be fit into the schedule and maybe early Friday would work best. So for now the tours of the Lincoln Park Conservatory are on hold.

How To Join And Comment On CSF

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On this blog we're using a feature called Google Friend Connect. The purpose behind these gadgets is to help create a small social networking sites around already existing blogs and websites. We're using it on the blog for Chicago Spring Fling so we can get a good idea of how many people will be attending and we can plan trips and meals accordingly. To join the group you need a Google, Yahoo, AIM or OpenID account. The majority of garden blogs are on Blogger and if you're blogging on Blogger you should have a Google account. If you're a WordPress user see this post because your WordPress.com account is also an OpenID.

You can unjoin this group at anytime after you've signed up. We're using this "joining" feature to keep track of how many people are participating. Once you've joined when you're signed the box should look like this.

As you can see Carolyn Gail is listed as my friend because we're following each other on Twitter and I imported my followers from Twitter. You can make changes to your profile, picture and other things via the "settings" link at the top.

Here is a screen shot of one of the settings page. It shows my information I added to my Google profile and my links. As I mentioned above Carolyn was listed as a friend because I checked off the box for Twitter. You can send a friend request to other participants who you may not be connected to already via their profile. My Google profile is different than my Blogger profile but I've added links to my Blogger blogs so people can visit them. You should fill out your profile with (at the very least) links to your blog.

Click on the title of a post to see the comment box below. I opted for adding the "wall" gadget to this blog and use it as a comment form because it allows us to reply to comments directly below them instead of at the bottom of a long list of other comments below yours. An incentive is that we create a social networking site around this event because that's what this is ultimately about. Garden bloggers, making connections.

When you aren't signed into our "group" the box where you type your message reads " - sign in to post a comment -" If you look at the top arrow in that screen capture the box where you type your comment now reads "--CSF09 add your comment here--" and you can reply directly to other members by clicking the reply link. If a comment is too long it gets truncated and you simply click "read more" to make it expand. If you need to click the blue square in the top right-hand corner to make the comment form pop out for easier reading. In the bottom right-hand corner you'll find arrows to help you navigate back and forth once the first page is filled with comments.

I hope this isn't too complicated for people and if it is I'll enable the native Blogger comments below this box for those who have trouble with this. I hope it doesn't come to that because gardeners were the first "social networkers." We once did it over fences and technology now even lets us do it through "walls."

If you're interested in adding social networking features to your blog or static website you can see my tutorials on adding Google Friend Connect:

Google Friend Connect and your garden blog.
Threaded comments for Blogger with Google Friend Connect.