I'm attending the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show (March 23- March 27, 2011) and looking forward to seeing

the gorgeous display gardens and my fellow garden writers and bloggers there.

My friends will be taking photos, video taping, recording podcasts, Twittering, posting Facebook updates and blogging about the show!

 

New Garden Media at Work

There is a new league of garden communicators who use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to post gardening information in addition to their blogs.

The new garden media troop is comprised of professional garden designers, writers, bloggers, presenters, pod casters and everyday garden enthusiasts.

Everyone has a different personality, expertise and style of writing, bringing a wide diversity of voice to the coverage.

 

New garden media is filling the void left by lack of garden television shows, dwindling garden magazines and newspaper garden columns.

As a result, this inspired group of passion-driven "citizen reporters" and  traditional garden writers are taking action!

 

Top (L-R) Shirley with top garden bloggers and writers: Jenny Peterson, Stephanie Martin, Billy Goodnick, Theresa Loe, Jayme Jenkins, Katie Elzer Peters, Bottom (L-R) Christina Salwitz, Rebecca Sweet and Angela Davis

 

So if you are not attending the show, take advantage of the plethora of information available to you from the show's Facebook page, garden blogs, and my show, "Garden World Report!"

It's the next best thing to being there!

 

 

Watch highlights from the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, 2010

 

Christina Salwitz, a landscape designer and Personal Garden Coach, reporting for  my show, The Garden World Report about new plant introductions.

 

Shirley interviews Jere Gettle owner of Baker Heirloom Seeds!

 

 

Shirley interviewing Julie Chai, Associate Garden Editor for Sunset Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Behind the scenes" video at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show press room where your "garden inspiration" magazine articles, blog posts, videos and stories are being hatched up.

The bottom line for me is that I'm incredibly happy to be a part of the vanguard of new garden media and mixing it up with other like minded people.

After all, don't you want to get your garden news and inspiration from people who love to garden just as much as you do?

 

 

I was going to write about “what to do in the garden” for the month of February, but I see some of my fellow garden bloggers beat me to the punch. They did such a good job at it, I’m sending you over to their blogs!

Shirley’s red chinese long beans drape a garden column.

Marie Iannotti, the gardening guide at About.com  has a comprehensive list of the essential projects for the garden in February. She’s broken up the advice by gardening zone range.

 

 

Stuart Robinson, of Gardening Tips “N Ideas is talking about “finding love among gardener’s” at his blog. Check out his post, “Six Matchmaking Ideas for Gardeners.”  I always look forward to unexpected topics at Stuart’s blog and this one is a perfect for the single gardener. If I were single, I think I would try some of his ideas!

 

My husband, Larry is my Valentine once again this year!

 

 DC Urban Gardener’s, Susan Harris just posted on some exciting winter learning opportunities for gardeners in the upcoming months. So its too cold to garden in some areas of the country right now? Go learn something new and implement your new knowledge when its time to dig again!

 

Shirley’s presentation at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, 2008

 

Care to swap some seeds? Dave at Gardening in the Home Landscape is inviting garden bloggers and readers to swap seeds, post photos of the plants and start planning for the Spring garden. Read “Garden Blogger Seed Swap.” I like advise that keeps one active during traditional “down time” in the garden.

 

 

I enjoy growing my vegetables from seed, though a good-looking transplant has a space in my garden!

 

 As for me, it’s my father’s birthday today so I’m heading outside to barbecue some “carne asada,” (delicious marinated steak!) Yes, it is a sunny day in Los Angeles and I’m going to enjoy it. For you in cold climate areas, hang on…Spring will soon be here.

 

Jacaranda sky…Spring is almost here!

 

I attended the annual convention of the Garden Writers Association, (GWA), in Portland Oregon and was happy to find many fellow bloggers there.

The five day event held by GWA is an opportunity for garden communicators in diverse venues- book and magazine writing, bloggers, television and radio personalities and gardening educators and publishers, to polish up their writing and communication skills.

We spent a lot of time sharing information with each other on how we can better serve you- the gardener who enjoys reading our books, magazines, websites, blogs and watching our television shows and listening to garden radio and podcasts.

It was a special treat because I got to meet for the first time, a bunch of garden writers and bloggers who I have long admired.

Check out my photo gallery of some of the people I rubbed shoulders with.

 

 

Standing, left to right: Lydia Plunk, Southern California writer and blogger at A Very Good Life, Susan Harris of Garden Rant and Sustainable Gardening Blog, myself, (Shirley Bovshow), garden designer, television host and blogger at EdenMakers’ Blog, David Perry, award-winning photographer and blogger at A Photographers Garden Blog.

Sitting left to right, award winning author and garden designer, Scott Calhoun blogger at Scott Calhoun’s Desert Blog, Nan Sterman, garden writer and television host of “A Growing Passion” , Carleen Madigan Perkins, Storey Publishing garden editor, Susan Appleget-Hurst,  associate garden editor, Meredith Corporation for Better Homes and Garden magazine and blogger at The Everyday Gardeners, Debra Prinzing, garden writer, lecturer and author of  ”Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways” blogging at Shed Style” and Mary Ann Newcomer, garden communicator and blogger at Idaho Gardener.

 

Left to right: Nan Sterman, Billy Goodnick, writer, landscape architect and television host and blogger at Garden Wise Guy and Susan Appleget-Hurst enjoy some conversation.

I sat with Billy on the bus on one of the garden tours and he really is a wise and funny guy!

 

Left to right: Carleen Madigan Perkins, garden book editor, Debra Prinzing author of one of my favorite new gift books, “Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways,” and myself- Shirley Bovshow known in the blogosphere as “EdenMaker!”

 

In addition to these fun people, I also met Joe Lamp’l garden writer, master gardener and television host of “Garden Smart,” and “Fresh From the Garden,”  blogging at The Weekly Compost.

We also met on the bus on the way to a garden tour. He is charming and even more handsome in person- I wish I had a photo of him!

 

Dee Nash, garden writer and blogger at Red Dirt Ramblings caught my eye at dinner one night.

Her red hair, sparkling blue eyes and wide smile made for an beautiful and friendly face.

Dee was very sweet and I did a video interview with her that will be posted in the coming weeks on my blog- so you have to come back to watch it!

Now I know first hand why everyone loves her!

 

I have another special treat coming up,  I videotaped Justin Hancock, senior garden editor of BHG.com (Better Homes and Garden online) at a specialty conifer nursery in Portland Oregon.

I’m calling the segment, “Justin Unleashed,” because let’s just say, this “conifer connoisseur was besides himself with excitement at the site of all the exotic and uncommon conifers.

Justin has been a long time writer but he recently crossed over to television work with an appearance on the NBC Today Show- way to go Justin!

I didn’t expect such a great garden blogger showing at GWA, but now I know to keep my eyes peeled for more bloggers next year!