OK folks, thanks to everyone who replied with comments and suggestions for the first-ever Seattle garden bloggers’ get-together. I think we have enough folks to make it worthwhile, so I called the Miller Library at the Center for Urban Horticulture and reserved their conference room. Here are all the details:
When: Saturday, February 7, 12:30-2:30pm
Where: Conference Room, Elisabeth C. Miller Library, UW Center for Urban Horticulture, Merrill Hall, Room 102, 3501 NE 41st Street,
Seattle, Washington 98195
Getting there: Click here for the address and directions from the library’s site
What: A chance to meet face to face with others who blog about gardening in the Seattle area. If it’s fun, we can make it a regular thing with field trips, parties, a listserv to coordinate it all centrally – whatever people want!
Bring: Just yourselves. I will try to put together a little something to snack upon while we’re talking.
If you have suggestions for what we should talk about, please leave a comment or just bring your ideas along. I wasn’t thinking that this would be very formal – just a chance to introduce everyone around and talk about gardening, blogging, and, um, blogging about gardening! The library is open from 9-3 that day, so if you want to register to be a borrower or just marvel at their array of hundreds of seed and garden catalogs, feel free to come early. Although the library closes at 3pm, the gardens are open anytime, so we could potentially end the meeting with a stroll around to look at what looks good now and can survive what so far has been an unusually extreme winter!
So far, the wonderful, varied list of probable attendees includes these brave souls:
– Curmudgeon and WingNut of Weed Whackin’ Wenches
– Aerie-el from Gardener’s Roost
– Paula from Petunia’s Garden
– Melanthia from Garden Muse
– David from David Perry Photography
– Molly of Life on Tiger Mountain
– Lorene from Planted at Home
– and, well, me, your temporary hostess, Karen from Greenwalks
We also might be able to rope in the Cheap Vegetable Gardener, and eventually Jean from Pill Bug’s Point of View if we make it a fiesta next time.
If you can think of anyone else who might enjoy this, feel free to pass along this link. I also invited the Shibaguyz, Willi from DigginFood, and the GardenHelp gal, but haven’t heard anything yet. I think the conference room fits 15 or more, so we have room for more folks. If you know someone who hasn’t started a garden blog yet but is thinking about it, they can come on along too! Look forward to seeing the real humans behind all the great words and pics I’ve been enjoying these past few months.
If you don’t live in the Seattle area, I still encourage you to check out these blogs, as they are some of my favorites and really span a huge range of focus and interest within the general frame of garden blogging.
That’s all for now! If there are any changes or updates, I’ll post them here. Maybe it would be a good idea to check back on the morning of the event to make sure it’s still on – they did say the boardroom could be taken over if they have some kind of emergency meeting need.
Here’s another example of a face-to-face meet-up:
(Image by Randy Son of Robert, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons)
PS I was glad I wasn’t asked for an organization name to reserve the room, or I would have had to get creative on the spot. I don’t really like Associations, Societies, Clubs, Crews, Mafias, or Round-ups too much, all have negative connotations to me. I was thinking Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk (SAGBUTT) but it seemed a little too close to home after all that holiday eating… any suggestions?
Greenwalks 
Yay! Thanks for putting this together. I can’t wait.
Oh, I wish I was just a few miles closer to Seattle! I’m just far enough away to make it a little difficult. What a bummer as I’d love to meet you Karen. Can’t wait to hear about it though and look forward to pictures. The library itself sounds amazing.
Hi Cynthia – Sad too that you are a bit too far to make the trek. Maybe if you ever have a Portland-area gathering, I will try to come down! I would love to meet you too. 🙂
Karen – Way to make it happen! And a Feb. meeting is about right for any seed swaps on the side, if there is time. Another, thought, I might be able to bring some free burlap/jute green coffee bags that work well as weed blocker/mulch. They are useful to put block out grass/weeds to create new garden space. (this would be a parking lot swap item). It doesn’t work for everyone’s garden, but can be handy for some.
Just ideas for your collection. I’m looking forward to it!
Paula
Hello Paula – Great ideas with the seed swap and jute bags. I would love to try that (burlap) with some of my scarier weed areas. I don’t have any seeds to trade, alas! I’m going to try to learn how to do that this year. Look forward to meeting you on the 7th!
Hi!
That looks like a great group!
SAGBUTT! Too funny…
Gardens are so fun to go to with friends. Have a wonderful time!
Best regards,
Philip
:
Hi Philip – Well, I hope that name doesn’t stick… maybe someone will come up with a real one that we can agree on. 🙂
Karen,
Honey you get a lot done!!! I’m sorry I won’t be able to attend the first meeting as I’m out of town that weekend – Dang, I do love me a good seed swap. Keep me on your list – if everyone is planning to attend the NW Flower Show maybe we could do a little creative cocktail meet up downtown.
cheers, Lorene
Hello Lorene – Sorry we will miss you. Next time! Great idea about the NW Garden Show – maybe we can try to get a feel for what days people are attending and try for a meet-up there. Future seed and plant swaps should be on the list too, for sure.
Karen I will be happy to attend! Well done. I didn’t mean to sound grouchy about a meeting vs a party. It will be a party just meeting all these fabulous people. I look forward to it very much.
-Jean
Hi Jean – Great! You didn’t sound grouchy. I should have called it a “gathering” or something so it sounded more fun. 🙂 I think the idea for a party or something like that is great, just thought it might be easier to talk and be heard in a quieter space for the first time. I think there are a lot of really interesting folks coming, I’m really looking forward to meeting them all including you!
Karen, It sounds like you’ve coordinated a fun and worthwhile get-together. I’m hoping that later in the season some of the VA gardener’s can get together too. It’s a great idea:)
Jan
Jan – I hope it does turn out to be fun! I probably should not have used the word “meeting,” as it does not have that many enjoyable connotations for most people. I think the idea is just to get together, put faces to names, see if we have stuff to talk about, put out ideas for discussion and possible future gatherings. I hope you do the same in VA!
Thanks for the invite on my blog (A Gardener in Progress). I’ll see what I can do, depends on soccer games, etc. Sounds like fun. If not this one, maybe another time.
Catherine – You will be most welcome either on the 7th or if it’s not feasible, next time. I just hope it ends up being something worth repeating, in whatever form!
You know that SAGBUTT is going to stick, don’t you? LOL! The date has been marked. Wing Nut may have to represent the Wenches all by herself as I’m scheduled to be in an all-day training on the 7th.
Curmudgeon – Sad that we will miss your humor and spirit. Well, next time! Thanks for your post and link. Although you know you are sentencing us to being with my silly joke name forever now!?!
Do you let people crash from down south around Vancouver?
IF – Oh yes please! If you can make it (not snowed in or blocked off from upstate by flooded freeways), please come on along! It would be great to meet you.
Hmmm… I’m allergic to all societies, clubs etc too (I left girl scouts after two meetings when I was 8), but I migth give this a try…
IG – Well, I’m kind of shy and anti-social at times too, but I feel like one thing I should be doing more of is face-to-face human interaction instead of hiding in my garden or on the computer. Making connections helps the world be a better place in a small way, don’t you think? I know that sounds kind of sappy, sorry, but I feel like it might be true. Hope to meet you eventually and maybe even on Feb. 7!
How exciting! I’m so glad the response was so fruitful.
Long live SAGBUTT!
-Ronnie
Hi Ronnie – I hope you get the SF/East Bay faithful together. I think it would be an awesome group, wish I could crash! I hope I don’t regret offering that name up in jest… seems to be taking on a life of its own. Ack!
I have it on my calendar. So long as I don’t find myself scheduling paying garden coaching for that day/time, I’ll be there. Right now, I need to book everything I can.
(Can I get an Amen people?)
Only half of the Shibaguyz would be able to be there that day as one of us works Saturdays (only through March WOOHOO!!). Not sure if the other one is going to be able to attend. 😦
Send us another email as a reminder since we can’t seem to find your original one!! AAAAHHH!!! LOL
greenwalks,
I just saw your comment on my blog and wanted to come buy and say no thanks is necessary. I hope you all have a blast and can attend the nationwide garden blogger meetup this may in Chicago. You can get details and a link to the group blog about it on my blog.
Have fun.
Sorry I missed your last get-together! I have a good excuse because I live in London, England. Would it be OK if I gatecrashed your next meeting on 22nd? I’ll be in town then!