Fling, this time in Buffalo!

Every year when it is time to register for the Fling, I reflect on the first Fling I attended. It was in 2012, in Asheville, NC. I had been blogging since 2008 and followed (*read their blog posts) a number of garden bloggers, many from Texas. I read about the Flings over the years, and hoped that one day I could attend. The first Fling was in Austin, TX. 

After we moved to South Carolina in 2010, the first one that was easy for me to go to was Asheville. The garden bloggers I had followed for years were there! I felt a little star struck! Years ago there was a garden blogger website called Blotanical, a collection of garden blogs from around the world. You could zero in on an area, perhaps find fellow bloggers in your town or a favorite place you've visited. It was here I found those Texas bloggers. We had lived in Texas years ago and it was a little connection to a former home. I also found fellow bloggers in my area of Virginia. New friends with common interests, right at my fingertips and my backyard. 

Dixon Gallery and Gardens 

I tell you this because going to the Fling, now every year since my first (minus COVID years), is getting reacquainted with old friends and finding new ones. The gardens we visit are outstanding, ranging from private gardens of all sizes to public gardens that are bucket-list destinations. Pictured through this post are a small sample of gardens from our Fling last year in Memphis, TN. The year before we were hosted in Tacoma, Washington. Each Fling is hosted by a local gardener. In the early years it was all garden bloggers, and the Fling was called Garden Bloggers Spring Fling. 

Note the color contrast with foliage

As social media grew, we, the Fling attendees, grew as well. We now include Instagram posters, YouTubes videographers, podcasters, TikTok-ers, and even those who post garden-related subject matter on Facebook. The name now is just The Fling. The website where you can find posts of past Flings and tempting posts of the upcoming Fling is gardenfling.org 

Memphis host's garden

To attend the Fling, you need to have an active garden-related social presence that is at least six months old. Additionally, you should have posted garden-related topics, at least once within the six months before the registration opens. 

Memphis Botanical Garden kaleidoscope 

Do you want to meet "your people"? At the Fling, you will find garden enthusiasts from far and wide. Over the years, there have been Flingers from the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Canada, in addition to states from coast to coast. 

Japanese bridge Memphis Botanical Garden

Interested in the Fling? The destination is Buffalo, NY, a city where the garden walk is known far and wide. It is July 9 - 12. Information on registration can be found here- Buffalo Fling

New Hope Community Garden

Sign up and tour some fabulous gardens with new friends. You can thank me in Buffalo. You will see amazing gardens and make great friends.

Wall art, a nice garden addition

You will dazzled by whimsical garden art, amazed by plantings, and exhilarated by great garden conversation. What are you waiting for? Sign up today!!

Memphis host's garden

©Copyright 2026 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Puget Sound Fling day 2 finishes - Sage & Richards Garden and banquet at Lakewold

While we were in Camille's neighborhood there was another garden we were invited to visit. We entered along the driveway with views of the deck and garden in the back.

There was one structure in the garden that had a sedum roof. I like seeing examples of green roof buildings in gardens. 

As we rounded the house and entered the backyard it went from a sunny garden to shady and water featured garden, begging you to come and enjoy.

The backyard was a steep slope with a waterfalls cascading down through ferns and mosses. 

What a cool and tranquil garden.

There was a pool of water at the bottom of the cascading falls. Love the reflection of the trees on the water.

Koi pond

The walk back up the hill was along a well done staircase of stone.

Back around the front you see some Zinnias and a veggie garden beyond

Lakewold Gardens

We were greeted by a quartet- perfect!

In my Instagram page you can see a lot of us looking up - some with binoculars. We were looking at an Eagles nest. You can see one of the juvenile birds on the right side of the nest. 

We walked around the grounds a little bit but were mostly chatting and enjoying the company of the Garden Flingers.

In the woods was a rough hewn log topped table 

Let the gathering begin!! Each Fling we have a banquet and enjoy each other's company. Again, check out the Instagram page for more fun! 

What a lovely setting under the arbor

This concludes day 2, two more days to go. Stay tuned. 

©Copyright 2024 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Puget Sound Fling day #2 continued-

After the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden we visited two gardens, next door to each other. The Anderson garden had some accents of Italy, the owners lived and traveled in Italy before moving to Washington state. The influence is apparent. Lovely lawns, sitting areas, columns, colorful gardens and special spots are throughout the garden.  

The front/side yard walled with boxwood hedges

The columns across the back of the house frames the garden

So much color!

Looking out toward the street with a cherub

Gorgeous 'sitting' area, outdoor kitchen 

Many of the sections of the backyard gardens were framed by boxwood hedges. The one below was filled with bird feeders and a sitting area close by. 

A plant we saw in many gardens is favored by hummingbirds. Crocosmia with its trumpeted bright red blooms call to the hummers.

A special spot in the garden is for the owners' pets to be remembered.

Moving next door we see more gorgeous garden areas-

Risdahl-Pittman gardens. The wife is the plant person and the husband added to the garden with concrete forms and a floating concrete deck. 

Remember I said we were going to see another many petaled daisy-like plant? Here it is- this one is Inula magnifica, common name Giant Fleabane The easiest difference to see is the leaf shape. The Inula has ovate leaves and the Telekia has heart shaped leaves. 

 Another plant I wanted to share in this garden were two different St. John's Wort, Hypericum inodorum. Some florists use the seed pods in their arrangements. I love the various colors.

In the backyard there are shady bits of oasis. Part of the deck is in shade. 

Here's a sunny view of the concrete deck the homeowner made. If you look closely you can see a furry friend who wants to come out to play. 

In the sunny front yard there was an Abutilon that I was unfamiliar with. Callianthe megapotamica, Trailing Abutilon. 

A parting shot from these two gardens- never pass up an opportunity to get a nice photo with a great backdrop. 

Next up one of my favorite gardens of the trip. 

©Copyright 2024 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Blog- Fling- Blog- Fling- Blog

These past two years of COVID-19 have really gotten us out of the swing of things. This summer it is time to get back to what we love. We garden bloggers have been gathering together for years, going on what we call Garden Bloggers Fling. It started as a Spring Fling, but the calendar allowed for spring into summer trips, depending on the location of that year's Fling. You can read about my Fling experiences by clicking on the labels at the bottom of the post. 

This year's Fling will be in Madison Wisconsin. We will gather as gardener bloggers and leave as friends. The Fling will be June 23- 26, 2022. Our hosts Beth and Anneliese have a great line-up of gardens to visit. They have worked hard, first for the 2020 Fling, cancelled because of COVID, then moved to 2021-again COVID had other plans, and now 2022!! Registration is now open. The Garden Bloggers Fling link is here. 

If you are a garden blogger or Instagrammer, you are one of us! Come and join the ranks of Flingers. The details are here, on our Garden Blogger Fling page. While there you can explore some of the previous Flings, see what fun we have and all the great folks you will call friends. 

The sponsors are great supporters of our Fling. They help with costs of putting on the Fling and also share some of their products. You never know, you might come home with a new tool, a great plant, or a wonderful garden themed gift. (the rose pictured below was a donation from David Austin roses that I won!) 

Questions about the Fling? Ask me in the comments. You can also go to my Queen of Seaford Facebook page and ask there. On the fence about going? We have fun, the gardens are ALWAYS amazing, and the friendships are wonderful. Are you a garden blogger or have an Instagram page that focuses on gardening? We would love to meet you! Come and join the fun. 

©Copyright 2022 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Blogging and Flinging

Why blog? Why Fling? Eleven years ago I could answer the first question. I just started this blog and it was going to be a garden journal of sorts. The frequency of my posting waxed and waned, depending on what was going on in my life. I wanted to keep track of what was going on in my garden when we lived in Virginia. Once we moved to South Carolina I had a new property, new garden, MORE gardens to fill, more journal material to record.

Photo from my first post

Blogging is a two-way street for many of us. You write your post and hope someone reads it and comments. You in turn read others' posts and let them know by commenting on their post. Many used pseudonyms for themselves and any family members mentioned in the blog. As we got to know each other our true names were used. The more blogs you read the more bloggers you  got to know, sort of an electronic pen-pal.

Chris Mello's Garden, Asheville, NC

Chris Mello's Garden Asheville, NC

Flinging takes the blogging to a new level. The full name was Garden Blogger Spring Fling, we have since dropped 'Spring'. Each year a few bloggers host a Fling in their area, plan visits to public and private gardens, host/cater a dinner, and arrange bus transportation and a hotel, and invite garden bloggers from all around the world to attend. My first Fling was in Asheville, NC. Knowing certain bloggers were attending, you looked for friends who you haven't met yet. Their blog names might be the only name you know. I remember overhearing one of the bloggers ask another, "Who is the Queen of Seaford? Is she here?" Strangers in person, pen-pals online and now friends. This coming Fling will be my ninth one.

Keeyla Meadow's Garden San Francisco 

Viewing the gardens is always fun. You might see familiar plant material or you might see completely foreign plants. You can appreciate color and design. You might want to try something you have seen- will it work in your horticultural zone? Broaden your horizons.
Timing for the Flings varied -different climates and different seasons, you don't want to tour Texas in July and Toronto in May might be a tad chilly. The Flings are during the growing season best suited for each location.

Outside the hotel in Toronto

Here's where the coming back again and again makes for friendship bonds that last over the years, getting stronger with each gathering. Whether you read each others' blogs or Facebook posts or Instagram pages, each Fling you get to know each other better and better.

Maya (from California) and Beth ( host for this coming year's Fling in Madison, WI)

Bus rides are great for getting to know each other

First time Flingers have a  newbie designation on their name tag. We who are not first timers search out newbies to say hello, make them welcome, and make life long friends. Each year we in the Carolinas/Georgia try to get a group photo. Texas bloggers seem to have the largest number of attendees. There are some very charming ladies from Great Britain who have been numerous times. Friends from across the pond! Canada is well represented each year. Photo below - two Canadians, one Brit, one Northerner and a couple of Southerners (one behind the camera).

Breakfast before we fly out Monday morning

NC/SC/Georgia group

Evening gathering grows, adding table after table

Whether you go home with plans for your garden or memories of great gardens with killer views, the Fling is always a good time. We have been rained on, more than once, endured some really hot afternoons, and love every memory made.

Denver Fling- see the mountains in the distance?

More than one of us talked about trying to make our own rock garden

I will end this post with a photo of one of my favorite gardens (minus the mosquitoes) outside of Denver. Interested in joining the group and coming to a Fling? If you write a garden blog you have met one of the requirements. The rest of the guidelines can be found here. Lots more info about this year's Fling in Madison can be found at http://gardenbloggersfling.blogspot.com/p/2020-madison.html I know I shared many of these thoughts in a post earlier this year, but it certainly bears repeating. Registration for Madison is now open, time to sign up!

Both the hosts have lined up a wonderful weekend for us. Come and join us!

©Copyright 2020 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.