It’s official

I’ve initiated myself as an official garden speaker/lecturer. The momentous event occurred this past Saturday, April 9 –  I was the keynote speaker at a gardener’s conference sponsored by the Master Gardeners of Clarion County, PA. I also presented two other programs during the all-day conference. No others are aware of the monumental title, except for those who might be reading this. I didn’t announce it in the “Happenings” section of the local newspaper, or write about it in my gardening column. I mentioned it to a few friends, but they seemed uninterested in knowing that I was soon to become a famous garden lecturer. And now I’m even thinking about joining Great Garden Speakers, a website listing “Premier Speakers on Gardening, Nature, Horticulture, and Design.” I’ll have to decide if the $60/year membership fee to create my listing on Great Garden Speakers would be more beneficial than my $85/year membership fee in the Garden Writers Association; since I’m not a famous garden lecturer yet I can’t afford membership in both.

(I’m not entirely new at garden lecturing, but the event mentioned above was what I consider my first “major” speaking gig.)

I’m also very proud to say that I’m a contributing writer for the new Pennsylvania Gardener magazine! One of 15 states with their own gardening magazine published through State-by-State Gardening. Each magazine is dedicated to providing state-specific gardening information. Pennsylvania Gardener’s debut issue was January/February, 2011.  Each of the state magazines has its own website and Pennsylvania Gardener is in the process of getting their’s up and running, and also their enewsletter (which will feature an occasional article by your’s truly!). These publications are savvy to using local experts as contributing writers and I think that’s swell!

The Write Gardener‘s blog is also being considered for linking on State-by-State Gardening‘s website. I think that’ll be cool and might even help me arrive at the “famous garden lecturer” status a little quicker.

Speaking of being famous, did y’all know that my book “Through the Seasons with The Write Gardener” is now available for purchase online? Just click the “Buy Now!” link in the left-hand column and buy it now! Or if you prefer a personalized copy, shoot an email to: tc@thewritegardener.com and I’ll be glad to get you one The Old Fashioned Way!

As a way of sayin “Thanks for Reading my Blog!” the first person that sends me an email with the common and botanical name of the flower pictured below wins a free copy of my book!

Congratulations to Kylee Hartwig Baumle for winning the free copy!

Kylee correctly identified the plant as common ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata).

A month ago

It’s been some time since I updated here, but in all honesty I knew time was passing and just didn’t consider it important to do any blogging. I hope y’all don’t take that to mean that I don’t value your readership, I do indeed! It’s just that I’ve been awful busy lately with the book, and writing for a new publication (Pennsylvania Gardener), and stressing about trying to find another job, and blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda….

I’ve also started playing in a new band, Mandolin Whiskey is an acoustic/electric, four-piece outfit and we do a mix of mostly 80s soft rock tunes, practicing twice weekly. Preparations for my upcoming speaking engagements are also in progress and April 9th will be what I consider my major debut as I give the keynote address for a Gardeners’ Conference.  It’s an all day affair and I’ll be giving two other lectures – one on bugs and the other on basic seed starting. What’s even more exciting is the fact that I’ll be selling my book there too!

As an attempt to make it up to y’all for not blogging more regularly, here’s Mandolin Whiskey doing Jean Ritchie’s “The L&N Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore” (I’m singing lead vocals in this one).

You can also hear us over at PureVolume.

Spring will be here in one week! Maybe I’ll come back and post again then!