2024 Garden Fling, or I went to Tacoma and saw lots of cool gardens
The Garden Fling is an annual meetup of garden communicators – people sharing stories and images about gardening on blogs, Instagram, and other social media channels. This past weekend (July 18-22), almost 100 people from all over the U.S. as well as Canada and the UK gathered in Tacoma, Washington for the 2024 Fling. I’d been to the 2014 Fling in Portland, Oregon and the 2018 Fling in Austin, Texas, but various commitments and conflicts prevented me from going to any since then. However, with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just a short plane ride away, there was no way I would miss this year’s event. Seeing fantastic gardens is great, but hanging out with so many like-minded souls is just as exciting.
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I got back late last night and will need some time to go through my photos, but I’m planning a series of posts about the cool gardens I saw, including two bucket list destinations: Heronswood, famed plant hunter Dan Hinkley’s first garden, and Windcliff, his current home and garden.
In the meantime, here are some teasers:
⮎ Riding the ferry to Vashon Island...
⮎ Gardens of all sizes and styles...
I’ll add some social media links in the days to come, but here’s a good one: Landscape designer Kate David (Hello Garden) filmed all the gardens we visited. Her coverage is much more extensive than anything I could produce, so if you want a deep dive into what we saw, be sure to watch her videos:
Day 1 (38 minutes) — Day 2 (48 minutes) — Day 3, Heronswood (49 minutes) — Day 3, Windcliff (34 minutes)
I just watched the first day of the tour with Kate David! Wow, there are no words! Thanks, Gerhard. I can't wait to see more! I believe she said that one of owners' names of one of the gardens is Carhartt and wondered if they have anything to do with the Carhartt company. Kate David does a terrific tour and description of the gardens.
ReplyDeleteOh, I meant to mention your photo of what looks to be a "drier" garden with Yucca rostrata, I think. I hope you show more of that.
DeleteCarhartt: That's what I thought at first, but their name only has one t (Carhart).
DeleteThe garden with Yucca rostrata is Windcliff, Dan Hickley's garden. It's a dream.
Oh, okay! I just can only imagine the resources it takes to create and maintain these gardens. So I thought all those clothes I buy was helping!!! Just kidding! Can't wait to see Hickley's garden!
DeleteLooking forward to your posts Gerhard ! I'm still on the road and won't be home til Thursday. Hope your flight was on time ..
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent teaser, Gerhard. I also watched Kate David video.... the next best thing as being there.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, some of areas I didn't capture and a few I think I missed entirely. There's never enough time...I've downloaded nearly 1000 photos but have only just begun to wade through them as I gave priority to some immediate needs within my own garden. It was great to see you and many of the old gang, as well as some people I've communicated with online but never met in person until this Fling.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, it was so great to meet the CA crew! I bowed out early to visit my folks in Portland, I look forward to your Windcliff coverage.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it to this Fling and we got to spend a little time together. I look forward to seeing what you saw!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the videos! Wish I could have climbed up to "Toadhenge" but the knee said "no". Missed a lot at Heronswood because there was just so much to see!
ReplyDeleteHappy to have met you, Gerhard. It was a relief that someone else, from a much hotter location in CA, also felt the heat was oppressive than one fine sunny day hiking back up to Camille's garden. This is an excellent teaser. You've already got me flummoxed as I have no idea where photo #9 with the variegated yucca and black pillars of salt was taken...
ReplyDelete