I am so excited to announce that I will be offering a full day social media training at this year's Garden Writer's Association Symposium! Really, it is a thrill to have been asked...and thanks again to my mentor, Debra Prinzing. She really championed my cause and has amazing insight about the benefits of social media and garden writing. If you are going to this year's conference, please leave me a comment here and join the #GWA Twitter Group so we can all be in contact.
The GWA Symposium is a fantastic event. There are tons of amazing sessions on all kinds of garden related topics, fun dinners and tours of the most gorgeous gardens the region has to offer. It is a great time to meet up with friends, make connections and preview new books and garden related products. This year's symposium is in Raleigh, NC, September 23-27. My all day training is Sunday the 27th...so I hope to see you there! You don't have to be a member of the GWA to attend, but I highly recommend joining. It is really affordable and your access to garden writing resources is unparalleled.
Now, on to the blackberries...this weekend, I attacked a huge clump of Himalayan blackberries that were overtaking a part of my front yard. To say that this plant is invasive is like saying a tornado is a gust of wind. I have written about my battles with this blackberry evildoer, lamenting its existence.
Because I am an organic gardener, my best bet is to keep cutting it back and digging it up, eventually starving it to death. If I weren't organic, I would likely use some type of chemical shrub killer. And believe me, after about the 80'th cut on my already bleeding arms, I was sorely tempted to do just that. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I am still reserving that option if all else fails.
Their location was hidden from view, so I didn't realize just how big they had become until I stood face to face with the giant tower that was the bramble. It was a terrible battle, and though I made headway, I certainly can't say that I have won...yet...
About midway through, I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I decided to take a quick video to document my suffering. Here's how it went down...
I'm not sure if you seen my tweet about the GWA Symposium, but I'm having serious concerns about the cost(s). Not only about the full registration fee, but also the additional costs of the Social Media Workshop. Don't take this the wrong way; I'm not saying you or any of the other presenters are not worth the fee. What I am trying to convey is my frustrations with a system that doesn't seem to take into consideration the financial hardships a lot of us are experiencing right now. Is there anything anyone at the fore of GWA can do about this? I don't know. Do you? (I just calculated a total of $986.96, not counting transportation costs. I just don't have that amount of cash. I know you don't have to sign up for the full package, but traveling that distance just for one day of what the Symposium has to offer is disheartening to say the least.) I apologize for for the rant, and hope you don't delete my comment. ;~)
Posted by: TC | June 16, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Hi Jean Ann, Just got my copy of the Q&T and I'm trying to decide whether to sign up for your seminar. The fact that Deb recommends you is a definite plus (love Deb) but I can't tell from the seminar description if it's geared for beginners or people already comfortable with social media. Can you help clarify? Also, re: the blackberries...do they not produce fruit? Because if they fruit I'd consider leaving some. What's better than a sun-ripened blackberry in August unless it's homemade blackberry jam any time?
Posted by: Ellen Zachos | June 22, 2009 at 05:42 PM