Bren, a freelance photographer based in the Midwest. Social media #gardenchat guru who is passionate about growing, maintaining, harvesting and preserving food from a 2400 sq/ft traditional vegetable garden. Bren has various gardens through out her country property that included shade/ woodland gardens and developing herbaceous borders in full sun. Website:http://www.bggarden.com
Bren has written 402 articles so far, you can find them below.
It’s hard to miss if you attend any of the flower and garden shows across the country the fact that many gardeners are getting back into growing what they eat. As a social media fanatic myself I’m loving being able to connect with my foodie friends at the garden and flower shows where social media is making a presence you can’t miss with all the QR codes, Flower Show Apps and Social connections being made available. In the beginning of the month I was at the Philadelphia International Flower and Garden Show sharing via Twitter all the amazing things going on at this huge show.
Check out the attendees to see Sarah Fioroni Cooking Tuscan Style
Being a practical grower myself, One of my favorite seminars to cover was brought to the show by Organic Gardening Magazine. If you follow Organic Gardening on Twitter it is no surprise to you that they are leading magazine resource for an organic approach to home, food and garden. On Sunday March 4th I brought my social media followers to the front row at Sarah Fioroni seminar sharing recipes and stories from Fattoria Poggio Alloro. Although I was not in my garden to kitchen sharing to my friends at #sundaysupper on Twitter I was able to share with them some fabulous Tuscan cooking tips via Twitter from the show.
Saffron Risotto With Spring Vegetables
Click on Image Above for Recipe
After the presentation attendees were able to meet Sarah and ask questions about gardening as well as her farming experience. I was excited to share with Sarah all the fun things that were being said about her on Twitter as I was tweeting out as she cooked. There were many ‘Retweets’ of the images I shared and a few of the tips she had mention during the presentation by my favorite foodie friends on the #suppersunday hashtag. Sarah told me that she would be working on getting a twitter account so I am going to keep an eye on her website to see the addition to her social presence. Visit Sarah Fioroni at the Family Farm in Tuscany on their site : FattoriaPoggioAlloro.com
For a refreshing but yet lite first course to any spring time meal try this easy to create salad. Dried cranberries, blue cheese and a vinaigrette dressing give it a subtle punch of flavor you and your family will enjoy anytime of the week. This recipe was inspired by the house salad at one of my favorite restaurants in Blissfield, Michigan. Visit their website at Hathaway House to witness food history out of the Great Lake State.
It has been an amazing green weekend in my Ohio garden thanks to unseasonable warm temperatures and rain showers. When I walk out toward our wooded acreage toward the branch of the Portage River that runs through our garden I can’t help but think of our trip to Ireland a few years ago. The moss and moist green scents… I’m in love! I’m excited to end this St. Patrick’s weekend with you all by sharing a few of my photos from the Philadelphia International Flower and Garden Shows display by one of their official sponsors - Classic Ireland with a Twist : Jump Into Ireland.
If you can’t view this Flash Slideshow Click Here to view on Google+.
Speaking from my heart after visited the wonderful land of Ireland a few years ago this garden display was MARVELOUS! The lighting in most garden shows are always a challenge to place one’s self out in the actual landscape but I must say this piece totally took me back to the country side. To smell the green, view the ivy on aged stone and a glimpse of the headstone featured on the landscape display took me back to 2009 when I found myself remembering those who had passed taking photos in the yards in Ireland. I can’t help but close my eyes and remember the stone we found as we hiked out into the country side in Curragh Chase Forest outside of Limerick Ireland. These photo below are from my visit a few years ago so you can see the similarities presented at the Philadelphia Show.
While at the Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show this past month one of the highlights of my journey was a glimpse of Ireland. I had visited the beautiful country ‘across the pond’ back in 2009 and have been in love ever since. The people, the gardens, the love for life …. Ireland is AMAZING!!! With my passion for the Irish in mind you know one of the first garden displays I rushed to take photos of was the ‘Classic Ireland With a Twist – Jump into Ireland’ display at the #flowershow and the first lecture I was off to hear was by Trevor Edwards sharing Gardens of Ireland. I will share photos from this garden display tomorrow as part of my St. Patrick’s Day celebration on my site so please watch for the post.
While at the show Trevor and I met up at the Man Cave located across the hall from where his lectures took place. We chatted about his beloved gardens in Ireland as he shared with me a video from his iphone of the breath-taking drive across the countryside to his cottage. I had forgot for a moment we were at the super busy Flower Show where 1,000′s attend each hour!
Too Much Fun at the Philadelphia Flower Show : Mobile Upload of @BG_Garden , @PhiladelphiaFlowerShow Friend and @EdwardsGardens
Trevor went on to tell me about his garden designs including what a Demesne is. Do you know what a Demesne is ? Check out this video below where Trevor Edwards explains :
Visit my friend Trevor Edwards Northern Ireland Gardens at his website by clicking HERE. You can also follow his shares from Ireland on Twitter by following @EdwardsGardens .
Share with me what you thought a Demesne maybe before watching this video with designer Trevor Edwards because I would love to hear from you and perhaps have a little giggle on St. Patrick’s Day weekend!
Are you one of those skeptics thinking that a Flower & Garden show are all about old ladies admiring totally unpractical blooms to grow … THINK AGAIN! Did you know that at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle this past February you could have met Oscar winning jazz musicians and watched them play with some of your favorite landscape and gardening tools? Making this all happen at the show were the awesome peeps at @Subaru_Life ( Subaru of America ) . That’s right, a car company brought to the stage Eduardo Mendonca of Seattle, Chicago Native and Jazz Artist Kenny Coleman and jazz great Denny Stein of Seattle. In the video below you’ll see NWFGS manager introduce the ‘Corona Tool Band’ and even play along with the Jazz greats!
I asked the musicians if they have ever played gardening tools before ……
Follow These Creative Musicians … they are helping bring jazz to South Africa with the support of President Obama this summer. I will share more as the story breaks on this event.
Album from #NWFGS with the Corona Tool Band
If you can’t view this slide show because you don’t have flash play capabilities please click here to view the album on Google+.
More from the #NWFGS can be viewed by clicking the image below.
