The Kuzma Garden

With our modified Mediterranean climate Portland gardeners are able to garden across styles and zones. As a result many of us constantly push the boundaries of what “should” grow here. This garden* exemplifies that zonal wishing/pushing (some might call it denial) as well as the desire to garden with all the cool plants, water lovers and desert dwellers alike.

*Schedule subject to change.

2014 Garden Bloggers Fling Attendees and Their Blogs...

We figure you'll probably want to get to know the people (and their blogs) you'll be "flinging" with this July. Below is a list of registered attendees* by state (country if outside the U.S.). I also thought it would be fun to see how many years we've been blogging, so that's the number after the blog name. All totaled up that's 383 years of blogging experience! (If there is a spelling or other error please email me and I'll make the change, spikyplants at gmail dot com).

Alabama
Mary Beth Shaddix, Mary Beth Shaddix (3)

California
Gerhard Bock, Succulents and More (4)
Annette Gutierrez, Potted-Our Blog (2)
Kathy Stoner, GardenBook (5)
Gail Lord, Piece Of Eden (5)
Denise Ginger, A Growing Obsession (4)
Stefani Bittner, Star Apple Edible Gardens (5)
Christian Cobbs, Star Apple Edible Gardens (3)
Leslie Bennett, Star Apple Edible Gardens (5)
Jim Peterson, Garden Design
Valerie Peterson, Garden Design

Canada
(British Columbia) Kristin Crouch, That Bloomin' Garden (4)
(Ontario) Helen Battersby, Toronto Gardens (8)

Colorado
Ryan Schmitt, In the Garden (3)
Judy Seaborn, In the Garden (less than 1)

Connecticut
Robin Horton, Urban Gardens (5)

Georgia
Karin Hicks, Southern Meadows (4)

Idaho
Mary Ann Newcomer, Gardens of the Wild Wild West (8+)
Andrea Bruce-Niederer, I Garden Daily (3)

Illinois
Jason Kay, Garden in a City (2)
Judy Hertz, Garden in a City (2)
Rosalie Fisher, Prairie Rose's Garden (6)

Louisiana
Jean McWeeney, Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog (6)

Maryland
Robin Ripley, Bumblebee (7)
Clair Jones, The Garden Diaries (4)

Michigan
Stephanie Gilmour, See Jane Dig (4)

Minnesota
Amy Andrychowicz, Get Busy Gardening!  (4)
Kathleen Hennessy, 29 Minute Gardener

Missouri
Alan Lorence, It's not work, it's gardening! (4)
Catherine Cameron, Gardener's Roost (7)

New York
Kate Walz, Gardening and Gardens (4)

North Carolina
Daricia McKnight, A Charlotte Garden (6)

Ohio
Kylee Baumle, Our Little Acre (7)

Oklahoma
Dee Nash, Red Dirt Ramblings (7)

Oregon
Scott Weber, Rhone Street Gardens (5)
Heather Tucker , Just a Girl with a Hammer (4)
Loree Bohl, danger garden (5)
Tamara Paulat, Chickadee Gardens (less than 1)
Ann Amato-Zorich, Amateur Bot-ann-ist (6)
Matthew Hubbard, The Lents Farmer (2)
Jennifer Dennis, Rainy Day Gardener (6)
Darcy Daniels, Bloomtown (10+)
Jane Finch-Howell, MulchMaid  (5)
Dawn Hummel, The CoHort Zone (5)
Ricki Grady, sprig to twig, (7)
Katrina Bryant, Kate Bryant (less than 1)
Anna Kullgren, Flutter & Hum, (4)

South Carolina
Julie Thompson-Adolf, Garden Delights (4)
Lisa Wagner, Natural Gardening (7)
Janet Ledebuhr, The Queen of Seaford (5)

Spain
(Madrid) Lisa Calle, Descubriendo hojas (1)

Tennessee
Gail Eichelberger, Clay and Limestone (6)
Barbara Wise, Bwisegardens (5)

Texas
Cindy Tournier, From My Corner of Katy (6)
Laurin Lindsey, Ravenscourt Gardens, (less than 1)
Laura Wills, WillsFamilyAcres (6)
Pam Penick, Digging (8)
Diana Kirby, Sharing Natures Garden (7)
Sheryl Williams, Yardfanatic (4)
Ally Stresing, Garden Ally (2)
Vicki Blachman, Playin' Outside (7)
Caroline Homer, The Shovel-Ready Garden (5)
Andrea Fox, grow where you're planted (6)
Chris Giaraffa, Watching My Garden Grow, (4)

United Kingdom
(Bedfordshire) Mark Domingo, Alternative Eden (3)
(Bedfordshire) Gaz Jones, Alternative Eden (3)
(Gloucestershire) Victoria Summerley, Tales from Awkward Hill (7)
(Sussex) Charlotte Weychan, The Galloping Gardener (5)
(Wiltshire) Michelle Chapman, Veg Plotting, (7)

Virginia
Tammy Schmitt, Casa Mariposa (4)

Washington
Vanessa Gardner Nagel, Garden Chirps (6)
Laura Heldreth, Gravy Lessons (1)
Peter Herpst, The Outlaw Gardener (2)
Lorene Edwards Forkner, Planted at Home (7)
Skyler Walker, Tangly Cottage Journal (8)
Alan Fritz, Tangly Cottage Journal (4)
Christina Salwitz, Personal Garden Coach (9)

Fling Hotel Open For Reservations!

The Fling Committee scoured through a myriad of downtown hotels until they found the perfect one for the Fling. Centrally-located in the heart of Downtown, the Portland Marriott City Center will be our Home Base during the Fling.


"Located in the heart of Rose City, Portland Marriott City Center allows guests to tap into the pulse of Portland's most enchanting urban rhythms. Boasting the city's best location among boutique hotels in downtown Portland, we are a traveler’s delight. Centrally located in the business district near shopping, restaurants and MAX Light Rail, we have it all."


DEN Drink Eat Network - Our restaurant near Pearl District Portland offers local food, local wine surrounded by local art in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Dine in at any point during the day for a casual meal while catching up on the day’s adventures with friends and family.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.


• High-speed Internet access is available in all guest rooms and meeting rooms to keep you connected.
• Downtown Portland accommodations have refrigerators to keep food and drinks cold and refreshing.
• Premium cable, flat-screen TVs and on-demand movies are offered in hotel rooms.
• Our lodging destination includes in-room coffeemakers with complimentary coffee and tea for guests.
• Sleep in one of our PURE hypo-allergenic rooms when you stay with us for an allergy-free night.
• With an ADA-accessible hotel room, downtown Portland accommodations at our property are top-notch.
• This hotel has a smoke-free policy
---Please note...we've negotiated as part of our rate that all Fling Attendees will get FREE WiFi internet during their stay. You'll still have to sign up as if you are going to pay the first time you use it...but the charges will be backed out upon your checkout...just like at the hotel in San Francisco last year.



Just like the Event Registration, we anticipate the rooms to fill up fast...so book your rooms TODAY!!!




UPDATE: If you want to add on days before or after the fling, just give them a call...they are happy to help you out!

DOUBLE UPDATE: Usually calling the hotel directly will work, but if you run into a roadblock, please let me know by sending me an email HERE.  I'll do my best to find a solution, if I can :-)

Fling Registration Update!

Yup...we're full up already..thanks to everyone who registered!
For those of you who are still interested in registering, but didn't make it in time, please send me an email and I'll put you on our waiting list.

Thanks again...and we can't wait to see you all in July!

2014 Portland Fling Registration Is Open!

It's here, everyone...the moment you've all been waiting for! Registration for the Portland Garden Bloggers Fling is officially open! There are a limited number of spots available, so please sign up soon to ensure your spot in what is going to be an amazing Fling!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!!!

FYI, we'll be releasing information on how to make reservations at the Official Fling Hotel very soon as well.