Things To Pack and What To Wear

Minneapolis is TWO WEEKS away!! Say what?!?

A few people have asked what they should plan to bring for their trip to Minneapolis, and what to wear. Here's a list of ideas for you...

Things to Pack:

• Camera!
• Sunscreen 
• Hat
• Extra camera batteries and memory card
• Phone and camera chargers
• An umbrella to protect your camera in case of rain. 
• Sunglasses 
• Your name tag and buttons if you've been to the Fling before (don't worry newbies, we've got you covered!) 
• Business cards

Make sure to leave lots of extra space in your suitcase for your swag!! (Your swag will come in a bag, so you can use that as an extra carry on if you need to. :-) )

What to Wear:

Wear comfy clothes during the day for the garden tours. If you feel like dressing up for dinner, then bring a change of clothes for each night. (But do note that we won't be returning back to the hotel before our banquet dinner on Saturday night)

Minnesota's weather can be very unpredictable! Although we don't expect it will get down below zero during the Fling (ok... that was a joke!), it can get cool in the evenings. Daytime temps can range anywhere from the 70s... all the way on up to the low 100's and humid (yuck, hopefully that won't happen during the Fling!).
 
I highly recommend that you wait until the week of the Fling to check the weather report and decide what to pack... and then check it again the day before you come because the weather report can change on a dime. No joke.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the A/C tends to be cranked up pretty high at most places in MN (I guess Minnesotans really DO like it cold!). Our Thursday night event will be indoors, as will our banquet dinner on Saturday night. So, make sure you bring a sweater or light jacket to take with you to these events, and also when you go out to restaurants.

Also, we will be doing LOTS of walking during the Fling, so make sure you bring comfy shoes! We'll be walking through gardens after all - and over lawns, up and down hills, and through the streets of downtown Minneapolis....etc. Plan accordingly.

Here's the tentative itinerary in case you missed it...  Minneapolis Fling Itinerary Preview

Garden Blogger Fling Sponsor/Swag Teasers

Garden Design Magazine 
Garden Design Magazine is full of inspiration and information. A long-time supporter of the Fling, the magazine will host our Friday happy hour as a Bloom level sponsor of the Minneapolis event. We’ll learn more about publication’s direction as we unwind from our first day of tours.

Kelly Moore Bags 
Leave it to bloggers to discuss cameras and handbags. A recent Facebook chat lead us to reach out to Kelly Moore Bags to see if they would like to be part of the Minneapolis Fling. They are teaming up with us as a Bloom level sponsor and are also donating two bags for our door prize drawing, and putting a little something special in our swag bags.

If you don’t know about Kelly Moore Bags, you should! They’re the perfect combination of beauty, function and fun. Check out all the eye candy at kellymoorebag.com.

American Beauties 
American Beauties Native Plants is a groundbreaking program designed to raise awareness about the importance of native plants to our environment. Their branded pots and four-sided plant tags make it easy to choose the best natives for your garden. Each tag offers all the information you need to be successful and teaches you about each plant’s benefits to wildlife.

American Beauties is all about giving back. A portion of the proceeds from every plant sold will fund environmental research and education.

American Beauties joins us as a Bloom level sponsor. Learn more at: abnativeplants.com

Bailey Nurseries 
If you love hydrangea and roses, you’re in for a treat when we tour Bailey Nurseries. The nursery who brings us Endless Summer Hydrangeas, FirstEditions Plants and Easy Elegance Roses partners with this year’s Fling at the Bloom level, hosting us for lunch in their beautiful display garden.

Bailey Nurseries is one of the largest wholesale nurseries in the United States. This fifth-generation, family owned nursery provides plant material to garden centers across the country.

Bachman’s 
Bachman's Floral, Gift and Garden Center is a Minnesota institution, and one of the largest traditional floral and nursery operations in the world. The company was founded in 1885 when Henry Bachman, Sr., planted potatoes, lettuce, onions, and squash on a plot of land in South Minneapolis. Today, that plot contains the company's headquarters and acres of floral, gift, garden, and landscaping departments. On a busy Valentine's Day week, Bachman's will deliver over 24,000 trademark purple packages.

Bachman’s partners with the Fling as a Bloom sponsor and will host us for a garden center tour and lunch.

Swag, Swag, Swag 
Our sponsorship team has been working hard to partner with the best gardening companies across the country to bring you swag, door prizes and other fun surprises throughout the Fling. We’ve got plants, seeds, tools, toys, books and more from: Botanical Interest, Corona Tools, Cobra Head, Sustane OrganicFertilizer, Southern Living Plant Collection, Blooms of Bressingham, Bayer, TulaHats, Costa Farms, Gorilla Cart, Teak Closeouts, Tubtrugs, Southen Exposure Seed Exchange and Proven Winners, just to name a few.


Best of all, you won’t have to wait until the end of the event to get your hands on some of these fun products. We have special deliveries and fun games planned every day!

There are still spots open if you want to join us for the 2016 Garden Bloggers Fling in Minneapolis on July 14-17. Go here to register now...  Register for the 2016 Minneapolis Garden Bloggers Fling