Toronto Flingers, meet You Grow Girl

You Grow Girl's Gayla Trail

We couldn't have a garden blogging event in Toronto without our city's own You Grow Girl Gayla Trail. With the launch of her blog in 2000, Gayla became one of the very first garden bloggers and she remains one of the most prolific, with a large and loyal readership.

Gayla's words and images are also behind three best-selling books on organic growing for city living (plus a book on garden-good summer libations).

While Gayla can't attend the Fling itself, we're delighted to have arranged an evening with her.

Past Flings have included an informal get-together to talk about blogging. This year, Gayla kicks ours off ever-so-slightly more formally by sharing her thoughts on staying authentic as things around us (and we ourselves) change. Don't think of it as a how-to but as organic food for thought.

We'll have time for Q&As and discussion. Full details are TBD but Saturday evening is pencilled in.

Meanwhile, you might want to stretch your creative muscles by joining in Gayla's Grow Write Guild, her creative writing club for people who love to garden. Fresh inspiration for your best blogging year ever. Happy 2015!

Toronto Fling: Who's going?

Four of the smiling faces you'll meet in Toronto: Carolina gals Janet, Daricia, Lisa and Julie at the San Francisco Fling

I'm pastin' a link, I'm checkin' it twice. You're gonna find out who's naughty or nice (and often both). Toronto Flingers are comin' to town – and some, marked with an (N) are also goin' to Niagara. Discover who's who and who'll be here, or at least those confirmed to-date. We'll update as things change. Get to know the nice, the naughty, and the bit of both by visiting their blogs. And comment!

See anything wrong or anyone missing – or anyone who really should be coming but hasn't committed yet? Nudge me or them, as the case may be.

And, if you're coming to Toronto, you can download the Fling badge to the right and add it to your blog, with a link back to this site. Spread the good word!

From Canada:

Toronto Fling Committee:
Helen Battersby (N)                Toronto Gardens
Sarah Battersby (N)                Toronto Gardens and Fiesta Gardens
Lorraine Flanigan (N)              CityGardening
Veronica Sliva (N)                   A Gardener's World

Ontario:
Tony Spencer                         The New Perennialist
Jennifer Connell                     Three Dogs in a Garden
Janet Davis (N)                      The Paintbox Garden
Tara Nolan (N only)                Savvy Gardening
Susan Poizner (N)                  The Orchard People
Cristina da Silva (N)               The Real Gardener
Barbara Phillips-Conroy (N)   Barbara's Garden Chronicles
Joanne Shaw                            Down2Earth
Amanda Hill                            Cooking in Someone Else's Kitchen
Margaret Mishra (N)               Homegrown – Adventures in my Garden
Marilyn Cornwell                    Open Gardens Niagara
Margaret Bennet-Alder           Toronto Gardener's Journal

Quebec:
Patterson Webster (N)            Site and Insight

From the United Kingdom:

Gloucestershire:
Victoria Summerley (N)         Tales from Awkward Hill

Wiltshire:
Michelle Chapman (N)           Veg Plotting

From the United States:

Alabama:
Su Reid-St. John                     Bonnie's Plants

California:
Maya Bartolf                          Today's Bouquet
Jim Peterson                            Garden Design

Colorado:
Judy Seaborn                          In the Garden, Botanical Interests
Brandon Coppin                     In the Garden, Botanical Interests

Georgia:
Karin Hicks (N)                     Southern Meadows

Illinois:
Jason Kay                             Garden in a City
Judy Hertz                             Garden in a City

Louisiana:
Jean McWeeney (N)              Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog

Maryland:
Claire Jones (N)                     The Gardening Diaries

Michigan:
Stefanie Gilmour                   See Jane Dig
Nancy Patterson                   Garden 337

Minnesota:
Mary Shier                            My Northern Garden
Amy Andrychowicz (N)        Get Busy Gardening and Savvy Gardening

Missouri:
Mimi Ricketts                       Arch City Gardener

North Carolina:
Helen Yoest                          Gardening With Confidence
Daricia McKnight (N)           A Charlotte Garden

New Jersey:
Susan Cohan (N)                  Miss Rumphius' Rules

New York:
Elizabeth Licata                   Garden Rant and Gardening While Intoxicated 
Jim Charlier                          Art of Gardening
Donna Brok                          Garden Walk Garden Talk
Kathy Purdy (N)                   Cold Climate Gardening
Barbara Landree                   Travels with Barb

Ohio:
Kylee Baumle (N)                 Our Little Acre
Louise Hartwig (N)              Two Girls with a Purpose
Susan Heppeard (N)              Two Girls with a Purpose

Oregon:
Loree Bohl                           Danger Garden
Jane Finch-Howell               Mulch Maid

South Carolina:
Lisa Wagner                         Natural Gardening
Julie Thompson-Adolf (N)  Garden Delights
Janet Ledebuhr (N)              The Queen of Seaford
Julie Hill (N)                        Into the Southern Wild
Marian St. Clair                     Hortitopia

Tennessee:
Gail Eichelberger (N)          Clay and Limestone
Barbara Wise (N)                 BWise Gardening

Texas:
Pam Penick                          Digging
Chris Giaraffa                      Running Gardener
Diana Kirby                         Sharing Nature's Garden
Andrea Fox (N)                   Grow Where You're Planted
Vicki Blachman (N)            Playin' Outside
Cindy Tournier (N)              My Corner of Katy
Sheryl Williams (N)            Yard Fanatic
Rebecca Schroeder (N)        Rebecca's Retreat
Laurin Lindsey (N)              Ravenscourt Gardens
Shawn Schachter (N)           Ravenscourt Gardens
Susan Tomlinson (N)          The Bike Garden
Linda Lehmusvirta              Central Texas Gardener
Jennifer Trandell                 The Botanical Journey

Virginia:
Tammy Schmitt                   Casa Mariposa

Washington D.C.:
Susan Harris                       Garden Rant and  Greenbelt Live and DC Gardens

Wisconsin:
Beth Stetenfeld                   Plant Postings 

(BTW, Blogger's inability to create a flush-left double column sets my typographic whiskers all aquiver. We'll have to live with content over style. Now go visit those blogs and say Hi!)

Niagara Preview: Irises galore at the RBG Laking Garden

More than 600 types of bearded iris form the backbone of the RBG's substantial iris collection

Our first stop on our optional day in Niagara will be the Laking Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). The star of this space is the RBG's collection of over 1000 types of iris. This garden was redesigned in 2013, and these pictures were taken very close to Fling time the following year (after what I call the Polar Voldemortex winter of 2013/2014). That means we should be viewing it in the "leap" phase of the sleep-creep-leap adage, even if winter 2014/15 gives us a repeat performance.

If you love irises, this is a chance to get up-close and personal. Here's Iris 'Banish Misfortune.' Great name.

Excellent plant labels and interpretive signs make the Laking Garden educational as well as inspiring.

The Laking Garden is also home to other collections, including peonies, clematis and hostas.

Framed by formal elements, it will be a picturesque way to begin our Niagara excursion.

We're delighted to include this update from Nick Kondrat, Manager of Communications for the RBG:

June is the month for perennials at RBG and this is when the Laking Garden is at its best. Take a tour of the spectacular Iris and peony collections which showcase rare and unusual cultivars from the 20th and 21st centuries. In particular the iris collection is one of the most unique collections of its type in North America. Travel through time and look at breeding trends through the decades, marvel at a complete collection of Dykes Medal winning iris and take a look at the latest trends in Canadian Iris breeding. This experience is an unrivalled and intimate opportunity to experience  these collections for plant connoisseurs up close. We hope to have the pleasure of your company in the Laking Garden on June 8th.

Thanks, Nick! We're looking forward to our visit.

Fling Preview: Two Forest Hill gardens

A small, contemporary garden that still manages to retain a sense of romance

We're delighted that two delightful Forest Hill gardens have agreed to open their gates to us for the Toronto Fling. Call it double delight! These are sneak peek pix only. Stay tuned for more.

A plant-lover's garden around a lovely Arts-and-Craftsy home, with the greenhouse you all want. No, you do.

Reserve your place now for the Toronto Fling

Hope you'll get to see Dupont Station when you come. Wish our subway stations were all this beautiful!

It's the time you've all been waiting for. See information on fees for the Toronto Fling 2015 at this link. And, if you haven't yet done so, please check to see if you qualify at this link.

Then email us at GBFling2015 at Gmail dot com with "I WANNA FLING IN T.O." in the headline. Include a link to your garden blog along with your contact info in the body of your message. Please let us know:

• if you're coming to the Toronto FLING ONLY or the FLING PLUS optional Niagara day

• whether you require VEGETARIAN or GLUTEN-FREE meals (or both, if that's the case)

After receiving your application, we'll email you a PayPal invoice – one for the Fling and one for the optional day in Niagara, if requested. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please pay on receipt to avoid disappointment. There will be no confirmation until your payment is received. According to PayPal, processing payments can take a couple of days.

Our email will also include the Fling discount code and booking link/phone number for our hotel.

PLEASE NOTE: Into every Fling a little rain must fall. We have just learned that all Standard Rooms at the Fling rate of CAD$179 have SOLD OUT for June 1-4. What can I say? Everyone wants to come to Toronto. For June 1-4, we have negotiated a reduced rate of CAD$239 (Deluxe Room, reg. CAD$419). Plenty of Standard Rooms are available from June 5 to 8, our main Fling days.

However, do be prepared to switch rooms if you have different requirements for different parts of your stay. If you prefer not to change rooms, you might opt for the higher rate for the full term of your visit. It's still a great rate for an iconic hotel.

We're working hard to ensure it will all be worth it. Get ready, get set, Fling! Toronto awaits you.