Category: Events

Second Annual Garden2Blog

Monday, April 30th, 2012 by P. Allen Smith, 37 comments

What's the easiest way to keep up with the gardening world? Garden blogs. You talk about folks that have their fingers on the pulse. You'll find garden bloggers at flower shows, horticulture trade shows, and touring gorgeous gardens and industry facilities. Like green reporters they suss out all the latest trends to bring to readers of their blogs. A garden blog is also an informative resource for region specific tips and news.

I'm pleased to say that this week 25 garden bloggers will be here in Little Rock for our second annual Garden2Blog event. For two days we'll tour area gardens and hang out at the Moss Mountain Farm Garden Home. In addition to the bloggers team members from several of my Garden Home partner companies will be there. It's a great way to get industry and media folks talking.

For me the event offers an opportunity to hang out with people who share my passion for gardening and learn a thing or two while I'm at it.

I'm kicking off the celebration with a giveaway. Tell me about your favorite garden blog for a chance to a Garden2Blog goodie bag, three signed garden how-to decks, The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener by Niki Jabbour, a trio of manure teas from Authentic Haven Brand (love this stuff!), Fun with Winter Seed Sowing eBook by Monica Milla, Container Gardening for All Seasons by Barbara Wise and I Garden Urban Style by Michael Nolan.

I'll select a winner on Wednesday May 9th, 2012. Click here for the official rules.

Congrats to Nicky from DirtandMartinis.com. She's the winner of the Garden2Blog giveaway. Thanks to everyone who submitted a comment. Great blog recommendations!

Great Garden Blogs to Follow

Arley Hall Comes to Arkansas

Monday, March 26th, 2012 by P. Allen Smith, 8 comments

After years of hospitality from the Ashbrook family at Arley Hall I'm excited to welcome Lord Michael Ashbrook to my home. I can only hope that it's half as inspiring to him as my visits to Arley have been to me.

I stumbled upon Arley when I was a graduate student at the University of Manchester. While exploring the grounds I struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman who turned out to be the 10th Viscount Desmond Ashbrook. He introduced me to his wife Elizabeth and we became fast friends. Over the years I've developed quite an attachment to the people and gardens at Arley.

So I'm excited to welcome Lord Ashbrook to Arkansas. He'll be here to give a lecture about the estate and gardens that have been in the family for more than 500 years. If you are going to be in Little Rock that day I encourage you to plan to attend. Here are the details.

When: Wednesday, March 28, 2012
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Bring your lunch! Drinks will be provided.)

Where: Clinton School of Public Service, Sturgis Hall

How: It's a free lecture, but you do need to reserve a seat. Email the school at publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or call 501-683-5239.

Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival

Thursday, September 1st, 2011 by P. Allen Smith, 7 comments

"But though I am an old man, I am but a young gardener"
Thomas Jefferson to Charles Willson Peake 1811

Thomas Jefferson is one of my biggest heroes. He and George Washington loomed large in my imagination as a child and throughout my school years. In fact my graduate work focused on the tour of English gardens that Jefferson and Adams took together in 1786. I’ve been happy to see the renewed interest in the personalities surrounding the founding of our country and have enjoyed the numerous histories and television programs such as the John Adams series.

Although I’m a few centuries too late to meet the man, I can still learn a lot from Thomas Jefferson by visiting his home Monticello. In fact, I used many of the ideas gleaned there to design the Garden Home Retreat.

On September 16 I’m heading to Monticello for the fifth annual Heritage Harvest Festival celebrating Jefferson as America’s “first foodie.” Appropriate title don’t you think?

You can learn from Jefferson too when you attend this family-friendly weekend featuring food, music and workshops. I'm giving the keynote address Reflections on Jefferson: Gardening, Farming and Democracy on Friday the 16th at 6 p.m. Hope you can join me for a lively discussion and good food. Click here to learn more.