A Gardener's Notebook

Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is happening this week near London and I am so jealous. I will be there in just over 2 weeks, but all of this will be gone. (Pout!)

Still, I can live vicariously through this Flickr slide show from those that DID make it.

There is also a lot of video on YouTube.

My family is traveling to the south UK in mid-June and we are looking for some interesting side trips to take instead of spending our entire time in the The City.

I am interested in visiting some of the wonderful gardens to be found in the UK and wanted to ask you what you might recommend?

We are spending the first 3 days of our trip in Cardiff, so my wife can present a paper at the “Investigating Torchwood“ Conference held at the Atrium. After that, we are not decided yet on whether we will make a few stops across the south or head straight back to London. Friends have recommended visiting Bath and Oxford, so far.

We won’t be driving, but relying on the rail system, so sites near to the rail stations, or those with easy connections, are probably the best bet for us. Please let us know what you might recommend.

Also on this trip, I am looking to meet up with people and groups who might be interested in hearing about the topics that are the focus of my blogs and podcasts. These include gardening (of course), New Media and Podcasting and also careers and career planning. You’ll find links to all my other blogs and podcast on my home page. If you have a group that might be interested in a presentation, or even an informal meetup for dinner and drinks, please let me know. I don’t want to take up my entire vacation, but I love immersing myself in a new place and this seems a great way to do it.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Visiting the UK – What would you recommend? (welchwrite.com)
• Planning for London and Cardiff (welchwrite.com)
• Douglas traveling to the UK in June (welchwrite.com)

Here are a few things that are blooming in my garden this month. Click to view them larger.

Geranium | Rose, “Mikado” | Rose, “Mikado” (opened)

Rose, “Bewitched” | Lavender

Azalea (the last of them) | Fortnight Lily (Dietes)

Gardenia | Rose “JFK”

I only had a few minutes to drive through the park, but here are 3 photos of this year’s Japanese Cherry Tree bloom at Lake Balboa [Map]. This park is in the Sepulveda Basin, near the corner of Balboa and Victory. Each Spring the cherry trees explode with color for just a few weeks.

View Larger Map

Seen on the Backwards Beekeepers site…

Urban Beekeeping 101
Hosted by sustainablesilverlake.org
at the Silver Lake Library
Saturday June 5, 2010 @ 11AM

Talk with Q&A by Kirk Anderson and Leonardo Chalupowicz

Kirk Anderson, a local master beekeeper, and Leonardo Chalupowicz, a local green architect and amateur beekeeper, will outline a brief history of bees and beekeeping and the fundamentals of beekeeping in an urban setting. They will explore the basic equipment and techniques, how to do it the bee’s way versus the commercial way, and colony collapse disorder.

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• Video: Urban Beekeeping: Ins and Outs – Dos and Don’ts – Webinar (welchwrite.com)

My past experiences with unconferences like BarCampLA, PodCampAZ and my own CareerCampLA started me thinking about some sort of gardening/nature/outdoors unconfererence here in the Los Angeles area (or elsewhere). I am totally sold on the concept of unconferences and their ability to facilitate sharing the knowledge we all have with each other and the world.

For a gardening unconference, I could see presentations by attendees on their own special and specific interests like roses, vegetables, sub-irrigated planters, and a host of other topics. For a nature or outdoor conference, I would be interested in bringing in interested individuals as well as groups dedicated to endangered species, habitat preservation, hiking and more.

Any interest in an unconference like this here in the Los Angeles area? Leave your questions and comments on this blog post using the Comments like above or below this post.

Tomatomania is coming again to Encino, California and other locations both east and west. Check out the web site for complete information.

From the Tomatomania web site…

One of Los Angeles’ oldest garden traditions meets one of its newest sensations as Tapia Brothers Farm Stand hosts the largest of the TOMATOMANIA! seedling sales.

To get there drive north on the Ventura Freeway (101N), pass the 405 fwy and exit at HAYVENHURST. Turn right at the stop, then make a quick left into the very busy parking lot.

If you’re driving south on the 101 exit at BALBOA, turn left at the stoplight, go under the freeway and then turn right on BURBANK BLVD. Turn right on HAYVENHURST and right again into the parking lot.

We’ll be open from open 9-5 all three days and there’s plenty of parking available. How many seedlings do you need? We’ll have almost 300 tomato varieties and everything you’ll need to have the most successful tomato season ever!

Wear your TOMATOMANIA! t-shirt and get 10% off your purchase!

March 26 – 28

Tapia Brothers’ Farm Stand
5251 Hayvenhurst Ave.
Encino, CA 91436
818.905.6155

Here is a video from an earlier Tomatomania event.