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"Digging With the Divas" was the title of a little magazine article I wrote back in 2002 - I felt compelled to share the tale of our group of women who garden together in Austin. The website followed in 2003 and each January I write about what we did in the garden the previous year. The 2007 Diary is now up on the Divas of the Dirt website.
This story meanders from our January planning meeting, always held at a local Austin restaurant, through seven individual Diva projects, summer outings and a Christmas party. There are pages and pages of chit-chat between we Austin gardeners with lots of photos so it might be fun for those of you who are stuck inside. Sometimes I need a pinch to see if this is a dream - I get to be both Glinda, one of the Divas of the Dirt and Annie in Austin, one of the Austin Gardenbloggers? Yes! Lucky me!
I'm heading over to the Divas of the Dirt blog and website. It is a special and wonderful thing you are doing there. What a great way to get to know fellow gardeners (and bloggers). I think many of us garden bloggers wish that we had similar things happening in our communities.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of helping out and also getting help from fellow gardeners. Those relationships are truly worth their weight in gold!
What a wonderful group to be a part of. As Kate said I would love to be a part of this. I have gardening friends but we don't share chores normally.
ReplyDeleteI did help a friend build up her garden for her daughters outside garden wedding a few years ago. It was fun...and a lot of work. :)
I cruised through the website last night. What a fun group, you can tell how you all enjoy working with one another and leaving each garden a little better than it was before. Annie, you ought to publish a guide on how to start such a group. It could be the "garden ladies" version of those "Red Hat" societies.
ReplyDeleteCarol, May Dreams Gardens
Congratulations on another year. I have enjoyed reading about the Divas. You are so lucky to have such a great group of gardening friends.
ReplyDeleteJan, Always Growing
It really is a wonderful thing that you have, Annie, and by sharing it we all feel a little bit included. I think it would be so nice to have a similar group...especially as some of the bigger projects start to look more intimidating as the years go by...I wonder what one could wear in place of the red hats?! Felco holsters?
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know it's carnival time, and your link is up. Check and see who nominated you!
ReplyDeleteSue
What fun! I have often wanted a group of Garden Chicks that I could hang with. Alas, not many I know around these parts. And the garden club ladies are so deadly serious.
ReplyDelete--Robin (Bumblebee)
I think it sounds like fun too. What a great way to tackle a project too. I watched the video and that Diva song keeps popping into my mind. I agree with Carol, you should write a "how to" guide.
ReplyDeleteAhh, you guys have too much fun! It seems you group has grown, no?
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful. I'd love to be able to get together with local bloggers. But I wonder, how in the world do you accomplish anything during a restaurant meeting? You all look very chatty :o)
ReplyDeleteAAAAHHH I answered each one of you but Blogger ate the whole thing! Instead of trying to recapture those individual responses may I just say thank you very much for the comments and if you get to the diary, I hope you'll like it.
ReplyDeleteThe Divas don't seem too much like Red Hats to me, since our January planning meeting is sometimes the only time we're in a restaurant all year. We cook for our project days and are usually in grubbie garden gear. Ki is right... there are 8 Divas in the photo - one is a 'Diva Emeritus' - no longer active but still our friend. The purpose of the January breakfast is to catch up after the holidays and set up the dates for the coming project year.
I'm the only blogging Diva so far - this is a completely separate group of people from the Austin gardenbloggers.
The original article [on the website] was a kind of instruction manual for anyone who wanted to try to form their own group. Since then I've had emails from interested people, and have suggested that if a woman can find just two other people and work with them for awhile, with this core of 3 eventually bringing in one other person, you'd have 6 - which might be the maximum number of projects in colder climates.
Hats? We already have hats! One of the Divas kindly took the logo to a stitch-shop back in February 2006. Here's a Photo.
Thank you!
Annie/Glinda
The only pleasure greater than working in a garden is working in a garden with other like-minded people. You've found your calling!
ReplyDeleteOh those are wonderful, happy smiles in that great group shot! How nice of the 'cute guy' to take the picture :) I've had an interesting read through your diary today Annie (and the delicious recipes). It sounds like such a wonderful group and what a great way to tackle those bigger garden projects! Not to mention the fun you all have together.
ReplyDeleteYou are a woman of multiple personalities indeed. I'll bet you even enjoy being 'you' sometimes! :)
Weeping Sore, back in Illinois I was in two garden clubs whose members were real gardeners [some clubs emphasize arranging]. One club had charge of a village pioneer type garden and the other club designed and took care of a butterfly garden at a park.
ReplyDeleteI also spent 4 years as one of a group of horticultural volunteers for a park district. Working with other gardeners has been one of the joys of my life.
Kerri, I'm glad you enjoyed the Diva adventures and recipes - I wear different hats but they're all me ;-]
Annie in Austin/Glinda
I love the idea of working as a group on larger projects (my husband would too:)!) It's also a great reson to actually get togeather with your friends.
ReplyDeleteI just read this years diary but when I tried to read the previous ones they were not there.
Have a great 2008 gardening year!