President's Message
Happy New Year gardening friends! Greetings from the northeast Ohio snow belt where it’s been so warm I was still picking fresh parsley from my herb pot outside last week. The cold weather has finally arrived though and it is cold! 

I hope this letter finds you healthy and optimistic for 2022. If nothing else, I’m counting on it to be a great gardening year! Seed, bulb and plant catalogs are arriving and my FOMO (fear of missing out) is starting to ramp up. 
Many of you have already renewed your GardenComm membership for 2022. If you have; THANK YOU! You can access your press pass under the resources tab of gardencomm.org.

If you haven’t renewed, or you’re thinking of joining, please consider this a personal invitation from me to become a part of GardenComm. It’s an opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about plants and communicate their love for plants and gardening products in a variety of mediums from all corners of the globe. 

Here's what I get out of being a Garden Comm Member. What motivates you?
  • Expand your sphere of influence; meet like-minded people who graciously share their knowledge with you. 
  • Be the first to know about new plants and products.
  • Access to online and in-person regional meetings, educational events (webinars), green industry trade shows and more. Educational events are tailored to help attendees be better communicators, hone their craft or learn new ones and also to be better business people. Many registration fees are discounted for members.
  • Attend the annual national conference, be it virtually or in-person – for educational sessions, tours of private gardens, meet with editors and publishers to pitch your book or article ideas; opportunities you won’t get at other events! Members received discounted registration fees.
  • GardenCommm Media Awards are the only national online media awards program for the gardening communications industry; members receive a discounted entry rate.
  • Volunteer opportunities to help set the direction of GardenComm and allow you network with some of the best people and companies involved in the green industry.
And these are just a few of my favorite things about the GardenComm community!

As we head towards spring, it will usher in a rebirth for GardenComm as our new management team takes over on March 1st. I know you’ll want to be a part of the organization that will help you grow professionally as a garden communicator. The extra added bonus is making friends that will last a lifetime!

What are your plant communication goals for 2022 and how can GardenComm help you achieve them? If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at maria@upshoothort.com.

M 
Members who Inspire Me:
As we talk about membership, I’d like to tip my gardening cap to Shelley Cramm. Shelley is the current chair of our Membership Committee and is tireless in her effort to welcome new members to GardenComm. She plans and hosts regular ‘First Timer’ zoom calls which are open to both new and current members. They are designed to help anyone meet and connect with other members. It’s also an opportunity to learn about member benefits that you may not be familiar with.

Shelley, along with Kim Roman and Diane Blazek and Gail Pabst of the National Garden Bureau, are planning a new event; our first ever virtual Book Launch Party in March. Details will be announced soon. You won’t want to miss it as it will feature 4 authors with new for 22 books and a pod-caster host. A second party will happen this fall. And it is FREE to all attendees! 

You know, I remember first meeting Shelley at one of our national conferences. We had tables in the exhibit hall where authors could offer their books for sale. Her God’s Word for Gardeners Bible [Grow your faith while growing your garden], struck me as THE perfect gift for my father. My dad was my business partner whose blood ran green with chlorophyll! I was thrilled to present him a signed copy of her book on his birthday. He said his rosary every night and quite often loved picking up this Bible afterwards for more reflection.

We’re lucky to have someone as dedicated as Shelley supporting GardenComm and its members. And you won’t find a nicer, more kind individual. We’re blessed to have someone of her caliber roll out the red carpet to members on our behalf. Thanks Shelley for your service! Learn more about her on her website: Home - Garden In Delight or better yet, join her this month at a first timers meeting! Again, they’re open to any member!
Regional Roundup
Highlights from our last all-garden comm meeting.

Please email grace@fashionplants.com to be included here.
  • Shelley Cramm has two first-timers meetings scheduled for Monday, January 24th at 7 pm EST OR Wednesday, January 26th @ 4 pm. Contact Shelley for signups 
  • Region 6 has implemented short "Mini Trainings" in their Happy Hour Connect meetings! All Garden Comm is welcome and we'll post our next meeting on facebook or you can sign up for Friends of Region 6 to get notified.
Important news from Garden Comm that you need to know
Reminder! All-Garden-Comm Monthly Meetups
The second Monday of each month at 4 PM PST / 7 PM EST
Next Meeting Monday February 14th

Register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAldu6rrzsuG9c2Pok9yIFpcDjZz3MHSkC4 to get the zoom meeting link. Questions? Email clfornari@yahoo.com
Cheers from around the Garden
Good news from our members

Kathy Jentz reports that her podcast GardenDC won BEST DC PODCAST in the contest run by the DC State Fair!


If you have Good News, let us know, so we can include you on the next newsletter! https://forms.gle/75vJ6LYZuHMpLwJ78