To continue our Gurus to Follow on Twitter series, we move from the indoors, where interior designers work their magic to raise the value of your spaces, to the outdoors. This is the realm of the Gardener and Landscaper, where they can see potential in your yards, gardens, balconies, and window boxes. They have the unique vision to bring that potential to full fruition (like the gardening metaphor there?).
Here are 14 gardening and landscaping gurus that not only do great work in their industries, but also engage with customers and potential customers in creatively and openly. They blog, some have Facebook pages, some are on TV, some are authors. And of course they tweet like crazy and are likely to follow you back. Why not meet some of them right now?
1. @IndigoGardens (Lynn-Felici-Gallant)
Lynn has been gardening since childhood, and is dedicated to lending her creative eye and commercial acumen to help businesses and individual homeowners make great first impressions that reflect their brands and their personalities. Lynn is also editor at Coastal Home Magazine (@CoastalHG).
2. @GardenWiseInc (J. Mark White)
One of the faces of the HGTV show Curb Appeal and principle at Garden Wise Inc, J. Mark White strikes a balance between creative visions and practical knowledge for landscaping projects that range from urban rooftops to country gardens. You can visit his website at GardenwiseInc.com
3. @kissmyaster (Amanda Thomsen)
Amanda’s experience as a passionate gardener is expressed online in a down-to-earth (pun intended?) and humorous fashion. She’s a writer for those looking for practical advice with a tasteful dash of attitude. Amanda is a blogger for Horticulture Magazine (@CoHorts), as well as a regular contributor to plantsthatsuck.com, among other blogs.
4. @getinthegarden (Lisa Gustavson)
Lisa’s interest in gardening, and offering her insights to others on her blog getinthegarden.com, is an extension of her belief that gardening is a lifestyle, not just a pastime. She also gains points for titling one of her blog posts “Give Peas A Chance”. Respect.
5. @MrBrownThumb (???)
As self-deprecating as he is mysterious, Mr Brown Thumb offers practical advice to city dwellers about maintaining urban gardens, proving that outdoor greenery is not just for country and suburban living. Mr. Brown Thumb blogs for Chicago Now under the title, appropriately enough, Chicago Garden.
6. @susancohan
Leveraging her experience and success in the fashion industry, Susan turned to gardening with equal aplomb, designing award-winning landscapes and interior ‘garden rooms’. In addition to her work as a blogger (Miss Rumphius’ Rules), Susan serves as Membership Chair for the international board of directors for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).
7. @Arcadia1 (Christina Salwitz)
Christine is not only a gardener herself, but a gardening coach for others too, dedicated to passing her knowledge of organic gardening on to her clients. She’s also a speaker, and teacher, with an eye for marketing. You can learn more about Christine by visiting personalgardencoach.wordpress.com
8. @LifeOnTheBlcny (Fern Richardson)
A specialist in container gardens fit for balconies (see Twitter handle), Fern brings the addition of decorative and edible gardening to people-without-yards, or those with limited space. Read her practical tips and informed insights on lifeonthebalcony.com
9. @Amyeureka (Amy Stewart)
A passionate gardener, Amy is also a speaker, and an author of several books. Her essays about gardening have appeared in publications from Organic Gardening Magazine to the New York Times. Visit her website at amystewart.com
10. @jeanannvk (Jean Ann VanKrevelen)
Jean Ann is a dedicated gardener and social media leader, with several useful blogs about gardening and connections with other experts in the field. Along with this list, Jean Ann has been named “2008 Top 50 Tweeple to Follow” on Twitter, among other recommendations. Learn more abut Jean Ann on edgyentrepreneur.typepad.com
11. @CanarsieBK (Mike Lieberman)
Mike brings together his interests in urban gardening, green living, and blogging. A proponent of simple, earth-friendly living, Mike offers advice as well as the story of his own experience in integrating organic gardening in a city setting. Take a look at canarsiebk.com.
12. @TheGerminatrix (Ivette Soler)
Ivette is a ‘plant fiend’, channeling that fiendishness into a consulting and design business in the Los Angeles area. She’s also a blogger, and a published author, writing articles for Garden Design, Met Home, and Sunset Magazine, among others. Read her blog at thegerminatrix.com.
13. @MulchMaven (Jenny Peterson)
Jenny and her team are versatile gardeners and landscapers, operating in the Austin Texas area since 2001. Jenny’s skill at transforming spaces stems (another gardening pun??) from her ability to integrate her knowledge of eco-systems into her eye for aesthetics. Read her blog at jpetersongardendesign.com
14. @EdenMaker (Shirley Bovshow)
Shirley balances her interests and skills with gardening and landscaping into the varied regions of garden coaching, speaking, blogging, and TV broadcasting. You can see her on the TV show Garden Police, as well as on the HGTV show Outer Spaces. Read her blog at edenmakers.com.
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Wow, what a list…and I made it!!! Thanks so much for including me on your honorable list of garden/landscape Twitterer’s.
I actually have an online Garden television entertainment show (the first and only one of it’s kind) called, “Garden World Report.” You can follow @GardenWReport
International video contributors, live events, garden news and more.
Thanks again.
Shirley Bovshow
GardenWorldReport.com
Thank you so much for including me in this list! These are all terrific tweeters for the reasons you mentioned, and there are so many other great gardeners that stand out, as well. Among these are:
@oakleafgreen, @Michelle_at_FG, @AnniesAnnuals, @MargaretRoach, @Interleafer, @Scotthokunson, @Seasonalwisdom, @Containergarden, @Redwhiteandgrew, @HelenYoest, @Reddirtramblin, @SweetRebecca, @SusanLMorrison, @BetweentheLimes, @JudyDigginIt,@travelgrdsbuzz, @Indygardener … Oh no; I knew this would happen! I’m sure I’m going to leave someone out. Check out my followers, everyone; they’re all great. Thank you again. Lynn
Thanks for the list! I’ve got my garden on my mind – big time…
I figured since Spring is about to, er, spring, then the reminder of what some of the experts are up to out there would be useful. I hope the links to some of their blogs/sites will be an inspiration.
Thanks for the visit and for the comment, Meredith.
Thanks so much for the list, I’ve been counting the seconds to every Friday, when I can find more quality people to follow and keep in touch with. Definitely going to add the ones I don’t have off of the basis of you including @LifeOnTheBlcny and @thegerminatrix
Thanks for the visit and for comments, Josh. Feel free to suggest other gurus you think should have made the list. I’ll be sure to add some live links to their Twitter profiles from here.
And thanks to Lynn and Shirley, for all of the work you guys have done, and for suggesting other Tweeps and Twitter accounts for our readers to follow.
Cheers!
WOW!
What a great list to be a part of! Thank you THANKY YOU!!! I am a HUGE fan of these tweeter/bloggers, and am totally honored to be in the group. The energy and enthusiasm about gardening online is truly amazing, and the Twitter Garden Posse ( those on the list and others that Lynn mentioned in her comment, and MANY others) is a generous, open, fun group of garden maniacs that share their wisdom freely. My garden practice has been really enriched by being a part of this expanding community, and I know that the same will happen to all those who take the plunge!
I LOVE being liked!!! Right ON!
Ivette Soler aka The Germinatrix!
Hi Ivette! The pleasure is ours! It is pretty exciting to be able to make connections with like-minded people so easily. I hope this little post of mine helps to introduce new people and strengthen the associations that are already in place.
Thanks a lot for comments!
You can’t go wrong following these folks. Only problem–they are such fun you may have a hard time tearing yourself away from Twitter!
And here’s why @Daffodilplanter above should also be on every gardener’s list of people to follow on twitter: http://daffodilplanter.blogspot.com/.
I appreciate that there are myriad directions to compose such a list (kissmyaster, getinthegarden, and jeanannvk get two thumbs up from this veggie head. Additional sources to consider are Emma Cooper http://www.coopette.com/blog (she also has an excellent podcatst) and Eric Rochow at http://www.gardenfork.tv/ — good kindred fun.
Cheers…
-John
Indulge me a few additional garden gurus? @Robinripley, @Gardenofwords, @DebraLBaldwin, @Punkrockgardens, @Travelgrdsbuzz, @Thegardenlady, @GPBuzz, @DebraPrinzing, @Karibaskets, @Dgdreamin, @LeslieCoons, @Yardhalf, and a special recommendation for @gardenpunk, who is battling for her life right now. Thank you.
I’m loving the very solid list you created – and those that have been added as well.
And, very busy congratulating myself that I found and have been thoroughly enjoying almost all of them since I ventured into Tweetdom just a few months ago. What a great group! As I keep trying to explain to Twitter skeptics – I feel like I’ve found my tribe!!
Kudos and love to all!
Once again, GREAT list! Thanks so much for taking the time to share these fabulous contacts with the rest of the world. Off to learn what I can from this group about gardening. Hopefully, I can get some hints and tips on how to turn my black thumb green!
Hey Shannon!
The list is even better now that people have chimed in with their own recommendations. As such this is more like a living document rather than just a single, static blog post. I love it! If you (or any other visitors here) come across any real gardening/landscaping rock stars that aren’t mentioned here, be sure to share them with everyone here.
Thanks for comments, as always!
@miriamwildflr I love your use of the word ‘tribe’ – that’s exactly what this is; a gathering of likeminded people gathering around common interests, and bound by the same values. It’s an exciting time to be in business, as well as in looking to continue in lifelong learning!
Thanks so much, Rob, for including me on this list! Although I haven’t been on Twitter for all that long, what I love about it is that it creates a way of connecting with people that you’d never be able to connect with otherwise–not just those in the industry but people who love to garden and are really fun to tweet with! I often work by myself, so Twitter has given me, and many others, a community that I am honored and grateful to be a part of!
Great list! And thanks to John for adding my blog to it. I also tweet garden-related goodies via @akgpodcast
I’m off to look at all those other Tweeters now
Rob, I love what you have created here: a friendly, inspired and inspiring tribe! Thank you. CB
Great list! Keep posting more!
Thanks for the great list! Here are two of my favorite garden twitter folks: @digthedirt and @chickdigthedirt . They have an online gardening social network site called http://www.digthedirt.com which is a lot of fun… and they’re tweets are usually really interesting. Thanks for this list!