Gardens of the Wild Wild West

Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw. ~H.D. Thoreau

Olympic Medal Event: Gardeners face off for Gold-Silver-Bronze!

August15

In honor of the Olympics and since it is County Fair time in many parts of the US, I have declared a brand new event, one for the gardening community. It will be a groovy new virtual event with your’s truly, the Diva of Dirt, sitting in the catbird’s seat handing out the awards. These Olympic gardening events, unlike the ones in Bejing, do not require mastery of the parallel bars or the monkey bars (but maybe should include mastery of the cocktail bar). Nor do they require a buff bod or zero body fat or you donning a speedo. See, I am very ,very fair minded.

As gardeners,we all have incredible skills of endurance (the grasshopper plague is almost over), stamina (how long can YOU weed?), skill (getting that damn tomato to ripen), strength (toting 17 bags of compost and 16 flats of plants to the garden). So, I am not concerned about time trials or other qualifying events. If you got here, you qualify.

Three rules:
1. You must link back to this website.
2. You must show me the best of the best of your garden. You decide what that is: single plant, single fabulous piece of produce, collection of tomatoes, collection of hoes, a garden vignette, whatever. Three entries per garden.
3. Deadline is Sunday night at midnight.

I will decide everything. I will give out the awards which will be smallish but very meaningful and thoughtful. I will make up categories as I feel like it. I am a huge fan of “style points.” Give it your Olympic best. Show me your stuff!

posted under Journal entries
19 Comments to

“Olympic Medal Event: Gardeners face off for Gold-Silver-Bronze!”

  1. On August 15th, 2008 at 3:18 pm Carol, May Dreams Gardens Says:

    Oh, this will be fun! I have trained my entire life for these gardening olympics! I have! My entry will be posted Saturday night. Now which are my best events? What will be my three entries? Hmmm… hoe collections count?

  2. On August 15th, 2008 at 3:27 pm Kathy Purdy Says:

    Midnight who’s time? Idaho time?

  3. On August 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pm TC Says:

    Your contest sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll try to enter a few pictures.

  4. On August 16th, 2008 at 5:48 pm Carol, May Dreams Gardens Says:

    I have entered the Olympics of Gardening, with a special treat VIDEO http://tinyurl.com/6ckazk

  5. On August 16th, 2008 at 6:10 pm Krissi Says:

    I found this contest via Cold Climate Gardening and I was thrilled to find an Idaho garden sight. I live in the neighboring state of Utah. Your contest sounds fun so I am going to enter hope I did this right. Here is the link to my entry http://theswimmom.blogspot.com/2008/08/garden-olympics.html
    Happy Gardening to all.

  6. On August 16th, 2008 at 7:44 pm Cinj Says:

    I’ll have to scour the yard while I’m trying to paint the shed and see if I have anything medal worthy. Does taking and eternity to build a shed count??? LOL.

  7. On August 17th, 2008 at 10:07 am Gardening Olympics - My Contribution : Life on the Balcony Says:

    [...] Ann over at the Idaho Gardener is hosting the “Gardening Olympics.” Here are the rules: 1. You must link back to this website. 2. You must show me the best of the best [...]

  8. On August 17th, 2008 at 10:10 am Fern Says:

    What a fun idea! Here is my submission. The competition looks fierce already, good job fellow gardening olympians!

  9. On August 17th, 2008 at 10:47 am Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:

    Team Squirrelhaven is honored to compete in these games. Here’s our entry: http://www.tinyurl.com/6rft72.

  10. On August 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pm dlyn Says:

    I cam by because of Kathy’s post as well. Here is the location for my entry: http://dlynz.blogspot.com/2008/08/gardening-olympics.html

  11. On August 17th, 2008 at 3:42 pm Cinj Says:

    Okay, I found not a whole lot. Here is my (somewhat lame) entry.

    http://cbmvwag.blogspot.com/2008/08/land-of-plenty

  12. On August 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pm Ellis Hollow » Going for the gold: Tall plants Says:

    [...] Newcomer at Idaho Gardener has organized a kind of online Gardening Olympiad with real prizes. (See Olympic Medal Event: Gardeners face off for Gold-Silver-Bronze!. Hurry. Deadline of entries is midnight [...]

  13. On August 17th, 2008 at 4:44 pm Craig at Ellis Hollow Says:

    Looks like your trackback picked up my entry already:
    Going for the gold: Tall plants
    http://www.remarc.com/craig/?p=447

  14. On August 17th, 2008 at 4:45 pm tj Says:

    …Hello, happened over here via ‘dlyns’ place and would like to enter your contest. You can see my humble entry here:

    http://humbleorigins.blogspot.com/2008/08/gardening-olympics.html

    …Thank you and blessings too… :o )

  15. On August 17th, 2008 at 4:59 pm Rose Says:

    Just found out about the competition through Carol at May Dreams Gardens. We’re a poor rural garden and haven’t had time to properly train, but have entered a few of the more obscure categories. Even if we don’t win a medal, it’s great to be a part of this monumental competition!
    You can find my entry at
    http://www.prairierosesgarden.blogspot.com

  16. On August 17th, 2008 at 4:59 pm Rose Says:

    Oops, forgot to say the entries won’t arrive until 7 PM Mountain time!

  17. On August 17th, 2008 at 8:18 pm Kathy Purdy Says:

    I should have gone to bed but I slapped together an entry as quick as I could: http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2008/08/17/my-entry-in-the-garden-olympics/.

    If you knew how much corn I blanched today, I’d get a medal just for that.

  18. On August 17th, 2008 at 11:52 pm Nancy Says:

    oops.. I made an entry but it didn’t get posted.

    I may be too late, but here is my entry:

    http://nancysgardenspot.blogspot.com/2008/08/gardening-olympics.html

  19. On August 18th, 2008 at 5:29 am My Skinny Garden Says:

    I did get my post in before the cut-off but have had trouble leaving you a comment to announce it.

 

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