by C.L. Fornari
Changes in the GardenComm Directory
The expression “the more things change, the more they stay the same” might be true in many areas of life, but not in garden communications. In the 21st century the ways people understand and engage with plants and gardens has been rapidly evolving. A mere 30 years ago only a handful of people were familiar with the word “permaculture,” and if you spoke of a “green roof,” you were most likely referring to a traditional, sod-covered building in Scandinavia.
Up until the turn of the last century, a garden communicator was a writer, speaker, photographer, or broadcaster. Bloggers and podcasters didn’t exist, and no one was spreading information through social media. The internet has changed everything, and we’re constantly adapting while we discover together where this digital world will take us. Today, a more accurate saying might be “the more things change, the more we are called to change with them.”
As individual members of GardenComm move forward in this rapidly transforming new world, our organization is doing the same. One of the best examples of this growth is in the directory on our website. The link on the homepage that says “find a garden communicator” leads to our Connect page where anyone can find members based on the type of communications they do and their area of expertise. For many years there were six types of communicators…now there are 12. Under “areas of expertise” there used to be 40 options, yet now there are 61.
Thirty years ago we didn’t envision our members blogging, podcasting or as social media influencers, and we never expected that we’d be communicating about climate change, green infrastructure, or Xeriscaping. From foraging to phytoremediation, or urban agriculture to outdoor living spaces, our members have expanded into unexpected areas of expertise as the world changes.
We are #TeamHorticulture. The more things change, the more we grow.
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