GGV hires Charlie Nardozzi
Good Gardening Videos , the campaign to find and promote videos that are accurate and watchable , has hired Charlie Nardozzi to be the “ Vetter of Veg Videos ,” said Susan Harris , the project ’ s volunteer editor . Harris , who founded and launched Good Gardening Videos in 2016 , has more than 500 good gardening videos to share , with the help of experts on special subjects . But the topic of growing vegetables was out of her league , her experience and her ability to round up experts to do the job for no pay . It ’ s a large and important topic for people learning to garden , yet job postings for an expert proved unsuccessful .
Fortunately , the GWA Symposium in Atlanta had brought Harris together under a soggy tent with Nardozzi , a well-known , veg-growing expert , experienced garden communicator and teacher from way back . That meeting , plus enthusiastic recommendations from mutual friends , led to the happy announcement that Nardozzi has been named GGV ’ s Edibles Editor .
Nardozzi ’ s assignment will be to review the many veg-growing videos now showing on YouTube and select accurate ones for each vegetable as well as for topics such as raised beds and composting . He ’ ll subscribe to the very best YouTube channels and review new videos as they ’ re uploaded . Chosen videos will then be shared at the pro-environment , ad-free Good Gardening Video website and on related social media channels for learners to find by browsing or searching .
“ To help guide gardeners , especially beginners , to the videos they need to watch when they need to watch them , Nardozzi will select good how-to videos for the vegetable gardener in spring , summer and fall , three much-needed additions to the expanding collection of seasonal guides on the website ,” Harris said .
Nardozzi brings more than a horticulture degree and experience growing vegetables . “ As a long-time communicator , he ’ ll also be helping to spread the word about Good Gardening Videos and its mission to teach people to succeed at gardening and to promote science-based sources of gardening information ,” she said .
PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
KIRK R . BROWN
Spring holds stories to be discovered
Me : I ’ ve got too many gigs in March . What was I thinking ? Sara : Are you bragging or complaining ? Me : Not fair . I just wasn ’ t thinking about how much work they ’ d be . Sara : Why make these programs all different ? Standardize . Me : It ’ s no fun if they ’ re all the same . Sara : So you admit you do this for fun . And you won ’ t change the programs to make them easier or more standardized … Or take fewer than are offered … Or retire and give them up all together . Me : Did you iron Olmsted ’ s pants or wash John ’ s necklace ? Sara : No . Did you ? Me : Let ’ s go out to dinner . Sara : I thought you ’ d never ask .
If you are “ from ,” “ of ” and / or “ in ” the horticultural industry , Spring is the eye of a storm of imagination , crafts-personship , planting plans , new plant forays to nurseries and garden centers as well as getting out of the office to be alternately cold , wet , hot , dry , up , down or dirty . Sometimes , events carry you to these extremes in the space of breathing in to exhalation .
Right now , are you bragging or complaining ? If not , why not ? This is the industry ’ s great and glorious season of our discontent . It ’ s our season of honest-to-God-Flora garden content images and stories just waiting to be discovered , covered , crowed up and fawned over .
Recently , Sara and I were celebratory at the presentation of the Scott Medal to Bill Thomas , executive director of Chanticleer , during the annual ceremonies at Swarthmore College . There were so many people that I recognized and respect . It was a horticultural Facebook of luminaries and personalities — some to be found in the same individual . It was a moment in time during which I felt the pulse of spring and enthusiasm for gardening all quickening in concert . The crowd surged into the reception hall and dove into the sparkling punch like lemmings qualifying for spring trials .
MOTIVATING THE CLEAN-NAIL CROWD
When it ’ s so much fun , it ’ s easy to like these jobs we add to our calendars . As we think about the art and practice of garden communicating , it ’ s fun to plan new ways to get our clean-nailed audiences out into the dirt . If we could only have back-to-back days of 30 hours when we could get it all done , then we could say our grasp of the plants finally caught up with our reach . And then we ’ d take the photographs to illustrate our success .
Here ’ s hoping that you ’ re busy and that you don ’ t have time to read this letter . It ’ s a test . I think that GWA is finally doing almost everything that I had on my list to send us spinning into our future . There are a few surprises still coming toward an unsuspecting membership . But in my remaining four months of office , I want to watch what of the new growth turns toward the light .
Am I bragging or complaining ? Neither . I ’ m exhilarated . I ’ m ecstatic . I ’ m incredibly hopeful . You have made me all of the above . Plan to meet me at a regional meeting , national Expo , CareerNext , a garden center or garden club / master gardener meeting close to you . Call me . Text me . FB me . Let me know how many new members you ’ ve attracted to this up-and-coming newly branded non-profit association — GWA : The Association of Garden Communicators !
And then , let ’ s all go out to dinner !
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