Dave's Garden Party

Because of not enough votes in the positive Dave has ended the Idea of the Expo for now. See his notice on Daves Garden Forum. Thanks to all of you that were positive.

Debbie

Texas is just too dang big!

Dont blame Texas, the real fault is in the number of people that said yes - there is not not the people needed for this type of thing to work.

I think there might have been better numbers if a location was picked first. Maybe that can be taken into consideration the next time around.

Thank you, Committee...for your hard work. Jo

We truly appreciate the hard work by the committee and someday it will work!
gail

Thank you we are all very proud of the work we did, we love our site and each other at the end of the day. That said - I doubt there will ever be a next time around.

Hey! If there's ever a Dave's GardenTexas Garden Party ... I'll come! I went through the huge state of Texas 38 years ago on the way to California.

Lin, there is a big round up where Dave lives. I am going to try and go this year. Please please come for this big RU.

My "yes but only if" was if nothing major comes up to interfere such as illness in the family, serious turn for the worse in financial situation, etc.

edit* sorry, didn't see the idea was nixed. Why do you say there won't be a "next time around"? Just because there are a few naysayers is no reason not to try again. I think it was a fantastic idea.

This message was edited Jan 9, 2008 5:20 PM

Gail, what is the closest airport with hotel and I would need info on local transportation? I don't drive on the Interstate. And, when is it this year?

Why do you say over 300 people in the couple of days the vote was going on isn't enough to have a party? Not everyone who is a member of DG even saw that it was happening. I am in the birding forum almost every day, and have been visiting roses, clematis and indoor gardening lately too, but I didn't see anything about this until a couple of hours ago.

I don't know why it needs to be any particular size for everyone to get together. Just adjust the size of your venue to match the number of expected guests. It may not be huge the first year, but it would grow over time.

edit* Why was there even a "no I can't make it" option on the vote in the first place? Weren't you just trying to find out how many might come? Why would it matter how many couldn't?

This message was edited Jan 9, 2008 5:28 PM

I will look up all this information and let you know, Lin. I haven't been to College Station or Bryan since the good old college football days....long ago!

I am trying to think which airport is closest to Bryan. Will get back to you with more up to date answers.

Ok, now that I am free to speak openly about Daves Garden Expo. Let me tell ya'll what we missed out on.
It was to be held in Grapevine Texas. People arriving from the DFW airport would have been greeted by one of us on the shuttle and driven to your wonderful hotel . The rooms were going to be booked in bulk, probably running around $70 - $90 a night(depending on number of attendees). You would have been meet by a smiling DGer that would walk you over to the registration desk and you would be given a packet with all kinds of goodies in along with a brochure with the scedule on it. Then you would be able to go up to your beautiful room and open the drapes and just relax after your long trip. You would have then been able to go downstairs to the gorgeous dining room and with your discount food tickets that you received in your packet have a wonderful meal at your leisure. After our meal, we would have gathered up with the rest of the DGer's in a large meeting room, just for us. It would more than likely be divided up into the different regions or forums. We would then be served coffee and deserts and spend an evening of just getting to know each other. Our host Dave would have given us a true Daves warm welcome as we munched on goodies.
We would have then broken up into smaller groups to either go see the town or just walk around the beautiful hotel garden. The next morning you would wake up refreshed and excited to get back to your friends. You would then pull out another discount food coupon from your packet of goodies and join up with other DG'ers around the buffet in the dining room. Drinking coffee, juice , eating fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, biscuits, anything you like. Then you head to one of the many different workshops and seminars available for us to enjoy. , After the fun time of sharing together in the workshops, then we have a lite lunch (or whatever you want) before we are off to the Garden Tour. As we come out of the hotel lobby, after lunch , we see these large Tour Buses with Daves Garden Banner's on them. Decked out in our Daves Garden Tshirts and Tote bags, Off we go to the beautiful Fort worth Botanical Gardens and to the Dallas Aboritorium. Where we walk and look and drink in the marvelous beauty all around us. It is spring, probably around March or April and the lite breeze brings us the fragrance of all the flowers. We go inside after a while and have a cool drink or coffee. Possibly that is where one of our speakers will teach us something awesome about gardening. Then we head back to Hotel. We all go up to our rooms, if we choose to and just relax for a while. Some of us may go sit outside by the pool. After a bit we all descend down from our rooms, and meet once again in the DG meeting room. Tables are set. Candles are twinkling on the tables. Well tonight is Grand because many will be receiving awards . We are served our complimentary Dinner, a wonderful meal. Our Mitch steps up to the potium and begins the ceremony. He calls Dave and Trish up to honor them with a gift, as we all clap so loudly for everything he has made possible for us. All of the winners of contest that were held on Daves Garden during 2008 will be honored. After the dinner we will be free to go out to see the town or just visit or rest in our beautiful rooms. The next morning we are up again decked out in our Daves Garden Tshirts and heading down to The Vendors. The vendors are all set up and waiting for us. They are loaded with discount coupons and they have an array of their plants and flowers and garden tools, etc. on display to show us. They all have a package of goodies for us to take home. Seed packs , discount coupons,catalogs, etc. They also have a place at their table where we can order and some of them will offer us free shipping so our plants will get to us shortly after we arrive home. Ahhhhhhh , the joy of it all. A full wonderful weekend of gardening. Some of us will be heading back to the Grapevine Rv Park, some of joining up with our spouses that went to play golf or watch the Nascar event in person. Some of us will be catching the shuttle to the airport. Some may just want to stay for a few extra days and make a vacation out of it. But all of us will leave happy, with our little packets loaded with all the info we need to produce a beautiful Daves Garden.

Yes, it would have been grand. And as many events as possible were to be webcast live on Daves Garden so that the ones of the DG family that weren't able to attend , would be able to experience the events.

Maybe another time. Maybe 2009

Debbie, you have made me cry all over again. Just can't help it.

Hi Christi, I missed you girl. It aint over til its over. :) Maybe I'll come visit you and we can just do it by ourselves. No, that would be too sad.

Wow! that is a wonderful set up.!!!

Debbie, we, two, will get together. I promise you that.

We'd have loved it.

:) I know and we have to invite Mitch. He is so sad right now.

I know.

See, you just described the SGGA, only on a grander scale. Why weren't details like that provided at the voting forum?

edit* Oops, just realized this isn't the thread where I talked about the SGGA. This is: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/799610/

This message was edited Jan 9, 2008 6:13 PM

It was explained to us that the number was first and foremost. No exceptions.

Drapelady: What a Beautiful rendition of what was to be! So sad it isn't going to happen in 2009 but hopefully in the not too distant future this wonderful garden party will take place! I think your description of events would make so many folks want to be there! *** sigh ***

I sure appreciate all the hard work and dedication of the committee members who willingly took on the task of trying their best to make this happen!

I will be there - with bells on.

plantladylin - it will never happen... just trust us there is too much to do to get it off its feet.

We have all lived and breathed "The Party" for over 2 months.

:(

Hi Mitch. :)

I know - trust me, every spare minute was tlaking it up, calling people, I have four or five trees worth of paper here with ideas, places, and prices...

Hi :-) trying

As Do I. never have been good at disappointment.

Mitch thats just your saddness talking , Never say never. Good grief man. :)

Oh Well! I'll take the "Dave's Garden Party" label off the gallon jug where I save my spare change every day and maybe put a "granite japanese garden lantern" label on it. I think I have about $1.38 in there now. It was gonna be slow.

hahahaha. Snapple, I needed that.

I just do not see anyone really doing this on a national event level, it might happen and I hope to be there planning it and helping but for now I ahve to say I really dont see this happening.

But a party for friends....

I think it would have helped with the poll to know that a weekend event was what was being considered, and that hotel costs would hopefully be under $99 per night.

Is there any reason we can't revisit this idea in a year? Continuing to talk about the idea meanwhile would get more people excited about it and willing to make plans when/if the opportunity arose.

Meanwhile, we do have the regional RUs, which are wonderful!

Good possibility that the hotel package would have been $225 for two days including breakfast, shuttles, free meeting rooms, and friday and saturday night dinners. Just a minimal gate fee because we would be pulling from our own members and we hoped they wouldn't expect to be paid. Think Family Reunion.
We are family.

It would have been nice - and a way to honor the place we love.