• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

Quoted!

November 12, 2023 By Carol 2 Comments

I was recently quoted in The American Gardener, the magazine of the American Horticultural Society.

My quote is in the November/December 2023 issue, in an article by Marianne Willburn titled, “In Defense of Gardening Unplugged.” You can read the article if you are a member of AHS, which you should be if you are a gardener of any sort.

So how and why did she quote me in the article? Let’s circle back to 2020. That summer, I decided I was spending too much time on social media. After a discussion with my co-podcaster, Dee Nash, we decided to do a 30-day fast from it all, as recommended by the author/college professor Cal Newport who wrote Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, which I bought and read shortly after I retired in 2016. (He’s also the auther of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Distracted World.)

Let me tell you that giving up all social media for 30 days sounds easy-peasy, but do it and you’ll be surprised how often you reach for your phone in moments of boredom, without thinking. Do it and when you are with other people, you’ll notice how they pick up their phones even while talking to you to scroll through a bit of social media.

Do it, and some of your friends will think you are crazy!

But do it and you’ll be amazed how much time you have for other activities! Perhaps old activities you had abandoned because you didn’t have time. Perhaps new activities that you’ve always wanted to try but didn’t have the time to explore.

Or perhaps time to write a book.

Perhaps time for more gardening!

How do I use social media today? I check in on FB to keep up with family but the app is not on my phone. I use Instagram to post “My Dearest Garden” letters and pictures, alerts to new podcast episodes, and occasionally alerts for new blog post. And I’ll admit I probably scroll too often through Instagram to see what others are posting. I never used TikTok, and I won’t. I also deleted my Twitter-X account and that was the end of that!

And yes, with my reduced use of social media, I have more time for gardening!

Filed Under: Blog

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tracy says

    November 12, 2023 at 10:11 am

    I JUST read that article while we were driving south for a vacation! I was excited to see your name in it! It is a great article and one that I ripped out of the magazine to save. I love Marianne’s ideas. And I also really enjoy Cal’s books.

    One of the main things I like most about gardening is getting AWAY from screens. We are being pulled closer and closer to screens every day. We have to be intentional to stay off of them. I find it frustrating when gardening “experts” suggest I check out this post, that reel or the other YouTube video. Certainly there is a place for those things. But I’d rather be out IN the garden rather than spend hour after hour watching other people in THEIR gardens.

    Thank you for all you do!

    Reply
    • Carol says

      November 14, 2023 at 7:39 am

      Cool, and you’re welcome!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,192)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Sign up for my new substack newsletter

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT