And I found out some things about garden bloggers: they are the best!
They are the most generous, enthusiastic, sweet, and caring bunch of internet friends I think anyone could find in any of the blogging categories. I guess we're used to nurturing plants, so we instinctively nurture other bloggers, too.
Do you want to connect to other garden bloggers?
If you want to get your garden blog noticed, memes are a great way to start participating. A meme is just a question or topic that is linked to different posts or blogs relating to that particular topic. You add your post to the link provided. It's like an internet party! If you're a new garden blogger, I would encourage you to join in some of the great memes offered. There are many, and each has its own theme. Just be on the lookout for them. They all have cut off dates, so if you find an active one, and you want to write a post about that topic, jump in! All are great to participate in. I don't join in many, but I love the support and camaraderie of the ones in which I do participate.
 |
| This photo was featured on my very first blog post. |
And speaking of camaraderie and support - Blotanical is an entire community of garden lovers. It's for garden bloggers as well as for anyone just wanting to find garden blogs to read. I have met some of the most wonderful gardeners and their fabulous blogs through this community. If you're a garden blogger, you should check it out. Stuart is rolling out Blotanical version 2.0 soon, and I can't wait to see the wonderful changes. You can read about the updates here.
If you are a garden blogger, rejoice! You are part of a wonderful community of lovely people. Don't be shy! We want to find you! We love to read about gardens as much as we love to share our own!
So just leave a comment below, and I'll give your garden blog a visit!
Garden bloggers ARE the best, but I've never gotten into Blotanical. My blog is listed and I tried to get active there, but I found it cumbersome and difficult, and I stopped trying. It's been much easier for me to find new blogs that I enjoy by reading the Blog Roll of blogs I already read.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it doesn't matter how many hits or picks any of my posts get, and I'm not going to surf around picking the posts of others just to pad my picks or their results. If a blog is on my blog roll, I read nearly every time a new posts comes along and I comment if the mood strikes me and I have something significant to add. I don't have to navigate Blotanical to do this.
Just my two cents.
It's nice to look back on your past blogs. I just did this year's favorites.
ReplyDeleteI kind of feel like the above poster about Blotanical. It appears a popularity contest that if you befriend the ones that picks all the time, you'll get your posts higher up. :) I have met some really nice people from blogging on my own though.
Cher Sunray Gardens
You are absolutely right about blogging. I also find it very therapeutic :)
ReplyDeleteI started just like you - to journal my garden - but the strangest thing... people started reading and commenting. Hee hee! I agree - it is a great group of encouraging folk.
ReplyDeleteHolley, what a nice encouraging post! I agree with you that part of the fun of blogging is, besides writing your own garden blog, reading other gardener's blogs and getting in contact with them via comments. I have never participated in a meme, but was thinking of doing it from time to time. One day, maybe :-)! I also found some nice blogs over Blotanical, which I enjoy following. Another way that worked for me to find interesting other blogs is to look at the blog lists or blog rolls of blogs that I like. Often I have been lucky and found a new blog that is right up my alley.
ReplyDeleteChristina
Connie - You are so right that Blotanical is not necessary. And I think new bloggers in particular may find it beneficial (I did). I also like that it lists some new blogs that may not be on anyone's blog rolls yet. But, there can be quite a few extra steps with it, so I do understand your comments.
ReplyDeleteCher - I do think garden bloggers are some of the nicest people. And garden blogs certainly don't have to be listed at Blotanical for me to love and follow. I like finding blogs in all different ways. I think when I was new, I was amazed at all the garden blogs listed on Blotanical. It was like Christmas morning!
Dewi - I love seeing the way my garden has changed over this past year, too. Without blogging, I wouldn't have noticed the differences!
Tufa Girl - I love reading blogs from all over the world. The fact that we are all gardeners gives us an immediate connection.
Christina - Isn't it wonderful when you can find a writer that you connect with? Some bloggers I've never met but I feel so close to them. That is one of the best things I've found about blogging.
I found you through blogging and I count you now as a friend. Have a happy new year of blogging about your garden. I look forward to reading it and learning more about those big projects in the works.
ReplyDeleteNice post, Holley!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree...the nurturing aspect of gardeners carries through to the blogs we write. I've already figured out that when I retire (perhaps in 10 years), I'll be reading all these great garden blogs every morning. Right now, I just have to catch them on the fly.
For your readers....I have a list of garden MEMES on my garden blog that are a s-t-a-r-t for those who want to find some. I'll move it to the top left side of my blog for a week so that it will be easy to find. I've written a little blurb about each MEME. And...funny thing...I'm glad you mentioned blotanicals. I just got around to joining yesterday.
Merry Christmas!
David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston :-)
Good post, Holley! I did find most of the blogs I first followed through Blotanical, and people have found mine there, too. It offers a huge choice of gardening blogs in one spot. But for some reason a few blogs I consider very uninspired and uninspiring are really popular ones there, so it's not always a good guide to quality.
ReplyDeleteGreat post HolleyG! When I first started out, Blotanical was a nice way to find other garden bloggers. I have to agree with you that I've found some of the nicest people out there are garden bloggers.
ReplyDeleteHi Holley - I agree with your post whole heartedly! I've met the nicest people through gardening. In fact, being a "garden blogger" has made me a better gardener because of all the advice, support and encouragement I've had from the garden bloggers I've connected with over the last year! Its been a wonderful experience!
ReplyDeleteMarcia - Yes, and I love your blog because you talk about books, too - another one of my passions. So nice to find gardening friends.
ReplyDeleteDavid - Oh, how nice! Thanks so much for the meme list! I'm going to go check it out! Welcome, too, to Blotanical!
Lyn - I love finding new blogs, too, and Blotanical has been a good way to find them easily. It will be interesting to see how the new version works out.
Jenni - I have been impressed the most with the helpful nature of garden bloggers - they are all so generous! I am proud to be a part of this group of people.
GardeningBlog - Before I started blogging, I never really thought about garden bloggers, but after meeting this fine group of people, I would suggest blogging just to be a part of it!
You are very right that garden bloggers love to share their gardens and see others gardens. One of the benefits I've found to blogging that was entirely unexpected was how much I would learn about gardening from other bloggers and their gardens.
ReplyDeleteHi There, As much as we love gardening, we have so many other interests also (traveling, hiking, waterfalls, birds, etc.)... SO--our blogs are more of a 'bunch' of different topics...
ReplyDeleteI don't do memes--because I have so many things to say on various topics.. BUT--I do like reading some memes (example: Barn Charm). Hubby participates in a couple of memes --but so far, I haven't...
I already have so many followers and commenters that I hesitate looking for more. (Have trouble keeping up with everyone.... ha)
Merry Christmas.
Hugs,
Betsy
It's incredible how much I've learned about gardening through blogs and I've been gardening a long time! I follow memes more often during the summer when I have more free time. Since I have several hideous Before pix of my recently redesigned beds, I think I might host a Before/After meme next summer.
ReplyDeleteIt really is funny how many differing opinions there are and how many ways people access blogs. So many nice bloggers are out there and it does not matter how you get to them, Blotanical or directly. I came here from my blog to yours, but I do like the one stop shopping of Blotanical because so many new blogs pop up that would never find me or me them. I really hope he puts the fun back in Blotanical. Lately, it has been more a chore than ever before I think. Too many blogs can not be accessed or comments left through Blotanical. It seems more and more are moving away from it. I personally have a long blog roll and glad I do.
ReplyDeleteMarguerite - I think what I love seeing in garden blogs are those plants that don't grow around here. It's always so interesting to see different plants than the ones that are grown around here.
ReplyDeleteBetsy - Your blog is wonderfully diverse. Always interesting. I think a lot of bloggers would love to have your "problem" of too many commenters, although I can understand how much time it takes to follow through. I do appreciate you taking the time to come by and comment on my blog.
Casa Mariposa - I think that is a wonderful idea for a meme! I wonder if I'll have an 'after' to post by then!
GWGT - I agree with you that everyone can access different blogs in so many different ways. I've been lax on Blotanical lately due to time constraints of the holidays. I hope the new version transitions smoothly.
ReplyDeleteGarden blogging has been my second life as a blogger... I started blogging first in the travel arena, way back in the good ol days of 2004 (ancient times). While the travel blog hits are many times more numerous, the gardener comments and wonderfulness are actually unbelievable. There are definitely many garden bloggers out there, that in this past 2 years I feel like I KNOW! despite never having laid eyes on them. Its a very cool thing. So thanks garden bloggers! And Merry Christmas, Holley!
ReplyDeleteJess - I know exactly what you mean. There are a lot of bloggers that I really feel connected to - I love reading their blogs, and love hearing their comments, and would really love to see them (and their gardens) in person. Interesting about the travel blog. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI've met so many wonderful gardeners through Blotanical. It's fun to see what other gardeners are doing and I love it when people so far away grow the same things in their gardens as I do and seeing the exotic things that I could never grow, like roses for example. :)
ReplyDeleteGarden bloggers are a bunch of good, friendly people. I just wish I had the time to keep up with my blog as well as read all the others. Oh, and garden too!
ReplyDeleteI am new on Blotanical and was happy to finally connect with other garden bloggers. I do find it difficult to navigate so I hope the new version is simple. In any case at least I know where to find the gardeners on the web!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely blog about garden blogging, and I agree with your sentiments how lovely a bunch most garden bloggers are ;)
ReplyDeleteWe rarely join memes but I've made a resolve to participate more often next year. The networking side of it is fun and it's great to discover more new blogs that I find interesting. And yes there's the fabulous Blotanical too, through there we've 'met' so many other garden bloggers :)
GirlSprout - haha exotic thing like roses! :) I agree with you, it's fun to see the plants that are familiar as well as unfamiliar, and also to see how they incorporate these plants in their design.
ReplyDeleteBluestem - It does take time. I hear so many apologizing for getting behind, but I think the majority of us realize that we all fall behind, that is - if we're going to include gardening in our schedule, too! :)
jayro - It took me a while to figure out Blotanical, too. But I was amazed how many garden blogs there were listed there! Stuart has been working on the new version for some time, so I have high hopes that it will be great. I hope it rolls out seamlessly.
Mark and Gaz - You have me thinking - I should participate in more memes, too. I do enjoy the ones that I participate in.
Holley what a wonderfully sweet post...you are one of those great garden bloggers that I have been privileged to get to know...Happy New year and Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteDonna - I am so glad to have met such wonderful people, too. I never dreamed garden bloggers would be such a sweet lot. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThis has been such an interesting post and 'conversation' for me. I only started blogging this year. I had a list of about 15 topics, and I was terrified I would run out of things to write about, but looking back now after about 7 or 8 months, I have probably only blogged on a couple of items on that list (eg water features, because I'm a bit obsessed). Everything else has just fallen into place. Between the garden and the occasional outing, I am never lost for a topic and the interaction with fellow bloggers has been a lovely bonus.
ReplyDeleteMarisa - I think that's why people celebrate their 100th post. Supposedly, if you make it to 100, you have the creativity to continue blogging. Or the time and determination it takes, perhaps! I've enjoyed it, and am surprised that I keep coming up with new things to write about, too!
ReplyDeleteI'm a newcomer to the blogging world, only started blogging last month. And this is my first ever comment on a blog post. I found your post to be both informative and inspirational. I am now seriously considering joining Blotanical, and I might even have a go at a meme. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteChristine
Christine - Welcome to blogging! I hope you have fun with it!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI agree. The garden bloggers are so sweet, helping and giving advise, and reading them is like walking in their garden, enjoying and getting inspired.
I have collected and invited all the Finnish (Finland, Europe)garden bloggers to put a link on by blog after the zone so now you can find a great amount of the bloggers there ordered after the growing zones. It helps a lot us who are having our gardens in very different and hard zones, we help each others.
I have enjoyed reading you blog, Thank You, It is so lovely!
That's a great idea to know which zone each blogger is in. It can make so much difference! Thank you for your sweet comments.
ReplyDelete