Flattery

I suppose most of us garden bloggers at one time or another has had a dream of making money from our blogs.  But then we wake up to reality.  (If you've make a million dollars doing this, please let us know how you did it!)

No, for us garden bloggers, comments and compliments are our payment.  And I appreciate every one.  I know it takes a lot of time, energy and effort to read my blog and post a comment.

I have also been flattered by a couple of people that have emailed me directly, asking specific gardening questions.  I hope that their gardens become the garden of their dreams.  I have even been approached to use one of my photos in a documentary!

Online Colleges

But today I would like to share with you my latest compliment.  My blog has been selected as one of eCollegeFinder.org's Top 51 Garden Blogs!

Interested in helping?

The winner of eCollegeFinder.org's Top Garden Blog is based upon votes.  I would appreciate if you would take the time that it takes to comment on my blog, and instead click HERE (or on the badge above) to vote for your favorite garden blog.  (The blogs are listed alphabetically, and mine is listed as Roses and Other Gardening Joys.)  Voting is open through April 30th.

There are several other gardening blogs that I read and love that are also nominated.  So, really, whether I win or lose makes no difference.  I have already won just by being alongside these other blogs.

Thanks for reading my blog.  Thanks to the person that nominated my blog.  Thanks for voting.  And thanks to eCollegeFinder.org for the honor of being one of their Top 51 Garden Blogs.

Delivery!

Whenever the Federal Express truck comes up our driveway, we chant out "I've got a package for you.  It's a big one!", parroting the lines in the movie 'Legally Blond'.  Well, when Federal Express came yesterday, he did have a package for me.  And it was a big one!  A big one from Bluestone Perennials.  (Actually two!)

Carefree Beauty

Dressed in my gardening clothes (shorts that are a little too tight and too short, and a tank top that's a little too low cut (clothes that I would never, ever wear in public!), I watched out the window for him to leave so I could open my packages.  But instead of ringing the doorbell and leaving like he usually does, he rang the doorbell and just stood there.

And stood there.  And stood there.  And stood there.

Buff Beauty

Finally, I decided he must need my signature, so I opened the door and stepped out.

No signature needed.  He wanted to talk roses!  He and his wife were trying to put in a garden and wanted to grow roses.  We talked about all things roses - rose types, rose names, disease resistance, planting, soil preparation, fragrance, etc.

I've never had a complete stranger tell me they admire my garden in person.  I was quite flattered.

Julia Child

Oh, yeah - I know you've been wondering all this time what was in the package!  Some agastache because of Scott from Rhone Street Gardens.  Some liatris (gayfeather) that I have admired in Bluestem's garden in Plano Prairie Garden.  A cimicifuga that Stacy from Microcosm suggested for the winter garden.  And of course, some other impulse purchases.

Now, back to compliments.

Pat Austin

I was also complimented by Kevin of Nitty Gritty Dirt Man.  He awarded my blog The Sunshine Award.  How sweet!  I am supposed to answer 10 questions, pass the award on to 10 other bloggers, and let them know in a comment and link to the post about this award.

I always worry that I will insult some bloggers by not awarding it to them.  And if you ever feel that way, I am truly sorry.  But even though it is always difficult to name just a few blogs out of the many I read and enjoy, I decided to accept it and continue to pass it along.

10 questions I am supposed to answer:
1.  What is your favorite color?
     Peach
2.  What is your favorite animal?
     Cat
3.  What is your favorite number?
     3
4.   What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?
     Raspberry tea from Taco Bell, even though I hardly ever indulge.
5.   Which is your favorite - Facebook or Twitter?
    Well, I don't do either, so I can't answer this question!
6.    What is your passion?
    Uh - gardening.  And since you probably knew that, I'll throw in another.  Reading.  You probably guessed that, too!
7.    Do you prefer giving or receiving presents?
    Both!
8.    What is your favorite pattern?
   Who came up with these questions?  I have no favorite.  I like a lot of different patterns, and love mixing them.
9.    What is your favorite day of the week?
    Friday.  Who could not like Friday?
10.   What is your favorite flower?
    Must be roses!

And without further ado - drumroll please -
In no particular order, the 10 bloggers to which I would like to award The Sunshine Award:

1.  Gardens Eye View
2.  Garden Walk Garden Talk
3.  Carolyn's Shade Gardens
4.  Secrets of a Seed Scatterer
5.  The Gardening Blog
6.  Pam's English Cottage Garden
7.  PlantPostings
8.  Red House Garden
9.  A Hocking Hill's Garden
10.The Sage Butterfly

Congratulations!  Pass it along if you want.  Like the Federal Express man's compliment to me, I hope it makes your day.

1 - Blooms

Roses can be wonderful, and they can be frustrating.  If I had to choose just one rose that was the best bloomer last year, you would probably be surprised at the winner.  I know I was.  That's because for a couple of years I was frustrated with this rose.  So much so, I almost got rid of it!  I'm so glad I didn't.  Because this year, it was covered with blooms nonstop.

The #1 rose for blooms for 2011 in my garden goes to Carefree Celebration.  It was spectacular in spring.  It was spectacular again in the fall.

Carefree Celebration

Why did I ever think about getting rid of this rose?  Well, it fades to a funny color.  One that didn't really appeal to me.

But this year, there were so many blooms, I didn't notice that.  At all.  All I noticed were blooms, blooms, and more blooms.

I hope it blooms that way again this year.  But even if it does, it may not be the winner again.  I have some more roses that are maturing, enough to possibly knock Carefree Celebration off her throne!

Carefree Celebration grows in zones 4b through 10, to around 4 to 5 ft high and wide, and is disease resistant.

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On another note, I have been awarded the Liebster Blog award from Wisteria and Roses.  Thank you, Bama Girl.  This award is given to blogs with less than 200 followers.  Liebster is German for 'favorite' and I was honored to have been named.  In accepting this award, I must pass it on to 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.  My favorite subject is roses, so I want to give this award to the following rose lovers:

Organic Garden Dreams

If Only Sweat Were Irrigation

Red Dirt Roses

Lucy's In The Garden

Garden at Nina Place

Congratulations!

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I was also nominated for the Versatile Blogger award from Nitty Gritty Dirt Man, Graphicality-UK, Gardens Eye View, and Blogging in Myrtle Glen.  I want to thank each one of them for thinking of me.  The rules to accepting this award are:

1. Add the Versatile Blogger Award.

2. Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.

3. Share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.

4. Include this set of rules.

5. Forward this award to 15 fellow bloggers, and inform them with a comment on each of their blogs.

So, here's a little bit about me:

To finish my bachelor's degree, I went to night classes and worked during the day. (#1.  I'm a hard worker.)  I first decided to major in geology, but there was not a college near me that offered that degree, so I changed to computer science.  Computer science got too time consuming, and classes for a teaching degree were only offered during the day, so I changed to math.  Then I changed it to business, because that was what everyone told me was most logical.  But business classes were not fun to me, so I changed again to Speech.  (#2.  I'm very versatile!)  (#3.  Majoring in English never entered my head.)  And finally, just when I was going to change my major again (!), I was told that because of the "sunset rule" I would begin to lose credits.  I knew I had more credits than necessary to graduate, if only they were all in one field.  So, I talked to my professor and he came up with a plan for me to graduate by taking only two more (of his) classes.  (#4.  My teachers always liked me.)  I graduated with a very liberal arts degree, which is affectionately known in our family as "The Smorgasbord Degree" (#5).  My mother always said I was stubborn (#6.  I like to think of it as determination instead.), and I guess I am because I don't know many people that go to school for 20 years for a 4 year degree.  (#7.  Maybe I'm not so smart after all.)

And here are the 15 blogs I am awarding the Versatile Blogger Award to:

On a Hays County Hill

Quarry Garden Stained Glass

Microcosm

Southern Rural Route

Bumble Lush Kitchen Garden

Experiments With Plants

Cohocton River Rock Micro Farm

Plano Prairie Garden

Women Who Run With Delphiniums

Soil Sister of the San Joaquin
Growing and Cooking

Beautiful Boonton and A Novice Gardener

Gardening Under the Influence

Leslie's Garden and Other Delights

Children of the Corm

Congratulations!

Stylish Blogger Award

 Do you remember Junior High gym class?  Our gym coach would choose two team leaders, and they would then proceed to pick the classmates they wanted on their team.  Not being very athletic, I was always a little delighted and surprised when I was chosen.  That's the way I felt when I was chosen by PlantPostings and A Rose is a Rose... for the Stylish Blogger Award.

Thank you, Beth and Masha.  I am honored.

In receiving this award, I must choose to follow the rules, which are:
1) Link back to the person who gave me the award.
2) Share seven random things about myself
3) Award 5 to 15 new or recently discovered bloggers and notify them.

#1 - I've linked above (and here) to PlantPostings and A Rose is A Rose... blogs.  They are both great blogs and I know you will enjoy reading them, if you haven't found them already.

#2 : about me
1) My favorite movie is "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".  It always puts me in a good mood.
2) My closet is always in a horrible state of disarray.
3) I rarely spend money on anything, except the garden.
4) I can not resist ice cream if it is in the freezer.  I will eat it until it is all gone.
5) Plants in the ground outside are pampered; plants inside are barely kept alive; plants in outdoor containers are always forgotten.  I'm going to try to work on that this year.  But I say that every year.
6) Midnight, the cat, exercises with me.  I exercise to DVDs; she stretches.  When I start the DVD, she always comes running.
7) I'm growing my hair out, but don't know what length I want it to be.

I've been thinking about this award.  Since no one seems to know how it got started (I checked wikipedia), I was wondering about its merits.  I feel like this was probably started for a couple of reasons.  First, so other bloggers could find out a little bit more about the new bloggers.  And second, and most importantly for the new bloggers, to have new bloggers reach out to other bloggers, in a sense of community.  And help expedite their success.  I hope the bloggers I award this to will accept this award and appreciate its merits.

And now, without further ado,
#3:  The envelope please.

In no particular order, I am awarding the following 10 blogs The Stylish Blogger Award.

 Edible Landscape
 My Garden Diary by Kelli Boyles
 MacPlanting
 Handlebar Gardens
 Sunray Gardening
 Stupid Garden Plants
 It's Not Work, It's Gardening!
 The Garden State
 Juggling and Jellies
 Lincoln County Garden Girl

Congratulations.