New Gardening Blogs

/ David Marsden

I remember – only too well – the reaction when I launched my blog six years ago.

I was a bit bored, fancied a challenge and on a whim decided I’d try writing a blog.  I spent long hours reading other gardening blogs; learning how to use Blogger (my first blogging platform); picking a look; a style; a name; taking photos; and eventually, nervously published my first post.  And the reaction?  Icy silence.  Which was fair enough – it wasn’t very good.  But what if my first post had been achingly brilliant?  All that hard work and no-one even saw it, let alone read it.

I now know, of course, how tough it is to be noticed on the world-wide, inter-web net thing even if your first post is a revelatory marvel (unlike mine).  And the number of gardening blogs has ballooned since I started on 4th February 2011, making it more difficult still: a burgeoning clamour of voices; each striving to be heard above the din; each offering up their unique writing style, muddy-fingered insight and all craving your attention.  Unsurprising then, that when a newbie adds their revelatory marvellousness to the cacophony no-one notices.

Whilst weeding in my new garden the other day, I had an idea.  Rare.  Not unheard of.  Would it be helpful to highlight new gardening blogs here on The Anxious Gardener?  My readership isn’t as big as some, but I imagine any extra visitors would be a boost to authors gloomily studying their viewing stats during those early, lonely, pin-drop days.

As far as I know there is no list of new blogs, no directory of fresh talent and I need help snuffling them out – which is where you come in.  Have you started a gardening blog in the last twelve months or so?  Or have you discovered a great new blog?  If so and you think it warrants a plug, please leave a comment and blog-link in the ‘Any thoughts‘ box below or, if you prefer, drop me a line using my Contact page.

This idea might just die a quiet, lonesome death but let’s give it a roll anyway.  (Queue drifts of leaves swirling silently across an empty car park, beneath a sheet-steel sky – Ed).

I hope my idea isn’t patronising.  I just thought that free publicity for an author who has recently taken the plunge and deserves to be heard by a wider audience would benefit both them and readers too.

Over to you, and in the meantime I’ll do some snuffling of my own.

oooOOOooo

Postscript

This appeal had a far bigger reaction than I could ever have imagined and chewed through a huge chunk of my spare time.  So, I’m afraid, I have closed comments and further new blog suggestions.  I made a list of all those bloggers who contacted me or were recommended by others.  You can see that list here: New Gardening Blogs – A Follow Up.

138 thoughts on “New Gardening Blogs”

  1. This is a great idea. My boyfriend and I recently started a gardening blog after falling in love with a habanero we managed to over winter this year in Chicago. We are documenting all our trials and tribulations. Any advice or such on getting the blog going or improving it would be sorely appreciated if you have a moment to check it out!
    It would be great to have a sensei. 😉
    https://hotpepperinthecity.wordpress.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi

      I had to look up sensei. Nice word.

      As much as I’d love to be your sensei I’m afraid lack of free time prohibits it. But I do intend to write a post (one day) about my experiences of writing a blog with the tips and what-not I’ve picked up. In the meantime, I’ve added you to the list of new gardening blogs on the follow-up post to this one (and I’m sure John Kingdon will have added you to his comprehensive directory of gardening blogs too).

      Best of luck with your new adventure.

      Dave

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi David,
    I’ve been reading many gardening blogs lately and yours is one of my favorite.Thanks for helping out new bloggers. I’m Rachel from How Does Your Garden Mow which offers gardening related content pieces and in-depth reviews of the latest lawn mowers to hit the market.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Hello, I just started my blog about a month ago… peachesandcreamhobbyfarm.wordpress.com.. My daughter and I expanded our small vegetable garden to a hobby farm. We grew up in the country, and we missed country living. We created ways to bring the country to the urban area, right in the backyard. I’ve just recently had the time to start reading other blogs, and I have to tell you I enjoyed reading your posts. I look forward to reading more …

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  5. Thanks David for many enjoyable evenings reading your stuff. I started to write for a local paper in Bristol but wanted to spread my readership further. It’s really hard to get anyone to take interest unless you have something online so in an effort to remedy that I started https://aimless-gardening.blogspot.co.uk/. It’s a bit thin on the ground at the moment but if I can keep up a couple of posts a month, like all the other great blogs on here, it should grow in time.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. David, Great idea about bring us all together!

    I`m a garden designer with 40 years of experience in horticulture, gardening & design and I`ve just written my first blog. Took a while I know. My angle or stance is slightly different to most of the bloggers in that I`m writing from the point of view of a professional turning out complete gardens on a regular basis. I`m trying to help the keen private garden owner that perhaps can`t afford a super new garden but wants some information every couple of weeks about how to get there their own way but with a little help. My first blog is a bit of a crusade trying to explain why Spring isn`t the best time to plant.

    You can find it here http://www.elementadesign.co.uk/news/

    There isn`t a new client who doesn`t think that Spring (in most cases) is the time of year to get the border established. A long haul I think.

    Anyway, I wish you the very best with your own fantastic effort to bring some of us together.

    Best Wishes,

    Nick

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Hi David,
    Funny you should mention it… I’ve just this last week set up a new gardening blog! (pullingweeds.co.uk)
    Like you, I’m a professional gardener, though my gardens are much smaller and more multitudinous than yours. As an amateur (though hopefully not for long) writer, setting up a gardening blog seemed like an eminently sensible thing to do.
    I love your blog, and am very impressed with the quality of your photography.
    Thank you!
    Graham

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Graham, thanks for this and just in time too as I’m getting the follow-up post to this one ready for publication. I’ve taken the liberty of making your link ‘clickable’ – just to make it easier for others to visit your blog. Good luck with blogging, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Dave

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  8. Hi, I’m always on the look out for new blogs. I tend to find most gardening blogs dry up around this time of year so my reading matter dries up. I’ll go through this list during the next week or 2 and in the mean time hope that someone will find my blog interesting.
    https://ourlittlefield.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/first-year-review.html
    I’ve been going for a few years now but I document taking a small field from a blank canvas to something that provides most of our food with the idea that it is sympathetic to wildlife. I also tend to go off topic every now and then but in general it is a diary for my kids to look back on so they will know my thoughts and what I did years ago 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Hi David,
    what a brilliant idea – I’d like to be get involved – I’m at https://viewsfrommygardenbench.wordpress.com/ – I’m based in Salford, write about my small, suburban garden – I’m a learner gardener in many ways, like taking photos – I lurk and read lots of blogs (inc yours). I haven’t blogged much so far this year as I’ve ultra busy in a new job and organising our wedding. but hopefully back to short, picure filled blog post.

    thanks
    bec

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Bec, thanks for taking part and, incidentally, nowt wrong with lurking. I’m way behind in following up on this post – and as I’m away now on a weekend break – I have yet to even visit all the blogs. There were rather more than I was expecting. D

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  10. This isn’t so much a reply to Dave but a reply to everyone who has provided details of their blog in the comments. I’ve been harvesting the blog addresses and adding them to a list I made a while back for a Twitter group (gdnbloggers). If y’all mosey over to http://rivendellgarden.uk/blogs.html there’s now a list of nearly 100 blogs, old and new, that are worth a look. I’ll be updating this list regularly so it may be more than 100 blogs by the time you get to it.

    Drop into a blog or two and say “Hi”. Conversations are the way to increase your followers and “meet” lots of interesting people all over the world.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Well Hello – I think I’m a bit late to this party! Lots of people here already. You have certainly sparked a lot of interest David and I think its a brilliant idea. I always follow your blog and obviously so do many others. I find it inspirational, especially the photography – something I hope to improve myself by blogging. I started a blog about 18 months ago having followed several gardening ones for a long while. To start with I restricted readership to family only, but eventually took the plunge and went public. My reason for blogging was to have an online garden record but also my children (adults!) are both living overseas and it was a way of keeping them abreast of what was going on in our new garden. It’s lovely when readers comment and that has been a real bonus of going public, but never my motivation. It’s been a slow learning curve and I’m learning a lot just by reading comments on this post. I have always wondered why so many bloggers move to WordPress.
    I’ve lots to learn and lots to improve but am enjoying being a part of the blogging community – although you can spend a lot of time lost in reading other blogs!
    I’m at http://rosecottagejottings.blogspot.co.uk/

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Sue, thanks for taking part. I didn’t even initially tell friends or family about my blog and it was only when my partner secretly emailed everyone in his address book with the url that I started getting any views. Blogger is probably better now but back in 2011 it was suffering from various problems including fake statistics (sometimes a 100 or more ghost ones) and suddenly disappearing draft posts – which as you can imagine was infuriating.

      The learning curve doesn’t stop but then that’s a good thing, I think. Best, Dave

      Like

  12. Hi David, it’s a generous post and it helps to know an established blogger sometimes feels dispirited too as it can often feel like that when you’re just starting a blog. I began my blog 11 months ago and I’ve loved writing it. I blog at http://dogwooddays.net and write about my allotment and garden, community gardening, gardening with children, foraging and cooking with the crops we grow. I wonder sometimes whether I should narrow the focus of the blog a bit, but I think that would lessen the enjoyment of writing. I’ve also really loved reading other blogs and getting to know the garden blogging community – especially on the Garden Bloggers Facebook group. They’re a friendly bunch and very helpful when you’re just starting out. This week my blog was listed on Waltons ’12 Tremendous Gardening Blogs’, along with several others from the group, so it’s been a good one! Thanks for posting about this and helping to bring garden bloggers together. Nic 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Nic, I too have just joined the FB group but haven’t had a chance to explore it properly yet, only saying a bashful hello. Personally, I wouldn’t narrow the focus of your blog especially if you’re enjoying what you’re doing. I sometimes branch out into city-breaks or holidays just to enjoy writing about something other than work! And also, the wider your range of topics the more varied your blog. Win-win! Thanks for taking part but as I’ve only just started visiting all of the blogs here, it might be a while before I reach yours. Best, Dave

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Hello David,
    Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

    My blog is mostly about my own cottage garden in South Northants, with some garden visits, and design and garden building bits (latest post is about porcelain paving). I learn so much in the process of making designs, as everyone wants something different. Hope you enjoy my blog – I like the look of yours. Your photos are excellent, as well as your writing. It’s at http://www.janeharriesgardens.co.uk/blog/

    Best wishes, Jane

    Like

  14. Hi David. I am not entirely new having started last June. However, always looking for new ideas to get noticed. https://glebehouse.wordpress.com/ My blog is mainly related to my garden in Leicestershire which is just under an acre and as I record the hours spent each week on it I can say that it is running at 17 a week!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I regularly read your blog, I particularly enjoy all your images. I cannot beleive I have been writing my gardening blog for 4 years now, all about my life as a gardener. It allows me to write about my week, and has become my diary. One good thing is that I take so many more images now, and send them to customers , which I know they enjoy. I occasionally write blogs as birthday presents for my customers. I write on sallysgardenblog.wordpress.com. Kind regards Sally

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Sally, both the gardens I work in have absent owners and so they check my blog to see their gardens more frequently and check what I’ve been up to. Time whizzes by, I can’t believe it has been 6 years since I started and like you the blog has become an illustrated record of what I’ve done and seen. As I’ve said to others, the response to this post has far exceeded what I was expecting so it’ll be some time before I visit all the blogs and write a follow up. Best, Dave

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Hello David, after four years of intermittent blogging and a brief flirtation with Instagram my new year’s resolution was to stop fannying about and devote myself to the art of the blog. Which is why I’ve started properly looking at other people’s garden related blogs. Which is how I found yours. Great writing, great photos. I feel properly inspired to try keep going and try harder.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hello Jane, and thanks for the saying nice things about me without demanding payment. I’m having a brief flirtation with Instagram too but not sure if I shall continue. All the best with the blog (which I will visit, honest), D

      Like

  20. I so miss Blotanical. I think that was where I once found your blog.
    Blotanical gave us a kinder start – with a circle of friendly readers waiting, and a steady supply of new blogs.
    My version is to add new blogs to my blog roll, or to link when they fit a post.

    Wonderful of you to pay it forward and encourage the newbies (we’ve all been there, and so glad that my first flounderings were rescued by Blotanical friends)

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hullo Diana, yes! I was thinking of Blotanical when I drafted this post. It was a great resource whilst it lasted and, like you, I found it an easy way to find gardening bloggers, new and old. Going by the response here we would all benefit from something similar today. D

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  21. Hello David
    Thought I would plug my new blog with you. Thanks for the advice you have given me recently. I have changed my blog title to The Temperate Gardener. Ths first one was too close to an existing one and I did not want to be an upsetting newbie.
    I am busy looking through your blog responses above and have already started to follow a couple. Your friendly helpfulness makee you very popular.
    John

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi John, I’m pleased your blogging career has taken off and wish you every success. I’m having to rethink how to proceed with this idea of promoting new blogs as the response has far exceeded what I expected (there have been quite a few email submissions too). Head scratchingly yours, Dave

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  23. Hi! At the beginning of this year, bloke and I took on a very neglected plot in south London and are blogging our efforts to turn it into a productive growing space, hampered by being a couple of unfit old farts. So, we’ve only been going for a couple of weeks. Our blog is the Quest for Veg: https://thequestforveg.wordpress.com/. I hope you feel it is worthy of attention. Best S

    Liked by 1 person

  24. I think my previous attempt at posting failed (via stupid-phone), so sorry if there’s a duplicate. I invite you to see my garden photography at http://www.etilth.com (and of course, all of the related facebook/twitter/instagram accounts). I’ll try to post more photos of my own garden! The other blog I’ld like to recommend is Matt Mattus’ Growing with Plants (http://www.growingwithplants.com/) which tickles my nerdy side and love of vintage gardening techniques.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Great and thank you for taking part. I know Matt’s website and it is very good indeed … but I don’t suppose he needs any help from me in boosting his already massive audience! I like to give my nerdy side as much tickling as it can take too, D

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Hello David
    I recently started a blog (well, about a year ago) and have relatively few followers or readers. So perhaps I’m writing for myself?! In any case I wouldn’t say no to a few more as time goes on 😉
    One of my primary objectives is to create a record of what we are doing in South West France, taking a perfectly well-maintained (but not very interesting) 3 acre garden and turning it into a “great” garden. I hope that doesn’t sound too ambitious? No point in aiming too low!!
    I’m a bit of a polymath, hence the tilt at “Renaissance Man” in the blog’s title. So I will also be writing about other topics that interest me from time to time; at least I reserve the right to.
    I’m at https://renaissancegardener.org/.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi and thanks for that. Your blog sounds really interesting and I’ll look forward to visiting. To my shame I haven’t visited any of the new blogs mentioned here yet! Dave

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  26. Hi Dave, as you know I’m not new to garden blogging but after seven years at the coal face of blogging, I still don’t get many comments! (I carry on regardless.) I’m wondering why you switched to WP after setting up on Blogger – I’m thinking about an alternative blog as mine is now more about gardening generally than just urban food growing, and I like the look of wordpress blogs I follow – inc yours, btw 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hullo Caro, I don’t know what to say about the number of comments. I used to visit lots of other blogs and leave comments partly in the hope that they would reciprocate (they did mostly and of course I met some lovely people) but a lack of time now means that I don’t visit as many blogs as I should like. I sometimes ask a question at the end of a post to invite further discussion but actually that doesn’t come naturally and feels a little forced. (But I’m sure you know both those top tips)! Yep, carry on regardless is the best advice I’d give anyone.

      I too coveted the look of WP over Blogger and after a year, made the switch. The switch itself wasn’t as seamless as I’d hoped (far from it!) but I’m really happy here on the other side and would recommend it. Especially as it sounds like you’re thinking of a whole new blog rather than migrating. My only advice would be to think carefully whether you want to use wp.com or go self-hosted on wp.org. I’m on the former which is generally easier and cheaper but far less flexible than self-hosted. I’m now thinking of migrating again to wp.org. Good grief!

      Sorry, that was a longer answer than I intended, D

      Like

      • Hi Dave, Thanks for your reply (actually not too long at all) and really useful advice re WP sites. I’ll check both out in due course (time is a bit tight at the moment!) – I hadn’t even realised that WP had two different options. Live and learn. Good luck if/when you go over to .org, hope it’s an easier experience than the previous switch.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Caro, I think a lot of conversation moved to Facebook; I keep a parallel FB page and try to remember to announce there when I make a post on my blog. Different people use different platforms, and I see you already have FB/Twitter/Instagram which is where I see most of the dialog. Good luck!

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Oh, those days when you seem to be out of step with the world, publishing something you find interesting only to find few read it. My blog https://thechattygardener.com/ is just over a year old and building a following is a slow journey. I’ve found the support of the Garden Bloggers community invaluable, not least for IT support!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ha! I’ve had that happen so many times: published something which I thought was very interesting indeed only for it to sink without a bubble. All part and parcel, I guess. Thanks very much for taking part but I fear my follow up post will be delayed because of the sheer number of responses. Dave

      Like

  28. David, What an absolutely fabulous idea .. judging from the number of replies, very well received by the gardening fraternity! Is there any chance you might do the same for your Walking Gardener blog? You were very kind in encouraging me last year when I did the Thames Trail and next year I will be doing the End to End .. all rather terrifying and exciting, all at the same time!
    Thanks for being so public spirited and nurturing of all us newby bloggers! Jules

    Liked by 1 person

    • Wow, is the End to End John of Groats to Land’s End? If so that’s pretty serious and I’m awestruck. As to highlighting walking blogs I’m afraid there would be little point on my other blog. The readership on The Walking Gardener is far smaller than here and recommending other walking blogs would hardly be noticed! But it’s a nice idea for someone with a bigger audience to do – and one I’d definitely want to sign up to. Dave

      Like

  29. Thanks David, this is a wonderful idea. I only very recently discovered your blog through Twitter and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading it so far.

    My own fledgling blog is at https://modernvegplot.com. It started out as somewhere to simply record my own allotment gardening experiences but I’ve since got a lot of satisfaction from sharing them with others.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I like fledging blogs so thanks for the pointer and taking part. Blogging is surprisingly satisfying, I find – something else I hadn’t anticipated when I started. What I particularly like about writing a blog though is having to think, which can seem a lost art after a day spent digging or leaf raking; and meeting new people of course! Dave

      Liked by 2 people

  30. I think it is a great idea. I don’t have a new blog to recommend but I do have a question that maybe you’d like to ask everyone sometime. All my first 100 or so followers were other garden bloggers and more often than not I’d reciprocate and follow them too, but recently my numbers of followers has risen sharply but NOT from gardening blogs but often weird subjects seemingly just people wanting a few extra hits as others check out who they are. Has this happened to you, or to others if you’re reading this comment.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Christina, yes in answer to your question. On social media platforms and increasingly on WP I think, I’m followed by people who simply want a follow back rather than being really interested in my blog. On Twitter especially it can be blatantly obvious but, like you, I’ve had some curious follows on WP too – though perhaps they’re more interested in gardening than their profiles would suggest. Perhaps? Dave

      Liked by 1 person

      • Oh and one more thing, Christina, I didn’t see any links on your blog where I can follow it by email. Can you add that widget somewhere? I look forward to seeing what summer-dry plants you use; I also grow in a modified-Mediterranean climate so it will be fun to compare.

        Like

    • I think it was because as you hadn’t commented on the blog before, your comment was automatically held for moderation before publishing. Comments not appearing throws a few people so I’ve now added an explanation for anyone leaving a ‘thought’ in future. It is, of course, to stop the publication of spammers nonsense and not anything against first-time contributors. D

      Liked by 1 person

  34. What a completely wonderful idea. I started writing a blog a couple of years ago but was always too nervous to publish. So I kept it in draft form until, after too many glasses of wine a few months ago, I threw caution to the wind and published the lot retrospectively in one go. Of course they’ve pretty much languished there in obscurity ever since, so any help would be hugely welcome!
    Yours is an inspiration by the way. http://www.halfagarden.com

    Liked by 1 person

  35. What a completely wonderful idea. I started writing a blog two years ago but was too nervous to publish any of the posts. So I kept them all in draft form until, after too many glasses of wine a few months ago, I published them all retrospectively in one go. Of course most of them have languished there in obscurity, ever since, so any help would be very welcome! http://www.halfagarden.com
    Yours has been inspirational by the way.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thanks for that and oh no! All that work, only to release it all in one tipsy splurge. I try hard to keep away from my keyboard after wine or beer – after a regrettable incident! Online life is just so instant and often undo-able, isn’t it? D

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      • Well you! Yesterday, the traffic on my blog suddenly went from the usual one or two to two hundred and thirty. Such is the power of David Marsden with a little help from the internet. You are a true star. Not sure if I’ll be able to maintain it, but that, of course, is up to me. Thank you my friend.
        G

        Liked by 1 person

        • That’s brilliant – I’m so pleased. It’s a curious thrill when your viewing figures rocket, isn’t it? Now I realise, just how much work I’ve got to do with all the responses I’ve had! Best, D

          Liked by 1 person

  36. This is a nice idea. I always liked to look into strange gardens. Not only at home but all over the world. And that’s why I started my own blog last year to open my own garden for everyone. Greetings from Germany, Arlene

    Liked by 2 people

  37. A fine and very generous idea, David. It’s not only gardening blogs that suffer this – I have often felt that I am writing into a vacuum, and it’s very hard not to become discouraged.

    Of course, I am also coming at this from the other side, as a reader who tends to be quite choosy about the blogs I follow. What I look for in a garden blog is a combination of heart-stopping inspiration and imagery with blisteringly honest experience and advice. (So, not too tall an order, then!) Obviously I am happy here. I also enjoy Non Morris of the The Dahlia Papers https://thedahliapapers.com/, Jessica at The Rusty Duck https://www.rustyduck.net/, Francine Raymond’s journal at http://www.kitchen-garden-hens.co.uk/journal/, and Steve Lennin’s Alt-Y-Bela gardening diary at http://arnemaynard.com/journal/garden-diary/, but none of these can be called ‘new’. I’ll certainly be looking into some of the suggestions above.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Thanks for very good recommendations including a couple I don’t know. And I do hope I never come even close to stopping your heart. That would be awful as I am so happy you’re here too, D

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  38. I think bloggers are a generous bunch and often link to each other’s blogs which helps widen readership. I remember being thrilled to receive comments when I started blogging (about two years ago). I still am thrilled – making connections through writing is the best part of it. My blog started off as a gardening blog but it regularly strays into other subjects so I’m not sure I’d qualify. It is always good to ‘meet’ like-minded people, though, so my blog is http://www.acoastalplot.wordpress.com just in case 🙂 Thank you, David. Sam

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hi Sam, I purposefully changed the tagline on my blog to include the word ‘mostly’ because I sometimes stray off piste and didn’t want to be limited only to gardening posts. I figure write what you want – people will read it or they won’t. Dave

      Liked by 2 people

  41. ( …and I also happened to think your first blog post was good 😊 ! )The consistency in the tone and style of your blog is something which I think defines it and something I think I still need to find still in my own. Was definitely the first blog I ever followed, inspiring me to start my own and leading me on to finding other bloggers who’s content are all equally brilliant and unique and inspiring! Cheers David , keep up the great work 😊👍

    Liked by 3 people

  42. Well I’ll take you up on the offer to plug my own blog, which does have garden connection, because I’m sharing my humane education program for kids at the Abacos Islands we visit, so that’s part of my blogstory, Adventures Marriage.” We’re back to the landers sailing in the Bahamas, teaching kids how to solve problem in increments. Anyway, blah blah, if I didn’t blog I definitely would talk too much. Love you, love how like minds handle web privilege. I assume the Donald will take this away but enjoying it while it lasts.

    Liked by 2 people

      • Oh forgot to post the address, http://www.jennyruthyasi.com We’re teaching behavior science, coping behaviors, trying to encourage kids to turn to gardening. Very interesting being in a tropical environment where very few know anything at all about composting or gardening. We’ve just started working with different schools, one almost all white kids, one all dark skinned kids. There are so many things happening at once, gardening just part of it. I love the way your blog exists in a very subtle context, youfocus really well but leave some room for anxiety! I flail but it feels good to get it out!

        Liked by 1 person

        • I admit to thinking that when you said on a previous post that you were sailing the Caribbean, I assumed you were on a pleasure cruise – not actually working. Thanks for the link and I will get round to visiting. Promise. D

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  44. I read your post with great interest. When I began my blog a bit over a year ago, Herbal Blessings Blog (I’d owned an herb farm for over 4o years and written a book by that name) the common attitude of the Garden Writers of America members was that garden blogging was dying…being replaced by Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. But, I felt an urge to begin, without any real expectation of a great following. It was more my way of chronicling my new potager’s growth (a new passion for food growing, rather than mostly herbs.) Why worry about followers, if a blog satisfies ones longing to write or record your journey? Just do it, especially if it makes you happy to photograph your beautiful crops, and express yourself and your dreams.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Perhaps the Garden Writers of America members also thought that vinyl was dead as a dodo too. I certainly don’t see any diminishing in interest or reading of blogs, quite the contrary. None of the social media programs they list are direct competition for a 500 or 1000 word well illustrated, good read. Good for you in ignoring their advice. My initial reason for starting a blog was to see whether I could write something that people would want to read and I honestly didn’t intend to carry it on beyond a few weeks. I totally agree with your reasons for blogging (and my own blog is now a remarkable history of the gardens I work in, something I hadn’t at all foreseen) but my point re readers/followers is still valid, I think. Otherwise, as I said to Ceri below, I might just as happily write a journal and keep it safe in a drawer.

      I’ll look forward to reading your blog, Carolee. Dave

      Liked by 2 people

      • I am not worthy. Seeing a nice bump in traffic today, some new “followers” and a fairly international bunch they are too. Your feedback very welcome should you have that essential combination of inclination and time so to do. Thanks again!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Good stuff. Yes, my stats page shows quite a few clicks on the various added blog links which is brilliant. My own stats have been manic these last two days (which is nice) and so, it seems, people are interested in new stuff to read. As am I.

          Liked by 1 person

  46. Nice thought David. I hope that Trish and I, The Old Vicarage Gardeners, qualify. We enjoy blogging, and get quite a bit of feedback, but we’d certainly enjoy having a wider audience. Yours is one of the blogs that first got us into doing our own.

    Liked by 3 people

  47. amateurplantsman.wordpress.com – I may not qualify as my blog has been running for a couple of years now. I like to grow unusual or challenging plants, and push the boundaries of hardiness. Twice a month I blog about something that’s in flower in my garden here in Berkshire, UK

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  48. Hi Dave
    I’d love to shamelessly promote my gardening blog http://www.gardeningontheedgeblog.com. I’ve only been going for about a year and traffic has been slow… but it is picking up. I am finding that “young” people tend to follow me on instagram now and am getting a wider audience that way.
    Jo Mc XX

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi Jo, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with acting shamelessly. I still feel awkward highlighting any small success for my blog but then if I don’t, no-one else will (well, except my sister). I see you’ve already had traffic from your link here, so that’s pleasing. Thanks for taking part and I’ll be over to visit soon, Dave

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  49. May I point you in the direction of http://gdnbloggers.blogspot.co.uk/. Andrew O’Brien (@darwinboerne) kicked that off as a get-together for gardening bloggers. I used to maintain the list of blogs but other things got in the way and I had to pull out. There’s still a downloadable list of blogs there but I don’t know how up-to-date it is – ask Andrew. There’s a Twitter get-together each month when bloggers exchange all sorts of hints and tips. I just have a little worry that we’ll end up with too many lists of things. Tell Andrew I told you to ask him. Cheers.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Hi John, you may indeed point and thank you. As you suggested I ‘spoke’ to Andrew and the list isn’t up to date and the site might be deleted anyway. But I shall certainly make use of it in the meantime. BTW, my intention isn’t to produce a list of new blogs (perhaps I didn’t make that clear) but feature one, two or more in future posts. Dave

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  50. What a lovely idea, Dave. I remember that windswept feeling well and being grateful beyond words for my first ever comment–and thanking the commenter with an embarrassing number of exclamation points. Congratulations on six years! xoS

    Liked by 6 people

  51. I am not a garden blogger so this is not a bid for inclusion, but more to echo your so-accurate comments on how it feels to a newbie to see tumbleweed rolling through your blog stats. (And then there are the reader visitors who drop by but do not Like what you have written -which you automatically assume means that they didn’t like you in all senses).

    So what a generous offer you make here. To share your well earned goodwill with beginners is quite a gift and I look forward to discovering new writers in abundance. Ceri

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi Ceri, I like the spot on tumbleweed analogy. I think, but might be wrong, that only WordPress users can ‘Like’ posts – in which case, as most of our readers aren’t, I wouldn’t necessarily take a lack of them personally. It is very easy to become despondent when writing a blog, or so I find. I often liken blogging to a series of peaks and troughs, one will inevitably follow the other, monotonously. You just Carry On Regardless to the next peak …or don’t, of course. Best, D

      Liked by 1 person

      • Anyone can create a WordPress account – you don’t need to be a WordPress blogger (similarly FWIW, anyone can create a Blogger account even if they don’t use that platform). For WordPress, head over to https://wordpress.com/start/account/user to create an account, which you can then use to Like posts or authenticate yourself when you want to comment. You also get access to a WordPress reader where you can follow lots of blogs and get their posts (and optionally comments) in one place.

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        • Thank you, David and John. And also Coralee for her comment above – Why worry about followers, if a blog satisfies ones longing to write or record your journey? – because yes, that’s really why I started my blog and everything else is just gravy (I’m never quite sure what that phrase means but I do like it…)

          Some lovely new blogs to follow up here – I see a very pleasant few evenings of garden reading on the horizon. Ceri

          Liked by 1 person

          • Hi Ceri, I think that not worrying too much about followers and readership numbers is a healthy outlook and one I adhered to for a long time (or else I would have given up during the first couple of years). But it would be dishonest of me to say that I still wholly think like that … otherwise I might just as well write a pen and ink journal and keep it in my top drawer. A post like this one, generating a good deal of discussion and sharing, is a good example of when having an audience does pay dividends, I think.

            You and me both have a lot of reading to do! Dave

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        • Hi John, thanks. I realise that but most of my visitors haven’t got and won’t bother to register for a WP account when they can leave comments anyhow, hence my comment re non-WP users’ ability to ‘Like’ posts (which I still think is the case?). Dave

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          • Yep, you need a WordPress account (though not a WP blog) to like posts/comments. Authentication is a bonus (you’d be surprised how many bloggers limit the possibilities for that – a surprising number don’t accept Twitter accounts, for example). I think the biggest plus, though, is the ability to use the WordPress reader (info at https://en.support.wordpress.com/reader/). If someone follows lots of blogs, this is great for collecting them all together in one place. And you can also turn email notifications on and off for posts and comments in seconds.

            Liked by 1 person

  52. I always read your work -and really enjoy your posts. I follow several other blogs,but rarely comment . Don’t know why – happy to add feedback if you prefer!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Hi, well it’s always nice to have feedback – good, bad or indifferent – but it is by no means a requirement! I often read blog posts without leaving a comment if I haven’t anything to say. And thanks for commenting on this occasion, D

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