One year ago, I started the Red House Garden blog.
I had no idea what I was getting into.
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| Red House Garden - 1 year ago |
Having only built the Red House a couple years before, I was having the time of my life planning and planting gardens around it. Since I don't have many friends who like gardening, lucky Mr. Red House got to hear all
about the gardening in excruciating detail. He is the one who
begged suggested that I start a blog.
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| Red House front garden in fall |
When I started, I had no idea what a wonderful garden blogging community I would find online. I have enjoyed 'meeting' all of you other garden bloggers tremendously. I have learned so much and been so inspired by reading your blogs and seeing your gardens. It has been so great to find people who get as much joy as I do out of gardening and even just being out in nature.
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| Red House front garden during the very mild winter we had |
I have learned so much this year just by writing this blog and taking photos for it. Taking photos lets me go back and look at a plant or animal in detail, which has been very useful in identifying some plants and quite a few critters. And the teacher in me makes me want to learn as much as I can about something before writing about it.
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Red House front garden in spring
(Why in the world don't I have more pictures of such a glorious time of year?) |
Another unexpected blessing of writing a blog - I have a terrible memory, and this blog has been a great way to document what is going on in my garden. (What was the name of that cultivar? Oh, I think I did a blog on that - let me look it up...)
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| Red House front garden full of blooms in summer |
I can't believe it's already been a year since I started blogging. It's been a fabulous adventure, going from just needing an outlet to channel my excitement about gardening to being part of a garden blogging community that continuously inspires me. I wonder what the next year will hold.
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| Red House Garden now |
So what have you other bloggers gained from creating your own blog?
What have I gained? Countless virtual friends... like you... who inspire, lift and bless me with their posts. Happy Anniversary! So glad you blog!
ReplyDeleteEcho Carolyn, I have been blogging since March 2012, and also wanted to try something new, after starting my garden the year before, and I just said to someone, cannot believe I waited so long. It is fun and I have seen so many new inspirations. So happy anniversary. May it continue! LT
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you and to your blog! Your Red House is very nice, in red, white and gray colors. It looks complete and thoughtful, like your blog.
ReplyDeleteSuch an exciting milestone to reach. I remember when mine came and I was so humbled that I had stuck with it for a year and that others were actually reading my blog. I have gained so much personally as I find my way through this time in my life and I am grateful for all the readers even if they only visited once. But the best part has been all I have learned through such wonderful virtual friends who have touched my life in ways I would never have imagined. You have been one of these wonderful virtual friends and I look forward to your second year Indie!
ReplyDeleteIndia!
ReplyDeleteYour red house is beautiful.
Everything fascinates me.
Lucy
So pretty! I have gained lots of great friends through blogging as you, God Bless! Oh, I will be in Winston-Salem this weekend to visit my family!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photographs, very pretty flowers. I am greeting
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Indie! You have a wonderful blog. Like you I have learned a lot about my garden since I started blogging. Just by taking photographs and doing research for blogposts. And of course by visiting other people’s blogs, like yours.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogaversary! My own site turned one a few months ago, and like you, it was a perfect time to reflect. I have certainly learned more and have taken some risks, but I am so impressed with the community of garden enthusiasts. It seems to gave restored an element that is all too often missing from our hectic lives. Community. Happy gardening.
ReplyDeleteWow! Your house is beautiful...sigh....
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your Blogaversary.
What have I gained?....hmmm....relief that there are 'others' out there like me...lol.
Also, friendship, lots of laughs, inspiration and Mr Dirt Man's comment...community xxx
Happy first blogaversary! May there be many more. Reading this post my eye was caught by your post on yellow birds 'hiding' in the garden - enjoyed that one too.
ReplyDeleteMy paper garden journal was for the last garden - this one is wonderfully accessible, blog posts are searchable. And not WHERE did I put that lable, and which is which plant now!
I agree that it makes such a difference to have people to talk with about gardening and nature and to be inspired by. I've been surprised by the friendships I feel with other bloggers, even though we've never met. Probably the biggest surprise is how much I have learned about photography from seeing others' work and simply by taking lots of photos, though that was never an intention.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time in your blog. It´s really nice. Congratulations from Argentina!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your blogoversary, Indie! Obviously, your blog is one of my favorites. Keep up the great work! I echo what the other bloggers have said, and I think the simple ability to see the world in a more focused way...I'm always thinking "that would be a great photo" or "oh, good idea for a blog post." Cheers to you!
ReplyDeleteI get so much pleasure when someone comments on my blog. I count my virtual friends (such as you, Indie) as real friends. I feel garden blogging is social networking at its best. Congratulations on your first year -- and wishing you many more! P. x
ReplyDeleteIndie - Happy Blogaversary! I actually wrote a list of 5 or 6 goals I wanted with my blog. Near the top of the list was wanting to increase my computer skills and photography skills which has already happened. I wanted to find other gardeners for seed swapping -- hasn't happened. I hoped to connect with local gardeners but that hasn't happened. However, I've connected with LOTS of other gardeners through Blotanical.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your one year blogging, and happy blogging for many more years to come :)
ReplyDeleteIndia
ReplyDeleteNothing difficult, come to the Polish, Want to grab to Prague.
This city would you like it.
Lucja
Congratulations on completing your first year! Like you, I have discovered an amazing community of gardeners and made many friends.
ReplyDeleteA lovely post indeed. You have learned like me that blogging makes an excellent record of our gardens and lives and helps us to learn. Very well said!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the first anniversary of your blog. Its great to keep in touch with people who are as fanatical as myself. I started mine in 2006 and it wasn't until I found blotanical in late 2010 that it really took off. I really didn't have a clue about blogging when I first started. My early attempts were so embarrassing when I looked back on them that I deleted hundreds of them. Well to be honest its quite clear that its still far from perfect but I didn't half learn from you lot. Your garden is shaping up beautifully, but I want your house. happy gardening Alistair
ReplyDeleteHi Indie - Happy blogaversary! When I started blogging, I thought of it as nothing more than a computer diary. I wasn't aware of the garden blogging community. It came as a surprise when people returned to comment.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck with your second year of blogging and I hope there'll be many more.
I am so glad that you joined the blogging community. I really enjoy reading about your journey and experiences in the garden. I live in a rural area were neighbors are more removed so I find that blogging is such a great way to connect with fellow gardeners around the world and learn more and more. Like you I find taking photos a great way to document the progress in the garden especially since mine is fairly immature still. Happy blogaversary!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Like you, I have no friends that talk plant, so this gardening community has been a wonderful find. Your house is really beautiful. I love the red!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Indie. You have received such a nice welcome to the blogging community and returned it ten fold to the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to you, happy anniversary to you, happy anniversary dear Indie and your blog and Red House and Mr. Red House and all the wonderful hilarious posts about plants, garden design, birdies and critters……happy anniversary to you!!
ReplyDeleteGardening is fun but it's even more fun when you can connect with other gardeners - especially ones like you, who have a real talent for writing and taking great photos. :)
Congratulations on your first blogaversary! You've expressed so well the same feelings I have about blogging. I started mine about four years ago, and I've met so many wonderful people here and learned so much from other more experienced gardeners than I. I do have some friends who like to garden, but I don't see them every day, and my family starts to roll their eyes when I start "garden talking":) So it's so nice to have a community like this to share ideas with. Like you, I've found my blog is a great way to record what's happening in my garden and keep track of plants I've added.
ReplyDeleteYou've certainly created a beautiful garden in such a short time!
Thank you all so much for your kind comments! I have enjoyed getting to know you all so much through your blogs and Blotanical. I look forward to another year of gardening, blogging, and being part of such a great community!
ReplyDeleteI love your red house and its gardens, and congratulations on your blogoversary! I always look forward to your posts. Your first statement made me laugh a little. When I started my own blog almost three years ago, I had no idea what I was doing, much less what I was getting into. It is more work than I imagined, and much more rewarding. It is wonderful to travel around the world with the click of a mouse to peek into others gardens and share their garden experiences. They have inspired me, and I feel that I have gained some true, if virtual friends. I am also lucky to have made real life friends of some who live closer.
ReplyDeletethis is first time on your blog.this is nice blog. i like it. congratulation from umesh. thak you for post it
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I’ve thought about starting my own design blog for years but always had some sort of excuse stopping me. Hopefully the inspiration sticks!
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