One year ago today I started this blog! Its birthday is at an appropriate time of year for a gardening blog, I think, since spring is just around the corner and it coincides with the annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show (about which I will have more very soon, and from which the above picture was taken; see Mr. McGregor's Daughter for a re-cap).
I thought back on some of my favorite gardening/blogging moments from the past year, and a number of events, and the posts they inspired, stand out. Of course, the Garden Blogger's Spring Fling was a highlight, which included lots of time in beautiful gardens and outdoor spaces, from the Chicago Botanic Garden to Rick Bayless's home garden a community vegetable garden. Most importantly, it was a wonderful opportunity to make friends with fellow garden bloggers. I am sad to say that I will have to miss this year's meet-up in Buffalo; I will be there in spirit!
One of my proudest gardening accomplishments this past year was creating my rain garden, which I am happy I could share with the blogoverse. It already performed admirably by absorbing the ridiculous amounts of fall rain we had, and never once overflowed or sat festering for even a couple hours! I can't wait to see how it does this year, and I'm already thinking of plants to add.
The soggy, weird weather also led me to conduct a little experiment for avoiding/getting rid of powdery mildew. I got some great suggestions from readers including Garden Girl. The results were a little inconclusive between my dormant oil mixture and milk mixture since they both seemed to work equally well. I intend to try them both again this year.
Personally, I had fun choosing my MVP for 2009, the Most Valuable Plant. Great blue lobelia was the surprise winner, and if it weren't for needing a blog post idea I probably wouldn't have thought to evaluate my plants in this way. I look forward to doing it again this year!
Lastly, I enjoyed having the opportunity to share book reviews. I am an ardent bibliophile and I really like writing book reviews, so it's been great having a forum for that too! See here, here, and here for the last three (OK, I think they're the only three).
Most of all I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who read this blog! It's been a wonderful writing outlet and I'm so thankful to be a part of such a supportive and fun community!!
7 comments:
Congratulations! The year really went by fast. I'm inspired by your rain garden and your refusal to give in to the difficult conditions you have to deal with in your garden. I enjoy visiting your blog and reading about what project you're currently undertaking. Keep up the good work.
Happy blogaversary...Rose I had no idea that you were a newbie when MMD introduced us at Spring Fling! Or if I knew I forgot~I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you and see your garden grow. Here's to the next year may it bring you great weather, cooperative plants and garden success. gail
It was a pleasure to meet you on the Spring Fling occasion, Rose. Happy Blogaversary to you and best wishes for a very productive 2nd year.
Happy blogaversary, Rose! Like Gail, I had no idea your blog was so new when we met last spring. My "anniversary" is tomorrow, and it's hard for me to believe two years have gone by so quickly.
I'm so glad to have met you last spring and have to found your blog. You always have such interesting things to write about, and I love all your well-written reviews. Wishing you not only another great year of blogging but a successful year in the garden! We "Roses" were surely meant to be gardeners:)
MMD--Thank you! Your support and friendship since I started blogging have been invaluable!!
Gail--Yup, although I've been writing professionally for 5 years, and doing garden writing for 3 of those, I am a relative newbie to blogging! Thanks for all your support!
Carolyn--It was great to meet you too, and your garden was really inspiring! Thanks so much!
Rose--Our blogoversaries are right at the same time?? We're two peas in a pod, my friend! Thank you for all your support, and yes we are destined to be gardeners!
Oh silly me. Let me rewrite this comment. I never can keep my Roses straight! LOL.
Congratulations on your blogiversary, Rose! I'm glad we got to see each other at the Chicago Flower Show! That was so bizarre, running into each other like that!
I see you enjoyed the showI, as did I. I linked to your post about it so that people can read more perspectives on the show. I hope that's okay. Your write-up on it was great!
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