It’s Red Dirt Ramblings’ two year anniversary, and what a wonderful time I’ve had.
Let’s see what’s different about my garden and life from two years ago.
Because of the blog:
- I take better care of my garden. It’s still messy, or blowzy as I like to think of it, but I’m always considering that next photo opportunity. Therefore, I’m better about cleaning up and garden chores.
- My photos are better than they once were.
- I have an audience to tell about my roses, all ninety-five of them, and counting.
- I’m often asked if I make money blogging. Well, no, not per se, but I write for more print publications than beforehand (and more online ones too).
- When I attended the Garden Writers Symposium this year, more vendors knew me from the blog than anywhere else.
- And, because of writing as the Oklahoma Gardening Examiner, I get more books and gardening things to review. Note: if you review products on your blog, you should be aware that the FTC issued new rules regarding bloggers and product endorsements. Whenever doing a review, I always disclose whether I received a book, compost tumbler or other garden product gratis to review.
- Because I write so often, I am more adventurous trying new techniques in my garden. I’ve built a sidewalk and wrote about it.
- I also learned to ask for help. I hired William to lay irrigation for the gardens and a landscaper for my front garden when it needed large boulders and had me stumped.
- Best of all, I made wonderful friends, so many that I can’t list them all here, but some became “face-to-face” friends, while others remain virtual. Both virtual and those I’ve met in person are so special to me, and if you come to the Garden Bloggers’ Fling in Buffalo next summer, I can meet you in person too.
For upcoming posts, I’m adding a few things that you might be interested in reading:
- I think I’ll build a cold frame. I don’t have one, and I’ve always wanted one. What better excuse for HH than I want to blog about building it?
- I want honeybees. I’ve got a line on some and plan to learn more about them from a local beekeeper. He’s offered before.
- Chickens! Yes, chickens are on their way (well actually, they haven’t yet hatched, but they will arrive next week). I’ve owned chickens before, but blogging and eating lousy eggs made me jump back into chicken farming.
- A greenhouse. Inspired by Brenda Haas building her own and armed with the latest issue of Mother Earth News, I am planning one. Just wait until I tell HH the plans I have for the two of us.
- I’m moving my vegetable garden. It’s too crowded with flowers, so I taking it uphill. I still plan on some flowers like zinnias and sunflowers, but not quite so many. Summer veggies need room to sprawl. Plus, as my mother pointed out, my other garden has become more shady.
Doesn’t that all sound like fun? If I couldn’t share it with you, I probably wouldn’t attempt a lot of it, so thanks.
Now, because it’s my blog’s second birthday, I am giving gifts.
One lucky reader will win The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!
Our next item is Easy Bloom Plant Sensor given to me for you. I haven’t tried it, but the concept is great for a new gardener. You plug the little flower-shaped sensor into the soil for 24 hours where it will record sunlight, temperature, humidity and soil drainage data. Then, you plug it into your computer (I assume you wipe it off first) to retrieve the information. If you win this prize, please let me know how you like it.
Number three is Dramm’s compact pruner in a sunny yellow easy to locate in the garden. These look great, and other products I’ve bought from Dramm, like my purple watering wand, were well built, but again, I’ve never used these. These were given to me for you at GWA.
Now, in order to win these gifts, please comment below and tell me which one you’d like and how you’d use it. Within each group, I’ll go to the random number generator and let them pick the winners which I’ll announce next week. Closing time for the contest is 12:00 a.m. on Monday, June 12, 2009.
Thanks for reading my blog for the last two years. I so appreciate it. Happy fall and garden blessings to you all.
Testing, testing, Linkluv. If it works: Must add that feature.
.-= Helen at Toronto Gardens´s last blog ..Frost? Time to rescue annuals & houseplants =-.
Helen, CommentLuv does work, and I love it, but I liked it better when it automatically picked up links. It may be that I’m missing some code on my blog.~~Dee
Congratulations on your blogevity! I’ve also found that blogging has made me a more attentive gardener and a better photographer. There’s nothing like a macro shot for getting up close and personal with the birds and the bees, literally and figuratively. Cheers, and hope to see you next year in Buffalo.
Thanks Helen. I’ll be in Buffalo God willing and the creek don’t rise.~~Dee
Hi, Dee,
You just acquired a new fan … I am so glad you stopped by my blog. You are obviously a very talented writer, photographer and gardener. I look forward to visiting often. Pam
Congratulations on your 2nd blogaversary, Dee! Your photos and writing are so enjoyable and so well-done, I thought you had been blogging even longer. I assume you meant the cut-off date for October 12, so I’ve missed the cut-off time for the prizes, but good luck to the winners and what a generous reward to your many readers.
Enjoyed your last post, too; I don’t know who Nancy Goodwin is either:)
Happy, happy Blogiversary, Dee (also my daughter’s birthday)! A delight, we are blessed to have your informative/friendly site to visit. Thank you for sharing your wonderful self. (Count me in for the sunny yellow compact pruner … and how would I use it … let me count the ways 🙂
Happy blogiversary. Your blog has been very helpful since I also am in Oklahoma. I am so looking forward to your future projects. I also want bees and chickens. I think I’ll wait and see how it goes with you.
For the give away, I would like to try to plant sensor. It think it might help me with plant location.
Happy birthday blog. Dee you are one talented lady and waw 95 roses, I have nearly 70 rather lost count but that includes many duplicates that I have taken from cuttings.
I am not good at reading all blogs but do enjoy the photographs so much so look forward to spending more time looking through your photos soon.
Your blog is great, Dee. You always have plenty of substantial observations and, of course, gorgeous pics. How interesting that you have white meidilands! I used to have some ..
I assume your deadline is 10/12 and I would actually love the pruners! They’re just as cute as a button and I don’t have that size.
Thanks for the linkie and fling mention too.
I think your readers need to check the box next to Commentluv for it to work.
.-= Kathy Purdy´s last blog ..Colchicum Design Ideas from Montrose Gardens =-.
Now what?
What happens if I don’t check the check box?
I’m testing your Commentluv plugin
.-= Kathy Purdy´s last blog ..Colchicum Design Ideas from Montrose Gardens =-.
Happy Blogiversary, Dee! What a great post! I enjoy your posts so much, both here and at The Examiner. I don’t visit every day, but get here quite often and am never disappointed.
I can echo some of your sentiments as for what blogging has done for me. It’s done far more for me than I have for it. LOL.
I’m so glad to have met you at Spring Fling and look forward to seeing you again Buffalo. I’m going to try to do the GWA thing next year, too. Thanks for your offer of mentoring me. I should get on that now, shouldn’t I?
Let’s see…the prizes. Who can’t use a pair of pruners? I’ve got a pair of Florians and a pair of Felcos. The Florians are my favorites, but I’ve not tried Dramm before. I didn’t really know they made pruners. I keep a pair in the garage and another in the house for behind the house. It would be nice to have a pair for the pool house, where I keep most tools for Max’s Garden, which is on the “back 40.” Seems I never have a pair close-by when I need them.
The book looks great, too. So I’m going to say I won’t be picky, other than I already have an EasyBloom, so if I win, I’ll choose either the book or the pruners. Thanks for doing this giveaway and I look forward to your future blog posts!
*hugs*
Happy Blogoversary! Your blog is always great to read. You could put me in the hopper for the pruners.
Congratulations, my dear! Our blogs are just about the same age. Only I neglected to party. 🙂 LOL!
I’m glad I have witnessed (even though virtually) your growing.
Thanks for elaborating on the FTC new rules.
Enjoy your special day! xoxo
Congratulations on two years of blogging! Your blog is one of my favorites. Put me in the book drawing. Although I don’t have room for a vegetable garden, who knows what the future will bring?
Happy Blog Anniversary! It is wonderful how enriched our lives have become through blogging. I would have never thought either. -Jackie
Dee, I’m so glad to have found you and discovered your little part of the world through your blog. My garden shed and bookshelf is crammed as it is, so I’ll just send my well wishes for many more fruitful years of blogging (can’t wait to hear about that cold frame!).
Happy blog birthday! I enjoy visiting your blog since there’s always something interesting to see / gittan
I’ll take the quarter acre, Dee 🙂 Happy anniversary! The two years have just flown by. Enjoyed reading about how blogging has had a great influence in your life.
You’ve certainly been a big influence in the garden blogging world.
Good luck with all your great plans. I look forward to reading your future posts about these projects.
Dee, Happy Blogaversary! My second is coming up too, and I am looking forward to finally meeting so many people I’ve come to consider friends in Buffalo.
Hi Dee. I love your blog. You seem so enthused and excited about the wonderful plants in your gardens. I remember when you came to get the chickens from our house. I was so glad that they were getting a good home. I, too, have chickens. My chickens are laying now. Our son takes care of them and they are like pets. Those lovely brown eggs are so much better than the ones you buy in the store. My customers anxiously wait for their delivery each Wednesday.
I wish you a very happy bloganniversary. I am eager to read more on your blog. Thanks for being our friend on Facebook.
Dee, a very happy blogiversary and many more! I can’t wait to read about all those plans coming to fruition. I’m so glad to be one of the face to face friends.
As for the gifts, well, a gardener can’t have too many pruners!
Happy Blog B-Day! Like many, I first knew you from your words here–now I’ve met you in person and it’s even better. Congrats, Dee!
Dee, I am glad writing this blog has bought you some benefits because it has given me lots of pleasure reading it and some ideas for my own garden. I will not enter your draw as I am in England but I just wanted to say a big thank you and to let you know I have read each and every post you have written.
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
OO OOO
Happy Blogversary!
I’d love to have the pruners. I am always losing mine!
Hi Dee,
Just wanted to stop by and wish you a happy blogaversary! I am looking forward to your next adventures, especially the greenhouse, chickens, and bees.
No need to enter me in the contest, just stopping by!
Hugs,
Katie
Happy Blogiversary. You got me into this mess. Thank you BTW. Couldn’t ask for better mentor.
Happy Blog Anniversary! A cold frame and a greenhouse, and a new spot for your vegetable garden? Wow, I will be quite envious reading about all of that! Maybe I’ll have to make a cold frame for myself!
I always enjoy your posts, how you look at gardening, and am so happy we met in person! I’m looking forward to seeing you in Buffalo!
I love your blog, Dee. I’m so glad it’s around for us to enjoy. Thanks for all your hard work on it.
Dee, Happy Blogaversary…I loved your celebratory post…Blogging really has helped me be a much better gardener and photographer, too. I will always be messy! Thanks dear Dee…I am so glad I’ve gotten to know you! (One can never have too many pruners! Sign me up!) hugs, gail
I have all the pressies already, but wanted to wish you a happy Blogging annie and I am so glad you are here on the web with me.
Congratulations on your blogaversary! I’m glad you started blogging because I so enjoy reading your blog and I liked getting to know you, through the blog and in person. I’m very interested in bees & beekeeping, although I think it’s going to be a very long time before I dip my toe in those waters. I don’t need anything, so I’m exempting myself.
Happy Anniversary! Even though I don’t have a garden (apartment-dweller), I enjoy reading about yours.
Love your blog! And, the Salvia leucantha is one of my faves. Happy blogiversary!
Happy blogiversary, Dee! So much has happened in blogland in two years that I can’t believe you’ve only been at it that long. I’m glad to have met you and count you as my friend, and not just a virtual one. Here’s to many more years of blogging and a lot of successful garden projects.
And since you asked, I’d take the pruners. 🙂
Dee, I am so happy for you. Congrats on the past two years of blogging. I so enjoy all you write about. I will look forward to reading about your chicken ranching. I have always wanted chickens. My DB thinks I am crazy for even thinking it. Sigh… I will enjoy them vicariously through you. Looking forward to more rose stories and all the excitment your garden brings.
Happy Blogiversary, Dee! How exciting. I love that you were able to analyze what you’ve done and improved upon since you started and give us a list of things to which we can look forward, as well. I’d take the pruners – my “good use” of them would be to replace the never-ending supply of rusting pruners!
Opps, forgot to say happy blogoversary. I’ve known you for 1 and 1/2 of those 2 years and am proud to say so.
I want the Easy Bloom Plant Tester cause I need to know how all my different beds receive water. It doesn’t seem like the back beds get enough water even though they are amended with the same ingredients.
And also–that leaf mulch is hard to saturate. I can have two areas side by side and one can be bone dry. So I would use the Easy Bloom Plant Tester to adjust my watering habits.
Happy blog birthday! Oklahoma is lucky to have you!