Over the weekend, the Spring Flingers were profiled by Robin Chotzinoff in the Austin Statesman. Check it out, and you’ll discover that Carol from May Dreams Gardens is a rock star among garden bloggers. (I thought we all just wanted her for our neighbor.) After I read the article, I had visions of gentle Carol playing a riff on Guitar Hero. Who knows? Maybe she plays in a rock band when she’s not writing and gardening, or working at her full time job.
MSS of Zanthan Gardens and Pam from Digging were quoted, along with yours truly. Pam’s Digging and Tom Spencer’s Soul of the Garden were also part of the article sidebar. May I say that MSS looked really cute writing on her laptop in her garden?
Seriously, Robin put forth some good questions about blogging in general. She questioned whether we should try to make money with our blogs (to defer expenses for example.) Do blogs take away from gardening? Are they online diaries? Are they worth the time?
For me, I’d love to make a little money. Maybe someday. Yes, blogs take time away from other things. Just ask my family. I guess it is a diary of a sort, but I try to write things of interest to my readers. I also try to provide them with great photos. Otherwise, they won’t come by and visit.
Is blogging worth it? Absolutely.
I don’t know if we answered all of Robin’s questions, but we had a great time discussing these issues and more at the Spring Fling. I understand that several bloggers in Chicago are working on Spring Fling 2009. God willing, and the creek don’t rise, I’ll be there.
It makes me a bit sad that even though I live in Austin I did not attend the event, but at the same time it’s so wonderful that it got some media exposure! I think all Austinites have a gardening soul, whether they act upon the urge or not. Perhaps I completely shied away from it because I’m such a newb that I would have felt severely out of place, but at the end of it all I’m just so glad that it was a great success and I hope to participate in similar events in the future.
A problem I have with blogging is that I’m very all-or-nothing about it. Either I spend a good deal of time taking and uploading photographs and carefully choosing my words, or I don’t and end up neglecting my blog for weeks at a time. I find it to be rewarding yet tiring at the same time. I have a great deal of respect for those like you who can consistently provide great content– both written and photographic– and have the energy to respond to those who visit AND visit and respond to the blogs of others.
Hanako, I understand your reasons for not going. I wish you had come though. There were lots of newer gardeners there. I would love to meet you someday.~~Dee
Hi Dee,
Well I have spent a good hour here today trawling for tips and great advice. I am about to go off plant shopping for some shrubs, do you have any real winners you love and would recommend for OK.
I am especially keen to find some evergreens for year round interest, but all plant suggestions will be welcomed 🙂
Sarah, since I don’t know the kind of light you have, why don’t you give me a call. You have my number.~~Dee
Ooops………..that was me up there. Wanted to get my 3 seconds of fame in.
Steve, absolultely, I put your name on it.~~Dee
I agree with Lisa. If it did not exist, we would have invented it. Wait………that’s what we are doing!
Blogging also gives us a chance to just plain show off. Too much modesty is not a good thing, lol! This is not to say that it need be an overriding reason to blog…..not at all, but to deny it just ain’t right. I admit I love reading the more literate among us bloggers. Like everyone, I love a good turn of phrase and ideas which are well put together.
But garden blogging can enrich us all by giving ideas of very specific nature. Speaking as a trades person in the field, you may not have any idea how valuable some of this is on a strictly professional level. It almost feels like cheating. But not quite. 😉
What is far more distracting, by far, is how interesting the people themselves are. To me, blogging is a 360 degree look at gardens, dirt and people. That’s my story and I am sticking to it!
Love it. All great reasons.~~Dee
Of course blogging is worth the time. If it wasn’t, no one would do it. It is wonderful to be able to ‘talk’ gardens with people that understand your passion. Plus you find out so much reading other blogs and get to tour the world without leaving your desk chair. This is important to those of us that can’t afford to be there in person.
Lisa, and who could afford to be there in person with garden friends from all over the world? Glad you’re my friend.~~Dee
Dee, I’d love to have attended SF I, and since I live in the Chicago area, I definitely plan to attend SFII. I’m very excited about the prospect of garden bloggers I admire descending on Chicago and I’ll be looking forward to having the opportunity to meet so many new friends in person.
Hi Linda, I can’t wait to meet you and with so many wonderful bloggers in Chicago, you should have lots of friends to organize things.~~Dee
Dee, thanks for the link. Maybe I will have to get Guitar Hero and try a riff to see if I could really be a rock star. (falling off chair laughing at the thought of it).
I think blogging enhances gardening, it gives us an outlet to share what we’ve done in our gardens, exchange ideas, get advice from others. It allows us to interact with other passionate gardeners, gardeners we can’t always find in our “real lives”.
But now that many of us have been to the spring fling, people who were virtual gardeners in our our lives are now real gardeners.
Chicago is nearer to me, I could probably drive there (4 hours give or take depending on where in Chicago), so I’ll be there, too, “God willing and the creek don’t rise”!
Carol, I knew you would get a kick out of my post.~~Dee
I’m glad to hear you’re so enthusiastic about SFII. And blogging really only takes me away from doing laundry & vacuuming.
MMD, it took me a minute to put together what you were writing. Spring Fling II. Heck yeah! I hate laundry and vacuuming.~~Dee
I would really like to make the next one. It sounds like the group had a lot of fun.
Deb, I so hope you can. The next one is further away, but I’ve never been to Chicago.~~Dee
I so wish I’d made that event! But at that time it was that or get to see my grandson I hadn’t seen since last year. So you know what won that contest! I blog for so many reasons. I blog to give and get information, to show and see other gardens. To share my life and what’s going on in it. (Though that may not be as interesting to some people, I feel I owe the ones who “get what I’m saying, or perhaps have themselves been there” the bravery of putting pen to paper!) Everyone has their own muse, reasons, and that’s why blogs are truly so personal in nature and statement.
Brenda
And you do it so well, Brenda.~~Dee