My one year Blogiversary!

It's hard to believe it's been one year of blogging already. I started this blog in the winter when I didn't have much going on in my yard and was as usual, daydreaming of warmer days when I could see my garden in bloom. I had wanted a way to keep track of all the projects we had worked on in our yard. My sister Erin, who has a family blog and a cake decorating blog Girl with the Cute Cakes (visit her if you want to see some beautiful cakes), is the one who got me started. My first post was called "Why I Garden". When I reread it I was surprised at how it sounded, probably because at the time I didn't think anyone besides me or my family would ever read it. I hadn't done any "writing" since college. The only writing I had done over many years was charting in my job as a nurse. Charting is mostly short, to the point sentence fragments full of observations and medical results and outcomes. Blogging has helped to improve my writing some I think.

Peony 'Festiva Maxima'

A few days after my first post I found Blotanical while looking for other garden blogs to read. I listed my blog there having no idea what Blotanical was about, just thought it would be a good way to find other bloggers that had pretty garden pictures to look at since I'd pretty much memorized all the garden books and magazines I had. Once I started finding my way around there I couldn't believe all the great blogs I found. Then I started noticing the people were visiting my blog. The first time someone left a comment I was surprised and excited that someone found something interesting in what I had written or shown. Karen of Greenwalks, a fellow Seattle area blogger, was that first person to comment on my posts. I was lucky enough to meet her at one of the SAGBUTT (Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk) meetings.

Rose 'Abraham Darby' and Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber)

In the last year I've gotten to know people from all over the world through blogging. I've learned how to use the macro setting on my camera (something I didn't know existed on the camera I had), html on the computer and so much about plants that it's mind blowing. Never in a million years would I have thought I would learn so much and meet so many people. Like most bloggers I've had my ups and downs with how I feel about blogging. There were days that I thought I might just stop for different reasons. But, I had fellow bloggers that I "talked" to via email that told me that others often felt the same way and offered encouragement to blog at my pace and in my style. Not only are we putting our garden out for others to see, but we are putting ourselves out there too. For someone like me that can be a hard thing to do. I have to say that it really has been worth it.
When I started I thought I would post every day, then as the year went on I realized I had to cut back on posting. Now my goal is to try to post 3 times a week unless I have time or something I find exciting to share.

Sunflower 'Mammoth'

Thank you to all of you who visit me, leave comments and those of you who have been support to me. Thank you to all of you who've taught me more about gardening in different parts of this country and around the world. Thank you to those of you that have had great plants on your blog which has increased my wish list and my garden beds. Thank you to those of you who I've learned about seed saving, cuttings, heat mats, winter sowing and other new techniques. Thank you to those of you that have taught me more about photography. All of you have made me a much better gardener, although I think I'll always be A Gardener in Progress.

Water Lily 'Charles de Meurville'

Here's to another year and I wonder what else I will learn?