I started this blog five years ago today.
I’m sure there as many reasons to start a blog as there are bloggers. Me? It all came down to a day-job I was unhappy with and an opportunity to do something personally meaningful. My boss called it guerilla marketing. The concept was that by blogging on topics we were personally passionate about (and occasionally mentioning the company and linking to its website) we would in turn draw-in potential clients. Did it work? No, not really.
Out of that insipid beginning came danger garden, something I am proud of. Something that has introduced me to more interesting plant people than I would have ever dreamed possible, led to many important friendships and even a earned me a couple of professional opportunities.
In those first days I was so energized by this new creative outlet I posted every day, well every weekday. Our only home computer died the same week I started the blog, I had no choice but to blog at work, thank god it was a company sanctioned activity (of course I don’t think they realized just how much time I spent doing it!). I had no goals in mind for danger garden when I began writing, and as I’ve mentioned previously I was pretty sure I’d run out of topics to cover in a month or two, yet 1,400 posts later and somehow I still haven’t come to the end.
Somewhere along the way posting 5 days a week became habit, something I just did. There’ve only been a handful of times I felt duty-bound to produce, feeling slightly overwhelmed and considering cutting back. Then that moment would pass, the ideas would start flowing and I’d be writing posts so far out I’d have to rein myself in.
But…
But the time has come I want to give myself that room, the room to not post 5-days a week, to challenge myself to do more, in other areas. Some of you have probably heard my ranting about bloggers who post sporadically (at best) and then don’t post anything for a week or two. When they return they write a couple hundred words apologizing for not “being there for the fans” and promise not ever to be gone so long again (which of course they are a week later). People it’s just a garden blog! Nobody needs to take themselves that seriously, and I’m not. Most of you probably won’t notice (or care) if I cut back to 4, or 3 times a week. But some of you would (I know I do when a regular blogger becomes not so regular) and I didn’t want to do so without telling you why. So there you have it.
Before I start the next five years I want to thank you all for the time you spend reading what I write. To those of you who take the time to comment, or email, a special thanks. It’s the conversations we have that makes this all so darn rewarding.
Now for the blogiversary present, we must have a present! I’m giving away a copy of Desert Gardens, by Gary Lyons. Mr. Lyons is the curator of the Desert Garden at The Huntington Botanical Gardens. The book features 18 public and private gardens in Southern California, including the Huntington, the Balboa Park Cactus Gardens in San Diego and the Moorten Botanical Gardens in Palm Springs. The photos are drool-worthy. If the book’s so great why am I giving it away? I received a second copy as a gift, Andrew was so excited to have found this book for me, but I’d purchased it myself just days before. The copy I’m giving away is used, with some signs of wear on the cover.
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Here are the rules: comment answering one or all of the questions below (you'll get an entry for each answer), I will pick a random winner from all who comment, Facebook comments will be entered as well (although not from the same person). You must either include your email or a link to your blog/facebook page so I can contact you if you win. And, sadly, you must live in the continental U.S. for shipping purposes (unless you live outside the U.S. and happen to be coming to Portland this summer for the Garden Bloggers Fling). Winner will be announced on Monday the 17th. The questions:
1. What was your first “desert plant” purchase and is it still alive?
2. What is your favorite public garden and why?
3. How many times a week do you read danger garden?
Good luck!
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
I’m sure there as many reasons to start a blog as there are bloggers. Me? It all came down to a day-job I was unhappy with and an opportunity to do something personally meaningful. My boss called it guerilla marketing. The concept was that by blogging on topics we were personally passionate about (and occasionally mentioning the company and linking to its website) we would in turn draw-in potential clients. Did it work? No, not really.
Out of that insipid beginning came danger garden, something I am proud of. Something that has introduced me to more interesting plant people than I would have ever dreamed possible, led to many important friendships and even a earned me a couple of professional opportunities.
In those first days I was so energized by this new creative outlet I posted every day, well every weekday. Our only home computer died the same week I started the blog, I had no choice but to blog at work, thank god it was a company sanctioned activity (of course I don’t think they realized just how much time I spent doing it!). I had no goals in mind for danger garden when I began writing, and as I’ve mentioned previously I was pretty sure I’d run out of topics to cover in a month or two, yet 1,400 posts later and somehow I still haven’t come to the end.
Somewhere along the way posting 5 days a week became habit, something I just did. There’ve only been a handful of times I felt duty-bound to produce, feeling slightly overwhelmed and considering cutting back. Then that moment would pass, the ideas would start flowing and I’d be writing posts so far out I’d have to rein myself in.
But…
But the time has come I want to give myself that room, the room to not post 5-days a week, to challenge myself to do more, in other areas. Some of you have probably heard my ranting about bloggers who post sporadically (at best) and then don’t post anything for a week or two. When they return they write a couple hundred words apologizing for not “being there for the fans” and promise not ever to be gone so long again (which of course they are a week later). People it’s just a garden blog! Nobody needs to take themselves that seriously, and I’m not. Most of you probably won’t notice (or care) if I cut back to 4, or 3 times a week. But some of you would (I know I do when a regular blogger becomes not so regular) and I didn’t want to do so without telling you why. So there you have it.
Before I start the next five years I want to thank you all for the time you spend reading what I write. To those of you who take the time to comment, or email, a special thanks. It’s the conversations we have that makes this all so darn rewarding.
Now for the blogiversary present, we must have a present! I’m giving away a copy of Desert Gardens, by Gary Lyons. Mr. Lyons is the curator of the Desert Garden at The Huntington Botanical Gardens. The book features 18 public and private gardens in Southern California, including the Huntington, the Balboa Park Cactus Gardens in San Diego and the Moorten Botanical Gardens in Palm Springs. The photos are drool-worthy. If the book’s so great why am I giving it away? I received a second copy as a gift, Andrew was so excited to have found this book for me, but I’d purchased it myself just days before. The copy I’m giving away is used, with some signs of wear on the cover.
Here are the rules: comment answering one or all of the questions below (you'll get an entry for each answer), I will pick a random winner from all who comment, Facebook comments will be entered as well (although not from the same person). You must either include your email or a link to your blog/facebook page so I can contact you if you win. And, sadly, you must live in the continental U.S. for shipping purposes (unless you live outside the U.S. and happen to be coming to Portland this summer for the Garden Bloggers Fling). Winner will be announced on Monday the 17th. The questions:
1. What was your first “desert plant” purchase and is it still alive?
2. What is your favorite public garden and why?
3. How many times a week do you read danger garden?
Good luck!
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.