Why I love garden blogs

I've been asking myself lately, "Why do I garden blog? Why do other gardeners blog?" and I have come to the conclusion that we do it primarily because we've been given the opportunity to show what magazines and newspapers don't-- real gardens. I read a lot of garden blogs and see more popping up every day and what keeps me coming back are the daily triumphs and tribulations of people doing their own gardening. I have learned so much from other garden bloggers and the more I read, the more excited I become about gardening (if that's even possible).

I often have the uncomfortable suspicion that gardens celebrated in magazines, on TV and to a lesser extent in newspapers are not maintained by the people who own them. There's just something missing. There's a unique joy in personal garden blogs you don't see anywhere else, not to mention the fact that blogging beats all news media in terms of freshness.

Your first rose of the season is blooming this morning? Blog it in real time. Snails are eating your prized dahia? Blog it in real time. We share your pain and we might even be able to pass on a snail-proofing tip you can implement mere minutes after you discover the little buggers munching away. You just made your first salad from greens and edible flowers you grew yourself? Blog it and thanks for the vicarious thrill. Salad for two, but enjoyed by hundreds and immortalized forever on the web.

Garden blogs are welcoming. They're a way of saying, "Howdy, neighbor! Come have a peek over my fence and see what we're growing here." They're a way of sharing your love of gardening with "neighbors" all over the world who also happen to be avid gardeners. Not all neighbors are. Most of mine cut a monthly check to landscapers, so I rarely have an invitation... or reason... to peek over their fences. Garden blogs help gardeners connect. I suspect most of us have more dirt in our keyboards than your average blogger. I suspect most of us have more plant tags on our desks than your average blogger.

I also garden blog to help me remember what I planted, when I planted it, and what it looked like in bloom. Even more exciting, I can show you what it looked like when it was ready to eat! I'm growin' my own dang food here... you've got to see this! This is my public blog, but it's also my personal diary. And because there's so much going on locally in the way of gardening events, it's hard not to want to make note, and as long as you're making note, you might as well share with other gardeners... of all thumb colors.

I still can't get over the fact that Blogger hosts my blog for free and allows me to upload as many photos as I want. Thank you, Blogger. Blog on, gardeners!