Thank you to everyone who helped in my call to find New Gardening Blogs. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting much of a response and so the flood of replies took me by surprise – overwhelmed me, actually. I’ve spent virtually all of my limited Allotted Blogging Time responding to comments and emails; visiting each of the blogs and commenting on most. The standard of writing, photography and presentation is generally, reassuringly, excellent and we needn’t fear that Garden Blogging is waning.
Personally, I don’t think it is waning but I mention it in response to a comment left by Carolee, the author of Herbal Blessings Blog: “When I began my blog a bit over a year ago … the common attitude of the Garden Writers of America members was that garden blogging was dying … being replaced by Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram“.
In my experience of blogging, social media and fielding increasing enquiries from companies wanting me to review their products or host Amazing Advertising Opportunities, that view isn’t one I share. I use Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter myself, Facebook too, and they provide an easy, quick way of sharing images, ideas or blog-links. But I see them as an add-on to The Anxious Gardener rather than its eventual replacement, even if many of their users don’t ever read blogs. Unless we are content only to look briefly at pictures, or engage with content for seconds at a time (we’re not, are we?) I don’t agree that social media is killing off blogging.
If some blogs disappear or wither as their writers drift away, there is a steady stream of new bloggers taking their place and in increasing numbers too.* Clearly, there is still a vibrant interest in both writing and reading gardening blogs. The reaction to my previous post helps illustrate that, I think: I published my post two weeks ago at 6.30pm and by midnight my blog’s 10 month-old, daily views record was broken; and that new record was smashed on the following day. New Gardening Blogs is currently my sixth most viewed post (out of 312, written over six years) and by far the most commented on. With such a reaction to just one post, I’d suggest that if garden blogging is dying, the poor thing is suffering an interminable, and impossible to discern, demise.
I received about forty blog ‘entries’ which was marvelous … if problematic. My original intention had been to highlight perhaps two or three new blogs but I now realize – obviously – that to do so would introduce an element of competition, ranking even, where none was intended nor wanted.
Far better to present a list of the blogs for you to explore. There are all sorts here, on a wide range of subjects including: allotments, small urban spaces, large country gardens, garden design and indoor growing too; whilst some cover broader themes with an occasional gardening post. I’m sure you’ll find something to your taste … and when you do, please say so in the author’s comment box. Like most of us, new bloggers need every bit of encouragement.
Here are the blogs (roughly in submission order):
- Gardening At The Edge – A derelict farmyard; a disused railway line; a dilapidated canal tunnel and a whole lot of exquisite ruination
- Amateur Plantsman –The adventures of a gardener who wants to grow something out of the ordinary
- Old Vicarage Gardeners –A country house and garden blog
- The Propagator Blog – The propagator, my plant obsession
- Herbal Blessings Blog – Growing and harvesting a bounty of blessings in my potager
- The Restraint of Plants – A brand new blog
- Jenny Ruth Yasi – Adventures in marriage
- A Coastal Plot – Gardening and family life by the sea
- Garetnstreifzug – Garden and nature
- Half A Garden – Urban gardening on a diminished scale
- The Indoor Vegetable Garden – Says it all, really
- Modern Veg Plot – Documenting my adventures in growing edibles
- The Chatty Gardener – Love gardening? I do
- The Renaissance Gardener – Making a garden in SW France and much more
- Etilth – Plant love/Container design
- The Quest For Veg – Adventures in allotment gardening
- Lou J Nicholls – Horticulturist, Blogger, Photographer
- The Temperate Gardener – Roots to growing success
- Lakeshore Garden – My gardening journey
- Old Dog New Tricks – Getting up close and personal with my garden
- New Garden Blog – A new back garden, blogged
- Sally’s Garden Blog – My thoughts as I garden and design
- Growing Together – The continuing adventures of the Allotment Virgins
- Glebe House – My week to week gardening diary
- Jane Harries Garden Designs – Professional postal garden designs
- Dogwood Days – Life and the Garden
- Rose Cottage Jottings – A gardening blog – mostly
- Views From My Garden Bench – Adventures, pints of Pimms and life in the North
- Our Little Field – Little adventure into permaculture and organic vegetable growing
- By Nature – Notes from a besotted gardener
- Leaves From My Garden – Pages from the books of Helen Cronin
- Mud And Gluts -Allotmenteering in suburbia **
- The Garden Gate Is Open – Garden visiting
- Pulling Weeds – A gardener writes…
- Elementa Garden Design – Garden design for contemporary living
(I’ve omitted those recommendations for blogs which are already long-running and well-established. If you suggested a blog which is missing from my list, or would like your new-ish blog added, please let me know).
Meanwhile, and in tandem to my list, the awfully clever John Kingdon has published an extensive directory of gardening blogs on his own, The Rivendell Garden . I don’t know how he did it … and even after he patiently explained how, I still don’t. (But given my level of tech knowledge, he might as well have spoken in Klingon. And perhaps he did). In addition to well-known blogs, John has added all of the above – tallying up, at last count, a remarkable total of 105. If your blog is not on his list but you would like it to be – ask him. He’s a nice chap and rarely bites.
And lastly, if you write a gardening blog, you may be interested in @Gdnbloggers on Twitter (hashtag #Gdnbloggers) and its sister Facebook Page. Both groups offer friendly support, information and also help in publicising your blog-posts to a wider audience.
Happy reading, happy writing.
*In my opinion. I have no statistical evidence whatsoever to support this bald statement of fact but in a post-truth age that hardly seems to matter any more.
**Winner of my (non-publicised) Best New Blog Name Competition
