EARLY BLOGS ~ A NEW WORLD OPENS UP
It started with these fine garden blogs. I accidentally discovered Digging while 'digging' for a photo with agave landscaping (by the way it was her whale's tongue agave in an amazing native landscape bed). Then I found Rock Rose's stunning garden and wrote her an email (and she wrote back almost overnight....all of these bloggers were real people! smile). Then I found the wonderful writer and gardener at My Corner of Katy (near my school) ,then I found the other wonderful garden bloggers in this first 'branch' of friends. I learned that each blogger has their own wonderful style of gardening and love to share all that happens, both the good and the bad. I liked that.
which lead me to.....HOUSTON AREA GARDEN BLOGS
These are the Houston blogs that have most influenced me. We tell about gardening along the Texas Coast. We go through the same hurricanes, storms, droughts, floods, and freezes. And we kill the same plants. LOL. It's nice to not go through this alone. Thanks. :-)
THE WONDERFUL AUSTIN & SOUTHERN U.S. GARDEN BLOGS, PLUS A STUNNING BLOG IN AUSTRALIA
Everyone has a Blog Roll and that lead me to more great Austin area gardens to enjoy. Then I found A Corner Garden in Nebraska (Hi Sue) and Clay & Limestone in Tennessee (Hi Gail!) as well as Gardening With Confidence over in North Carolina (Hi Helen!). My head started swirling and I stumbled around dizzy with new ideas about blogs and gardening. Then I found Bernie and her stunning garden blog in Australia, My Dry Tropics Garden. This got me thinking, "So, there garden blogs in other countries?" Oh my, I almost fainted!
Some of these are more great garden blogs in the United States (the top 3). The rest are from around the world. These are all gardens that I love to visit, or photographers with an eye for beauty. Their gardens are filled with inspiration and beauty.
SPEAKING OF BEAUTY...PHOTO BLOGS ENTER THE PICTURE
Nature photography and gardens go hand in hand. I've met so many photo friends through Macro Monday and Black & White Weekend. Here are a few wonderful photo and garden blogs that get me inspired. And let's not forget poetry. I love poetry and have two poetry (Hi Carolyn, Hi Lise) and nature blogs on here as well. Thanks, ya'll!
MEN WITH GARDEN BLOGS...LOOKING IN THE MIRROR
Of course I had to wonder, are there other men that have garden blogs?
Well, here's the group. Each write, photograph, and grow gardens that inspire me to work even harder on my own garden blog. Thanks for setting the standard of excellence!
DISCOVERIES & MORE DISCOVERIES...DAILY!
Finally, here are some of the newest of my friends in the gardening world. Some are here in Texas, others are scattered about. Since getting chickens, I've learned of a parallel universe of homesteading garden blogs, farm blogs, and chicken blogs. Others shown here have no blog at all, but leave the friendliest comments. And, I've just discovered, we have a scholar among us. She writes about the early history of gardening in America on her amazing blog (Early American Gardens).
So, should we all continue another year in our gardens? Our garden blogs? Our love for Nature? Should we be leaders in a world where most everyone seems content to stay indoors with an occasional glance out the window? Should we get teenagers outside in nature instead of wired to endless video games? You bet!
Now, I've got to go out and move some plants around (as always!) and feed the chickens.
Thanks for stopping by.
David/ Tropical Texana/ :-)
What a great photo! I don't know if I have ever seen one that color before. Happy Blogiversary to you!! I'm so happy that I've found your blogs out in the "blogosphere". It has been fun following along with you. I am looking forward to many more wonderful photos going forward. Thanks so much for the shout out! I saw my "leaf". :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week! Candace
Thanks, Candace. Your blog's great recipes, photos, and life up in New England are always fun to see. I love your perspective as a Southern transplant. I picked that Neon Skimmer because he looks like he's smiling. :-) David/ Tropical Texana
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary!!! Cheers to another great year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen! Thanks for such inspirational photography up there in Ontario. David/ :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea to celebrate this milestone. There are just so many fabulous gardening blogs out there and so many helpful and inspirational gardeners just doing their thing in their own way. I count you amongst that group.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to drop by to see what you've been up to in your lovely garden and to garner some hard earned gardening wisdom. I'm hoping you continue with your blog for many, many more years to come.
Thanks so much for the mention as well. That was very kind of you. I consider myself still pretty much a gardener taking her first steps and enjoying all the ups and downs. I read many of the blogs you highlighted and find inspiration in every one of them.
What a project, that is a lot of leafs! I am honored to be amongst such great company...and happy blogoversary.
ReplyDeleteOne word....WOW!! How long did it take you to put all those leaves together???!! You inspire me to do better in my own garden. Happy 1st year and I look forward to reading more from your blog. Congrats from Tucson. Chris from Las Aventuras
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by all the way from The Land Down Under. Your mix of native wildlife 'hoppin' all about' and your lovely garden are just the perfect mix that most gardeners only dream about. Yet, you do it daily. The wildlife must love you. I wish there were more Bernies in this world.
David/
Hi Loree,
Your garden beyond 'the zones' are an inspiration to us all. You push the limit on tropical and near tropical up there in Portland. And I especially love your sense of humor as you show us those fabulous local nurseries and gardens.
David
Hi Chris,
Yes, it took a bit of time, but I wanted to do something special. Your mix of local Tucson gardening savvy along with showing us the 'Adventuras' of Mexico and Central America are a balance seldom acheived in a garden blog. Yet, you weave it together with fantastic photography. No book could do better.
David/ Tropical Texana
It's funny how networked garden blogs are and how we all find each other through them. Congrats on the anniversary! 1 year is quite a milestone!
ReplyDeleteCute way to highlight garden blogs! Happy Blogaversary and congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Not so angry.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great blog and I'm happy to know someone who loves to teach the rest of us how to make gorgeous photos. Thanks for stopping by.
David/ :-)
Thanks, Holley,
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your comments. You are one of those going through this terrible drought with me. It's nice not to be struggling alone. I had to laugh at your spelling of blogaversary. I've wanted to spell it just like you. I've now seen 3 ways: blogiversary, blogoversary, and blogaversary. The word has not been standardized by the dictionary editors and they should have a lively time of it....I'd love to be a fly on the wall when they do. David/ :-)
Congrats on your first blogiversary! And thank you for you kind comments on my site... I appreciate your visit. I don't know how you folks manage the heat and drought... you have to have a lot of faith for sure.... I am well aware of the power of prayer... I'm very glad that it helped you through your back problems! Larry
ReplyDeleteThanks, Larry for visiting.
ReplyDeleteYou may have been told this before, but just from my first couple of 'visits' to your blog, I would say you have one of the finest gardens in the United States. It's quite a remarkable work of art and natural beauty.
David/ :-)
Happy Anniversary and I am so glad we found each other. I'm afraid by next year you will have so many leaves you won't have time to blog-or garden! Isn't it amazing how many wonderful gardeners are out there. Wishing you another fantastic year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lancashire rose,
ReplyDeleteYour garden was the beginning of this botanical journey a year ago and only gets better with time. That's how we all dream our gardens will be. I'd say there are only a handful of gardens out there that one can take a step back from and say, "It's finished, come take a look!" Yours has acheived this level of perfection and grace. Here's to some fun times in the next gardening year (and some rain!)
David/ :-)
Happy Anniversary.....
ReplyDeleteBugs, birds and blooms.......
may you enjoy year two!
I too have met some wonderful people through blogging and I have learned lots.
Love all your leaves.
Sherry
David, I'm honored to be one of the leaves on your tree. It still makes me laugh to think of how long it took me to realize that David of Tropical Texana was Mr. P of my kids' elementary school! Here's to many more years of gardening, blogging and friendship for all the leaves on the tree!
ReplyDeleteHi David,
ReplyDeleteHappy blog anniversary! I enjoyed your creative post. Hi back to you! Thanks for including me as one of your leaves.
I just saw Cindy's comment. Are you a teacher? I am a special education paraeducator at a high school.
Thanks for your nice comment on my back yard and about gardening building our relationships with family, friends, and God. While I enjoy gardening with my grandson, I also like gardening without help.
Enjoy getting your GBBD post together!
Happy Blogiversary David, you have done a wonderful job celebrating with your blogging friends. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogiversary! Thanks for not leafing me out.
ReplyDeleteHi Sherry of Q,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. You are one of those inspirational gardeners that really work hard to include a place for wildlife. It's so nice to find other gardeners that lead the way for us in this regard. I so much enjoy your Sunday Safari posts.
David/ :-)
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for the kind words. It's so much fun to already know someone out there in the garden world, then meet them in 'real' life. Your garden is always a treat and inspiraton. I still am amazed that you have a hundred things in bloom at one time. You've got the Texas cottage garden style perfected...Here's to many more blooms.
David/ :-)
Hi Islandgal,
You know you are very, very special to me because you were one of the first to put my blog on a blogroll. That was one of the most joyous things for this gardener. I always love seeing your island paradise. Here's to another great year of tropical gardening....hopefully with no hurricanes.
David/ :-)
Hi Bluestem,
I'd never leave you out. You have one of the finest prairie gardens in Texas if not the U.S.
I'm just starting to figure out how you make this happen. Your combinations of prairie foliage and wildflowers need to be in a national level magazine for others to see.
David/ :-)
Happy blogiversary, David! I've enjoyed getting to know you and your garden through your always interesting posts. And you always go the extra mile with your headers and now the leaves of your blogging tree. It's fun to see the progression of your immersion in blogdom.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. Your garden tours and fun, creative landscaping makes visits to your garden blog a pure delight. I also love how tuned in your are to nature and ways to make a garden look inviting, yet so natural. Your planting schemes are a work of art. It's what most of us strive for and you lead the way. Your blog shows the world the quintessential Texas garden.
Here's to another fun year (hopefully without this nasty drought)
David/ :-)
Dave, fun and joyful post. Thank you for including me. And yes I believe it is a giant swallowtail you viewed on my Wednesday post. Happy anniversay! Aren't gardeners a class act?
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks so much for visiting me and putting my blog on your favorite list!! Yours is a keeper for me. I'll be following along. It's thrilling to hear from Texas. We lived there for 7 years in SugarLand. Then, we moved to the Missouri City location onto a 3 acre gorgeous country lot. Up till today, we miss it. Love the header photo above and the idea of the leaf bulletins! I'll be back. Have a great day!
ReplyDeletejean @ thecottageonpilgrimsfarm
This is such a sweet idea. And it gives me a lot of new people to visit! :)
ReplyDeleteHey David,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! There are so many great garden bloggers out there. When I started blogging, I had no idea there were other people just as obsessed about gardening as I am. Isn't it great to find others around the world and in your own backyard (sorta speak) that have similar interests!? Thanks for my leaf.
How did I miss this post? A very belated but still very sincere congratulations on having reached your 1st year (and 1 month) mark. I'm looking at your leaves and realize that there are so many blogs we DON'T have in common. Boggles the mind, doesn't it? :D
ReplyDeleteCheers to you and more power to your blog!