Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Why do you blog?

Well, that’s making a bit of an assumption isn’t it? I know not everyone reading this is a blogger. So those of you who do blog (on gardening or otherwise), why? Why did you start blogging and why do you continue?Recently I’ve read about several bloggers who are turning off the comments function on their blogs. Some are saying that anticipating comments, and what they will say, is interfering with their blogging creativity. I guess on some level I can understand that. After all I’ve felt the questioning “but why don’t they have anything to say about this?” after I’ve posted on a topic I feel passionate about but that elicits very few comments. However I’ve also grown to realize that’s part of the fun, seeing what images and words will get a response and what ones will not, I just never know. For me, without your comments this blogging thing wouldn’t be half the fun. I love the interaction and the sense of community that the commenting function on my blog, and those that I read, allows. Without your comments I wouldn’t be having conversations with like minded gardeners in Florida, Texas, California and England let alone right here in Oregon and Washington, and that’s what I’ve grown to value most.So I’m curious…if you are a blogger why did you start? And what keeps you blogging? Would you ever consider turning off the comments function on your blog?
(A note on the pictures: I just couldn’t do a post without including a few images! I took these Euphorbia pictures earlier this month but didn’t have anything in mind to do with them. So often my camera fails to pick up the blue color in the leaves instead turning them green, the light that particular morning had them glowing extra blue and fortunately the camera was able to capture it)

21 comments:

  1. I saw that plant in a garden recently, and I was dying to figure out what it was. I'm glad you posted it!
    blogging...I started out on a mission to correct the myths of lawn care. And, I ended up just talking about what I've been working on, tools I've used, or what I've seen.
    I crave the comments! I love knowing when people have had similar experiences, or are interested in trying something because I blogged about it. I really enjoy what other people have to say on the topics too. Mine isn't the only opinion.

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  2. Great points. For me, blogging on gardens or natural areas that inform them, is a distraction from other tasks, a welcome break, and maybe a drug!

    Not to mention, I like to educate people about what is not so common, and show them options to all the overdone and bad out there. I like to inspire people on *easily* attained possibilities in their landscapes.

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  3. Oh my goodness, I could answer this question for days. I was encouraged to read a blog of a friend of mine who has 10 kids, this is how her family and friends kept up with all of them and their antics. While browsing around I found people who blogged about gardening, I was so in then! I have met the most sweet spirited, generous gardeners through blogging. What a wealth of information and free. If you notice there seems to be circles of friends that always visit one another, although everyone is welcome. I have many interests and visit different topic blogs, I have always felt welcomed and a return visit from them almost always, when time allows. I would never consider turning off my comment...I'm a stay at home mom and this is my adult conversations..I love all of my comments good, bad or indifferent. Corrective criticism is welcome as well. Such therapy in it too. AND the seed/plant swaps I have participated in are outstanding....can't wait to do mine again, probably after Christmas though....I'll shut up now, tee hee...

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  4. ditto on never turning off comments. For me garden blogs are all about having a dialog with other gardeners like myself. In my non-internet life I don't know any other gardeners who are as passionate about ornamentals as I am. If couldn't comment on blogs or get comments on mine, I'd be talking my wife's ear off about plants all the time and she gets tired of that real quick. I hope for lots of comments on my posts but I comment on many blogs all the time too. I can't imagine thinking about comments as a distraction to my process. I write what I want and if someone doesn't like it I don't really care. My only real fear is that I write something that is incorrect, but if I do, I hope someone will comment and correct me.

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  5. Because it is super fun and lets me meet cool people like you.

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  6. Totally agree about comments, and why don't people comment on a topic or photo you love! For me I found I was emailing several people photos and updates and a blog makes it much easier. I only started recently and it has been great to share my plants and experience and compare notes with other like yourself.

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  7. Loree, this question is huge and almost deserves a blog post for an answer. Briefly, to keep a record, to force myself to keep track of what plants move in and out of the garden, to keep up with technology, to connect, to share, to meet and chat with great people like you and so many I've met through the blog. I read blogs and commented for a quite a while before starting one, and it feels much closer to communication to keep a blog as a base. I try to write what I would like to read -- and since I can't compete, try to do something different from what magazines do. And probably most of all I do want to do what little I can to spread the wonder I feel about the plant kingdom and how ornamental plants and gardens are as necessary to a rich life as friends, art, books, good food, music.

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  8. i like that blogs allow you to not only share your information and ideas, but also how you feel about them and where they take you. it's such a dynamic, supportive little world!

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  9. I was looking for an outlet. It started wholly about getting some of my big projects down somewhere. A scrap book of sorts. I'm really not sure what it's become, or becoming, but I am enjoying it. I've met some great people through blogging. Online and in real life. It's been a real net positive for me :)

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  10. A euphorbia was one of the first plants I ever bought for a garden. It's long gone now, but I still remember how fascinated I was with the crazy chartreuse blooms.

    That plant started me on the path to becoming a blogger, but I didn't know it yet. :) I have a lot of friends who ask plant questions and they wanted me to write it down for reference. So, my blog began. I didn't really understand what a blog community was at the time but I understand your comments about comments (haha). I think it is very enjoyable to get a conversation going with plant people!

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  11. It was a way to learn. If I write about something I'll do a little research, and think a little more deeply than I do out there amidst the dirt. If I go and look at a garden and then blog about it, I will look a little harder and longer when I'm there.

    Oh that Euphorb, I spent an hour yesterday pulling out seedlings of that puppy. Beautiful I agree, but I'm getting tired of pulling out seedlings. Perhaps it being a little colder where you are, not so durn many?

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  12. I doubt I would ever consider turning off comments - to me it is one of the most powerful traits of blogging. It allows me to receive feedback & to learn from others. Is there a better solution? Am I doing something wrong? I blog to share and learn. Without comments, all I could do is spout my viewpoints; I couldn't grow.

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  13. Blogging justifies buying fancy schmacy camera and taking lots of photos with it. Blogging is a great outlet for someone who writes for pleasure. The comments are very much apart of the experience for me-community.

    I have participated in internet garden forums, bulletin boards,newsgroups and listserves since the olden-days of prodigy ...and have flipped 'imaginary' friends into the real deal, visiting gardens I never would have seen, meeting gardeners I never would have met-and blogging is just one more step along the way. Who is better than gardeners ?

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  14. why do i blog and keep blogging?... i had been treating blog as a journal to keep with the growth stage of plants in the garden. yes, comments really half the fun. I can sense the blue elements in the leaves shown. Cheers ~bangchik

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  15. It's sort of addictive. If you love taking pictures and you are the chatty type...
    Plus, all the back and forth with like minded individuals. I would never turn off the comments!

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  16. Love love the blue Euphorbia.

    My blogging started as a fun way of sharing pics with family and friends who are overseas, then it evolved... I am referring to my other blog (Enjoying the Good Life). The gardening blog started of as a record... but that too evolved. I really do enjoy the feedback/comments.

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  17. No, I'd never turn off the comments. That's a huge part of the joy of blogging for me--the back and forth conversation. I may not always have time to personally answer each comment anymore, but I often go to a commenter's blog to see what they're writing about and leave a comment there. I don't have any gardening friends in the offline world, so blogging has given me entry into the best sort of garden club--friendly, supportive, and enriched by being international (which teaches me a lot).

    Locally, we Austin garden bloggers (there are more than 50 of us now: http://www.penick.net/digging/?page_id=6107 ) have turned our virtual group into a real-life one and have regular meet-ups and plant swaps. How would I have met them if not through blogging?

    Additionally, blogging is a creative outlet, a way to publicize my design business, and it's helped me get writing gigs and make photography sales. Last but not least, it's given me a record of my garden (and past garden) that I treasure.

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  18. I love all of your comments!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. Obviously those hampered by the comments are not garden bloggers, after all the conversations and community they create are such a vital part of why we all do it. I wish I could throw a big party and invite you all.

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  19. Garden bloggers are turning off their comments?!?! Are they smoking crack? That's one of the coolest parts of blogging. We're going to hit our one year anniversary with Far Out Flora in January. I think we started it as an outlet to share our passion for plants as total newbies to the Bay Area. We had also recently purchased a decent SLR camera that could take nice plant pics. I've learned so much about gardening through garden blogs (including yours). Sometimes our non-plant friends don't get that excited when we point out an unusual street tree or fight over the species of something in a yard we walk by in the Mission. The garden blog community makes me feel a little less crazy :)

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  20. I would not consider turning off the comment feature, that would be like turning off the ability to see the photos. Although I have been known to delete a comment of two due to the smell of spam.

    I started blogging in winter when there was not much going on in the real garden. I was also channeling some frustration at having things stolen from my garden and wanted people to know how pissed I was. I am way beyond that now and love being taken all over the world to have conversations with and learn from other gardeners. I also follow a lot of photography and camping/hiking blogs. I have learned much about all those topics, plus I love to share what I know and what I enjoy about living where I do.

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  21. Well, Loree...what more is there to say? Except that it seems like you throw a party right here most every day and invite us all. Thanks for that!

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