Earlier this week I was invited by a work colleague whom I had never met to have a coffee and talk about my blog. I was flattered. We had a lively conversation and at the end of it I was glad to have met someone else with an interest in plants and gardening. My colleague is taking a sabbatical and has enrolled in a course at Chelsea Physic Garden. She is starting her journey toward horticultural enlightenment and considering how she might document it.
I tend to live my life on autopilot, so our chat turned out to be a good opportunity to remind myself of why I started blogging and consider what motivates me to continue. When I started out with The Frustrated Gardener I knew a little about gardening but nothing about blogging. I jumped straight in at the deep end, launching my site within hours of having the initial brainwave, and learning on the job. It is not a bad way to start, but perhaps not appropriate for the more cautious. Almost six years on I still know a little about gardening, but sufficient about blogging to have accrued almost 1,000,000 views. This post will be my 870th.
Using WordPress made my foray into blogging more straightforward than I had anticipated. It is instinctive and simple to use; you might also say fun, even if you’re not technologically minded, like me. I would recommend WordPress, whilst at the same time admitting it’s the only platform I know. I have hesitated to write this post as it does feel a little self-indulgent; after all I am not an ‘expert’ and I only have experience of writing one blog on quite a narrow subject. Nevertheless I believe I have something to offer other amateur gardeners or plant lovers who are exploring the idea of starting their own blog. Here are my top ten tips:
1. Be Authentic
Let’s be honest, there is no shortage of text books available to tell you how to garden the text-book way. They are largely written by people far more knowledgeable than you or I will ever be. People subscribe to blogs to get a different, personal and slightly more informal angle on a subject. My advice is to write about what you know and what you love. If you don’t have first hand experience of a subject, what are you going to offer that isn’t documented elsewhere? If you don’t love what you are doing, how are you going to stay motivated? Consider what insight you can offer that others cannot – perhaps you have experience of growing a certain group of plants, work or garden in a unique location? When you write, do so from the heart; for better or for worse, your readers want to hear about your unique thoughts and experiences, not read a regurgitation of Wikipedia.
2. Have a set of guiding principles
I have found it helpful to decide a set of principles to guide what I write and how I present it. Many relate to these tips. For example, if I finish a post and I don’t think it’s good enough, I won’t publish it, regardless of the time it’s taken me. I want there to be a feeling of quality and originality about my blog which won’t be enhanced by rushed, inaccurate or flimsy posts. I also use my own images unless I really don’t have anything appropriate in my archive, in which case I ask permission from the photographer (or, rarely, buy a stock image). In settling on your principles it’s helpful to be clear what you want to get out of your blog. In my case I wanted an outlet for my passion for plants, and a reason to stretch myself horticulturally. I make myself research the plants I write about and gain knowledge for myself whilst sharing it with others. I also wanted an identity that was not related to my work. Blogging gave me a new lease of life at a time when my job felt all-consuming. It still is, but I now have a better work/life balance. I check in with myself occasionally to make sure I am being true to my principles and consider if they need updating.
3. Be Relevant
This piece of advice is especially pertinent to gardening blogs, and you can take it or leave it. I recommend you write what’s relevant to the season or the next few weeks, rather than looking backwards. My observation is that people visit gardening blogs looking for inspiration and information about what to do right now, rather than see what they have missed. My draft folder is chock-a-block with posts that I started and then the moment passed. I leave them there and occasionally resurrect them eleven months later. In the UK we live in a country which is blessed with defined seasons. Use them to guide your posts and your readers will find your writing instantly relevant …. unless they reside in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case they will enjoy the stark contrast! If you are offering practical advice, then do this shortly before the task you are writing about needs doing. Your readers will appreciate the timely reminder.
Whilst being relevant, be aware that your followers will be most active during the growing year …. so from March until October, probably peaking in late May, when coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show converts even the most plant-phobic types into wannabe gardeners. You will need to sustain yourself and your readers through the autumn and winter months, so plan topics you can write about when the garden isn’t at its finest: posts about bulb planting, seed purchasing, Christmas decorating, hellebores and snowdrops fuel many a gardening blog through the winter.
4. Be Accurate and Literate
Your blog is an extension of yourself and a source of information and inspiration for others. Don’t appear slapdash by making simple grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. I agonise over grammar and sentence construction constantly, having left of school with little or no understanding of either. I won’t pretend I don’t make mistakes, but I make a concerted effort not to. When referring to plants by name, make sure they are accurate. It takes no time at all to check a name using Google or the RHS website. If nothing else, you can use this exercise to confirm your brilliance or your fallibility. In my case, it’s generally the latter.
5. Be Adventurous
I began blogging because I wanted to stretch myself technologically and horticulturally. You will have different reasons for writing a blog, but for it to be interesting over a long period you need to be adventurous. This does not necessarily mean trekking to the top of Kilimanjaro, although this will certainly earn you followers if you write eloquently about the experience, but it does help to seek out new and different subjects for your readers. I have certainly visited gardens and delved into the undergrowth where perhaps I might not have normally, in order to have an interesting anecdote to write about. When possible, go the extra mile to gain original material and insights to share. For example, if you’re visiting a garden and spot one of the gardening team at work, ask them what they are up to and which plants they think are looking their best. Go beyond the guide-book and your followers will lap it up.
Being adventurous may also be a case of taking an interesting angle on a subject. If you’re going to be controversial, just be aware that not all your followers will necessarily agree with you. And, of course, stay safe. How ever ravishing that orchid on the cliff-edge looks, it’s not worth risking life and limb for. Get a zoom lens instead.
6. Don’t become a slave to your blog
This is a trap I think many bloggers fall into from time to time. If you become too attached to your statistics page then you will soon feel pressure to respond to the number of visits and visitors. Blogging can be addictive, and like any drug that’s not healthy over a period of time. Do post regularly as your readers will appreciate keeping in touch, but don’t feel forced to write to order. I have found myself on occasion getting out of bed during periods of serious illness to post, and staying in my hotel room whilst on exotic holidays to get a piece published. This is madness. Life really is too short. Unless you are using your blog to make a living, let it go and live in the present.
7. Understand how to attract an audience
If you are thinking of writing a blog I can only assume that you would like other folk to read it. There are millions of blogs on the Internet so it’s highly unlikely that people will stumble over your little masterpiece on their own. You do not need to be a computer nerd or marketing guru to start building up a following. In the early days, encourage friends and family to sign up and, in turn, tell their friends and families. If you have a Facebook or Twitter profile, set your blog up so that posts appear in your feed. Ensure you have a ‘follow me’ button installed on your home page. Most importantly, do not be shy. The more interconnected you become, the more your audience will grow.
Once you become established as a blogger, start to heed the posts and topics that your audience enjoy most and write more on the same theme. Keep popular posts updated. A basic understanding of SEO (search engine optimisation) will help you write posts that will be surfaced by the likes of Google. Search engines value the type of unbiased, ‘rich content’ generated by bloggers, so don’t be surprised to see one of your posts returned at the top of the list, especially if it’s about a niche subject.
8. Be interactive
Attention breeds attention. Read other blogs, like posts and leave comments. You will learn and be inspired by what others blog about and quickly build up a virtual community of followers who will also read, like and leave comments on your posts. I need to follow my own advice here and devote more time to reading other blogs. I always reply to comments, even if it’s just with a simple ‘thank you’. A blog operated in splendid isolation will be slow to grow. There are groups you can join on Facebook which will connect you with other like-minded bloggers. Occasionally they may even arrange pleasantly old-fashioned events where bloggers can meet face to face rather than via their computer keyboards.
9. safety first
Cyber security is a hot topic at the moment. Alas, I am no expert here; it’s something I need to investigate further. Once you’ve chosen which blogging platform to use, check for help on how to protect your blog from hackers and viruses. WordPress comes with a piece of software, Jetpack, a ‘plugin’ that protects the site from most sources of danger. You may imagine that a gardening blog would be of little interest to a hacker, but it may not be your botanical knowledge they are after. Set a secure password and change it often. You can also download and save a full copy of your blog periodically just in case the worst should ever happen.
10. enjoy IT
Blogging was not invented as an addition to our everyday portfolio of chores. How ever you decide to approach your blog, make sure it fits with your lifestyle otherwise it will not last very long. If, like me, you are inspiration-rich and time-poor, don’t set yourself up with the task of blogging daily at length. Chances are it will make you stressed and miserable. Make writing fit with your schedule and tailor your posts to the time you can devote to them. Quality always wins over quantity. The moment blogging becomes a chore, seek to redress the balance or take a different direction. You make the rules.
Blogging has made me a better writer and, to an extent, a better gardener. I have learnt to take reasonable photographs, although I’d always like to do better. It has brought me into contact with many wonderful new people and garnered occasional media attention. But, most importantly, it has made me more than someone who just works, eats and sleeps, which is why I began. By that measure alone I count it as a success. Heed these tips and hopefully the same will be true for you. TFG.
If you can add to these tips, embellish or refute them, or if you’d like to share your own experiences of writing a blog, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below.
Categories: blogging, Practical Advice
Hello Dan. I find your 10 Top Tips very useful for anyone who wants to start blogging …
I have been following your blog for 2 years ( or so 🙂 ) and it always makes me smile , especially at this dark time of the year. Love your photos and the style of your writing. And even if I am an amateur gardener and won’t write a blog soon, I may use your tips in the future 🙂 Have a nice evening and Sunday ( tomorrow ) .
I hope I can share a little of what I have learned Paul. It’s all been thanks to on-the-job training! Thank you for supporting me.
Very well said!
Thank you Barbara x
Hello Dan, this is all excellent advice, I’ve been writing my blog for a while now and can only say that I agree with everything you have said. Thanks.
Thank you for the endorsement Alison. I could have gone on and on but tried to keep the advice succinct. I’m glad my tips rang true.
This is still somewhat new to me. I only started in September.
Well, you are almost six months in, congratulations! Before you know it, it will be six years 😉
This is a really interesting take on blogging and one that I think is all the better for your “live your life” approach. I’ve had blogs before that have been successful, but have felt like a chore. I really enjoy writing about gardening and smallholding and have to say that the people I read feel much friendlier than the blogs I follow about other topics. And they’re helpful too! Good point about Chelsea by the way, I shall bear that in mind!
Thank you. Gardeners are friendly folk and always willing to impart advice. I guess sharing is part of the job description 🙂
The first point is oh so important. Together with the care given to words, it is the voice’s singularity I find most interesting and attractive in a blogpost, as in most texts. I have to add I find your pictures absolutely stunning, as is the design of your blog.
Thank you x. This is the longest I’ve kept a theme going on my blog. Despite some frustrations, I like the simplicity and flexibility of it. When I read my posts I struggle to identify a particular tone of voice, but I guess I must have one. I write very much as the words come into my head.
Hi Dan,
I know you’ve said in the past your photos are from your iPhone. Which one do you have? What is the beautiful purple iris and the last flower pic in pink please?
I have an iPhone X right now, although both of the pictures you mention were taken using my DSLR. The iris is ‘George’. I regret that I don’t know which prunus bears the bright pink blossom. It’s an early flowerer, photographed at Goodnestone Park many years ago.
This blog is so encouraging and so helpful – great thoughts and tips. My mentor has been Alexandra Campbell of middlesizegarden and with her help I have been blogging for over a year now. All your ten points are bang on and I look forward to reading everyone else’s comments to it. Best wishes, Julie
Thank you Julie. The Middle-Sized Garden is in a different league altogether. I can only aspire!
Number#11. Make it your personal journey and share it with the world. Dan. Look where you started and look where you are. Look not only the numbers of hits but the diversity of people in countries. I know it may seem strange to you but I feel like I’m in Kent everytime you post. No different from me being in Victorian London reading Dickens. Thanks for pics of witchhazels.
Glad you spotted those. Not having a car means I am a bit restricted for gardens to visit to see witch hazels. They are very special plants.
I wish I were as industrious as you are…
Like you, I jumped in at the deep end but WP is so easy to use. (Tried blogger.com to start with but didn’t find it as satisfying to use.)
And after almost six years of blogging, I’ve been able to advise colleagues who are just setting on their blogging journey, too. Not that I’d consider myself and old hack by any stretch of the imagination!
Certainly not! Perish the thought!!
Hello, just wanted to say that I enjoy your posts, they bring fresh air into my inbox and remind me why gardening is so enjoyable as well as so frustrating sometimes. Thank you. Penny
Thanks Penny! Lovely to hear that my posts brighten your day. Thank you for following me. Dan
Really excellent advice and as always a beautiful set of photos. I really admire your production values. My own pathetic efforts can only find renewed inspiration from this post! P.S. I would love to visit your garden(s) when they are open. I have a tiny plot off Victoria Parade/ Chandos Square which I am struggling to develop.
You are welcome to pop around any time Tim, no need to wait for the opening. I might be able to suggest some plants that grow well for me. The official opening dates are August 4th and 5th.
That’s very kind. I am not often down in Broadstairs, which is a big part of the problem, but will drop you a line next time I am coming down and see if it is convenient for you.
Great. Originally I was only in Broadstairs at weekends, and then not all of them, and it was a struggle, so I sympathise.
Great tips to take on board, thank you. My own blog is mainly a way to help me remember how each of my gardens has been created, what has worked and what needs to change. It is also a different way for me to recall gardens I’ve visited and how they made me feel at the time.
Importantly, for me, reading your blog reminds me that whilst I’m comparing plants you have in bloom to my bare scratch of earth, similar blooms will eventually have their moment – even if they might be 6 weeks later up here.
Well, looks like we are in for a cold snap over the weekend and into next week, so that will slow everything down.
I don’t record what I do in the garden in any other form than in my blog, so it’s very much an album-cum-diary-cum-notebook-cum-memory jogger for me too! Also, writing something down helps me to reflect and crystallise my thoughts.
These should be guiding principles for anyone even thinking about blogging. 🙂 I think #6 is indeed a trap that bloggers tend to fall into. My situation is a bit different because of the three blogs I have, the other two are meant to be “online encyclopedias” about their subject, rather than a narrative/commentary as this one (The Chatsworth Lady) is. So I do feel more pressure to add content to the others, because I know that people are using them as a reference for buying and selling certain items. My personal blog is definitely more of a “when the mood strikes and time allows” situation, LOL 🙂
Three blogs!!! That’s a commitment. I think the key is that you need to control the blog, rather than the blog controlling you. Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Erudite and as informative as ever. I agree with all your points, but might add that it is not a bad idea to take a break from time to time and only write when you feel you have something to contribute.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve never been brave enough to take a significant break, but I will only post if I have something worthwhile to say. Dan
Very sound advice, succinctly put. I definitely advise the ‘don’t become a slave to your blog’ tip! It’s good to take a break now and then, and to come back refreshed. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog, Dan, and admiring your wonderful photos. Thank you.
Thank you Sam. Perhaps this will be the year our paths will finally cross?!
As someone who has just dove into the deep end of blogging this has rung very true. Thank you.
It’s a reasonable way to get going Sarah. As a fairly new, informal means of communication there are no set rules. Make them up as you go along and enjoy the freedom. Dan
I’ve just started blogging and these tips are incredibly helpful, thank you.
That’s good to hear. Enjoy your new blogging career. Judging by your first posts you’re a natural. And, I am now following you. Dan 🙂
Thank you very much 😊 I’ll learn to get my notifications right so I reply sooner than 6 days 😬
I have just started blogging also, and your post contains very useful information, thank you. I have not been able to attach a follow button to my page, so if anyone can enlighten me on that, I would be very grateful.
Hi Jane. I’m not sitting in front of my laptop right now, but if you go to your dashboard, then ‘Appearance’, then ‘Widgets’ and add the ‘Follow Blog’ widget to your side bar then it should appear on your site. Dan
Hi Dan, thank you so much for your answer. I did as you suggested, but I don’t see a follow blog widget. I did however see the following:
Note: Readers can also follow your blog using the follow button on the bottom right corner of your site, as long as you have published 2 or more posts
Perhaps this happens automatically. I have published more than two posts, so hopefully there’s a follow button there somewhere.
That’s curious. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. I double checked my advice when I got to work today and it seemed correct. Perhaps it’s because the theme you are using does not have that particular widget. My expertise only stretches so far I’m afraid.
Well I’ve found The Anxious Gardner in WordPress and now I found you the Frustrated Gardner! I am The Lazy Gardner! lol I hate to weed so more often than not I don’t!
I’ll let you into a secret. I don’t weed very often either, hardly ever in fact. The secret is to plant everything closely together and never let the weeds see the light of day!
I must downsize my garden so the can do just that!
These are great tips for anyone who is starting out or currently blogging. I don’t think these tips are limited to just garden blogs either. Thanks for the reminders!
Thank you Erik. In return I am very happy to have discovered your blog and your wonderful sketches. What style you have! Dan
Thanks, Dan! I forgot how much I enjoyed things out here in blog land. It’s nice to be back and active again.
Thank you Dan for this excellent summary. If I may, can I ask where you host all your photos? Over at visitinghousesandgardens.com I’ve been blogging for years, but recently I’ve had to make the decision that I’m going to need to move all my photos to another host, photobucket having decided to increase fees to extortionate levels. https://visitinghousesandgardens.com/2017/11/12/closed-for-spring-cleaning/
It’s going to be a major undertaking – I’m expecting a few days, with the opportunity to do some tidying up along the way of posts etc.
Your experience and ideas would be gratefully received!
Robin
Hi Robin. I keep them all on a pair of hard drives. I use one most of the time and the other for back up. Maybe not the most secure solution, but I haven’t ever gotten around to doing anything else.
I would relish the opportunity to have a day or a week to do routine maintenance on my blog. It never seems to present itself. I know I have pages that desperately need updating and others that I want to create. It’s all the stuff that people don’t see. Well done to you for tackling the job head-on. I’d be interested to know what you do decide in terms of photo storage as you’ve made me feel I should have something more robust in place.
Wishing you an excellent weekend. Dan
Aah. Double back up is wise. Do you then just upload the photos direct to WordPress?
Re. your comment re. the London spring show about being a man of leisure, I have just taken the jump to take the rest of the year off as sabbatical and pursue this (being writing at visitinghousesandgardens) and other things (e.g. my RHS Level II exams) for the next 10 months. Exciting! I’m sure, however, I’m about to find myself busier than I ever was with a 9-5 job, where I went for a sit down between all the house and garden tripping.
Robin
Thank you for sharing, I’m new to blogging and this was very helpful!
I’m pleased to hear it. Good luck with your blog. I hope you find writing it fun and rewarding.
Superb advice Dan, you’ve definitely shown that the top priority is to have a passion for what you’re writing about. I’ve been on it for just over a year and follow a podcast called Problogger which has helped me loads, more in the way of encouragement to keep going, how to handle that work life balance and not feel guilty when you step back for a break or miss a deadline. Enjoyment is key, and every day is a learning day. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Thank you. Your blog is very professional so clearly have learned fast! Congratulations. I have the odd day when I don’t have the energy to write but most days it is a pleasure. Today it just flowed, although the topic was a bit grim! Have a great week. Dan
Wonderful advice! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
Thanks for this fab post. I’ve been stumbling around on my blog for a few years now. Wish I’d come across this earlier.
I’m happy you found it useful. It takes a while to find your feet with a blog. I find it’s best (and more fun) to write what comes naturally. Dan
Hi I’ve just started my own blog (self documentation of my hobbies) and found this really useful. I’m excited to create something others will enjoy reading. My first garden is in the planning process and my many projects will add colour and interest in winter. Thanks, Amy
Good luck with your blog and with your garden project Amy. It looks like you have a blank canvas to work with, which in many ways is the easiest way to get going. The blog will motivate you to keep working on the garden and provide a constant source of topics and anecdotes in return. Dan
Hi Dan! I seem to have found your blog at the perfect time, having just launched my blog today! Thanks for the tips, especially about seasonal readership. I look forward to reading more. Diana
What a beautiful house and garden you have! I’m excited to see how your plans develop …. and don’t worry, I’ve not planted any seeds yet either. I tend to do it later, as I don’t have a heated greenhouse. Good luck. Dan
Enjoyed this post very much Dan, especially the advice about keeping it real with your own experiences and pictures. My blog is growing slowly and so is my garden – its finding the time that’s the biggest problem. We live in the middle of no where with no mains electricity or water so daily life is a challenge. Do you enjoy your social media or is it a necessary chore to promote the blog? There’s just not enough hours in the day, yeh? MumInTheWoods
Hello MumInTheWoods! I cannot imagine living without mains electricity or water. I don’t know how you do it, but good on you. Your carbon footprint must be minimal. I guess that must mean no wifi either, although possibly this isn’t your greatest challenge.
I do enjoy my social media on the whole. I love all the ideas and comments I get from it, although it can sometimes make one feel inadequate! I have most things linked up so I don’t consciously spend much time promoting my blog. It’s never been a commercial exercise, but it is important to me that it’s good quality and enjoyed. Dan
Good morning. This was a grest post. I love landscaping, and everything outside. I recently started my blog about getting out and enjoying your experiences. I think its great that you could get so many posts from gardening, and it gives me inspiration about including my passion for landscaping into my writings.
Thx again and Congrats!
Yes, you definitely should. There are many people out there searching for sound advice about gardening and garden making, so I am sure you’ll have a lot to contribute. Dan
Thanks Dan.
I’ll be sure to follow for further inspiration!!
Many thanks for following 🙂
This post just came up on my reader. I’m a new blogger and dealing with some of these practical issues. Thank you for the advice.
You are very welcome Lindi. I wish you success with your blog. Dan
These are great tips for a new blogger like myself! Than you!
Great! I’m glad you found them helpful Jane.
Hello, Dan. Just this afternoon your recent post appeared on my WordPress Reader. I especially appreciate your list of garden blogging tips since, as a fairly recent blogger, I’m still learning. One tip I’d add in the area of saving one’s work is to set up a notebook binder, as I’ve done. After publishing each weekly blog, I print out a hard copy and clip it into the binder, complete with any pictures and photographs I’ve included. This has been my practice with all my written work, from essays to poetry not on WordPress, just as I had kept copies of my newspaper stories in the past. Thanks again! ~ Jo (in the Pacific Northwest, USA)
That’s a lovely idea Jo, thank you. I’ve had many people suggest I turn the blog into a book, which is also an interesting idea. I guess it would be like a book of letters. I think in time I could structure it like a diary, comparing posts from different years. I must admit I am very poor at getting around to these sorts of things though.
Have a super weekend. Dan
Just started my blog a few weeks ago. This is invaluable advice. Thank you!
I’m glad you found the post helpful. Thank you for your comment. Dan
Ha! I was “signed up”…literally! My boyfriend signed me up for a WordPress account to start a love of cooking blog about 2ish years ago. I wasn’t dragged kicking and screaming but I wasn’t exactly sure anyone would care what I had to say. Turns out, I have alot to say, sometimes too much and sometimes to little and far between. Such an amateur!
I’m retiring soon and resurrecting the blog and cleaning up ALL the technical stuff and errors is high on the list of things to do now that I’ll have time to relax and enjoy doing it.
So, I just came across your 10 tips. It was the name of your blog that drew me in as its spring over here in Canada, well, on the south coast anyway so I’m looking for gardening ideas.
It may just be the Frustrated Gardener has lured me to what i needed to hear (read) most! Those tips are excellent and I know I’m going to be referring back to them often for inspiration.
Thank you Frustrated Gardner Dan!!
Karen of Karoony’s Kitchen
My pleasure Karen. I’d love the opportunity to do a good spring clean of my blog. I try to do little bits here and there. Having changed themes a few times I have older posts that are not structured brilliantly. After 6 years there are probably some post I could improve and re-publish knowing what I know now, but there’s always so much new to write about! It sounds like you are not short of ideas either?
Enjoy spring in Canada. It’s been a long time coming here. My garden needs a lot of attention this weekend.
Do let me know when your blog is up and running again. Have a great weekend.
Dan, aka The Frustrated Gardener.
Thanks for the tips, lots to think about now. I have just started to write a blog as I have a passion for gardening and have tended my own for 30 plus years, learning from my mistakes. I run a freelance business Girl Friday (Hull) Ltd and gardening is a service I offer. I want my blog to stimulate others to think about what they could make of their garden (if local they may like my help) . I love wildlife too and although mine is a city garden it attracts lots of wildlife. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I’ll keep checking in to your posts. Victoria
Please do! It sounds like you’ll have a lot of useful advice and wisdom to impart. Keep at it. I can see you’ve made a great start. Even better if you can use your blog to drum up some business. Dan
Thanks Dan. I’m enjoying it so far.
Reblogged this on Wag 'n Bietjie.
Many thanks for the tips which are helpful to a relatively new blogger like me. Gardening is a joy, isn’t it? So glad you’ve found a way to balance it with blogging.
I do try to achieve a balance, but it changes with the gardening year. Annoyingly in winter there’s less to write about and less to do in the garden. In April and May there are endless subjects to write about and endless jobs to do in the garden, so my rule is that I can only blog after dark! Dan
Makes sense to me. Winter is when I am dreaming of Spring (so much for staying in the moment) and come Spring, Summer and Fall, there’s so much to do I don’t want to be inside!
Dear Dan, thank you so much for this post! I found it at just the right moment, as I am starting my own blog dedicated to urban gardening. I find your advice extremely valuable and will make sure to use it often as I build my blog!
You certainly have a great USP Tatiana and a great name for your blog. I wish you lots of success with it. I shall be following your progress! Dan
Thank you, Dan! It means a lot!
Dan I volunteer at Chelsea Physic Garden so could meet your friend for a coffee there which would be lovely. Can you put us in touch? Julie Quinn Thursday Office Volunteer
I will dig out her contact details!
Hello Dan, The best 10 chapters of advice I have read, thanks! I’a professional clockmaker – retired, amateur gardener – mostly berries, some herbs, making compost, amateur photographer and frustrated webber. South Africa, Western Province ( winter-rain, if it comes eventually )
Hello! Thanks for leaving a comment. So many wonderful plants come from your part of the world. For some reason I seem particularly attracted to them. We’ve had far more rain in England than we deserve this winter which, along with cold, has been destructive. But we move on with hope and anticipation, don’t we?
Hi Dan, since I enjoy gardening and very often find myself frustrated by that which hampers me having a bloomin’ good garden, your blog title immediately attracted me, as well as those stunning purple Irises. Mostly though because I’m a fairly new blogger and last posted a blog over 2 years ago I found your 10 tips for blogging so enlightening and inspiring. Thank you!
That’s brilliant. I hope you feel inspired to pick blogging up again. Dan
Hello Dan, I was just thinking about starting a gardening blog and came upon your top 10 tips. These are really helpful. Thank you for sharing them. I will put more time and thought before launching my blog!
Do that, but don’t hold back for too long! I learnt on the job. Chances are your audience will be small to begin with so you can’t do much harm by experimenting. You can make refinements as you go, and once you’re out there you will start to learn what your followers like to hear about. Good Luck! Dan
I’m so happy I stumbled across your post on Discover. Advice from a seasoned blogger is always welcome – especially from one who is a gardener. 🙂 Looking forward to following you and learning more from you. By the way, I loved all of your tips. I especially loved your advice on being authentic, accurate, and literate. I, like you, take pride presenting posts that are new, well-written, and, grounded in research. Thanks for the great post, Dan!
Oh, and I love your beautiful photos. I’m sitting here looking out of my window and I see is white. We’ve received almost 20 inches of snow in the last 24-hours here in the northern U.S. It will be awhile before we see the blooming daffodils and tulips.
Blimey! That is late in the year to have so much snow. I hope it thaws soon. We’re looking forward to warm weather this week and I expect the whole country to be having a barbecue on Saturday. It does not take a lot of heat to get people outdoors here in England!
I can see from your blog that you have very high standards and great content on your blog – I’m not sure who should be taking advice from who! I look forward to keeping up with your adventures. Keep warm! Dan
Dan, thank you kindly for your kind words. This first year of blogging has been eye-opening, but thoroughly enjoyable. I’m excited to start this next year, and I’m pleased that you’re along for the ride.
Enjoy your barbeque on Saturday, and please send some of your warm weather this way.
Cheers!
Good jardinier . Keep going on your gardening arts.
I will, thank you Steven!
Great advice Dan! Thank you. I will keep these tips in mind. Great pics also. I look forward to reading your gardening-related posts moving forward.
Thank you so much!