What is the blog about?
This blog will provide information and advice on all things gardening, while following my journey as I implement what I talk about in my own garden. While it will cover a wide variety of garden topics suitable for any experience and situation, my personal focus is on making my garden as 'natural' as possible. I'm trying to be as self-sufficient in the garden as possible, through things like making my own fertiliser and re-using things for the garden, to saving seeds to grow from. These aren't do-able for everyone, or not everyone wants to do them, but even if you don't or can't implement them, that doesn't mean this blog isn't for you, because it will still be garden focused, and hopefully interesting or useful to as many people as possible.
What is gardening?
I guess now would be the time to touch on what gardening actually is. Gardening, put simply, is growing plants in a dedicated space. Humans have been doing this for thousands of years. Even though it sounds simple, gardens, and the act of gardening, can encompass a lot. Maybe you want an ornamental garden that looks pretty? Or a nature haven? Or flowers that you can cut and put in a vase or give to loved ones? Or you want to grow plants that you can eat? Or something else? For most of us it's a combination, there isn't just one reason we garden. For me it's certainly a mixture. I'm lucky enough to have a very large garden, which allows me space to grow crops, which was what got me into gardening in the first place, but there is still space for me to grow flowers that look nice and attract pollinators, while leaving some of the garden 'wild' and still having some leisure space. And of course, the excuse to get outside into the fresh air, and hopefully some sunshine, although as any readers from the UK will know all too well, that's no guarantee. And to spend time with family, both gardening and discussing the garden and our produce. The blog will cover a range of topics within gardening, hopefully hitting on every reason people have for gardening, and providing all types of gardeners with many interesting and relevant posts.
Gardening can be overwhelming for anyone, but especially if you are new to it or looking up a topic for the first time. I know that I'm always looking for information and am often met with such a barrage of information that it can be overwhelming, and I sort of gloss over it and it doesn't really sink in as there is too much. And I find that this is often because people talk about the best case scenario or the thing done perfectly, diving right into the complexities of it, and leave it at that. And I'm just there looking for something simple to get started with. So what I'm going to do is break things down into separate, easy to digest categories, that can be read fairly quickly, and provide information that can be useful for different experience levels. For example, compost can be very complex, with different types of materials to put in, at certain ratios, a certain amount of oxidation, etc. which is a lot of information to take in. But if you are just starting out, simply putting food and garden scraps into a compost pile is a great start if previously you would throw them out. And as you gain experience with it, you can improve and dive more in depth, maybe starting to turn it, then focusing on the ratios, etc. Obviously I'm not going to stop you diving right in if that's what works for you, but the options will be there for each topic, ranging from a simple place to start, to the more 'advanced' things that you can do.
What will the frequency of full blog posts be?
This is my first blog post, and for the first 4 weeks my aim is to post 3 full blog posts every week, hopefully Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The following 4 weeks I will be aiming for 2 full blog posts every week, hopefully on Mondays and Fridays. By that point there will be 20 full posts up on my site and from then onwards, which will be the week beginning 2nd December 2024, the typical schedule will be 1 post per week.
The last week of every month will be a post that looks ahead to the following month. What animals or plants to keep an eye out for, and what to plant, harvest, or prepare in the garden. The remaining 3-4 posts each month will be on other topics within the garden, often released when I think they are going to be most relevant. From sowing seeds, to making fertiliser, to how to harvest or use plants, and many more.
The final section of each post will be about my journey in relation to the post. Sometimes there will be lots to write about and even pictures to share, but other times it may just be a quick mention. This will cover my experiences with it, my intention with it, or how it's currently going. I want to be able to relate each post to my journey so that you know that when i talk about things it's something that I believe in or will be trying alongside you. Sometimes this will be able to help you and I might even be able to troubleshoot things.
How to keep up to date with the blog?
I have an Instagram account where I will post about every blog post and mini blog post.
I also have a Pinterest account where I will post linking to every blog and mini blog.
Right here on the blog, through the mini blog schedule post at the end of each month. You can find mini blog posts as they will have the tag "mini blog".
You can subscribe through either Netvibes or Yahoo through the subscribe button at the bottom of the page, or you can publicly follow it, using the follow button, both of which will allow you to get notified of a new post.
Mini blogs
I mentioned "full blog posts" earlier, which are like this one, because as well as full blog posts, there will be mini blogs, which will be labelled as such. These will be in their own section and a different format. Maybe I've noticed something interesting or exciting in the garden, or I've come across a problem, used something I've grown, want to give an update about something I've talked about, and much more. Anything that I want to share with you but aren't suited to, enough for, or at the right time for a full blog post. These will hopefully give you some insight into me and my journey, alongside the full posts, and allow me to connect with you, the community that I hope to build here and share our journey's together, as well as providing useful information or giving you some ideas.
How to find blog posts
Through the search bar at the top of the website, just search for the topic you want, and if I have posted about it then it should show up. I also use the label "mini blog" for my mini blog posts and "full blog" for my full blog posts, so you can find all mini blog or full blog posts that way.