Blogs and reviews

[Steve]

I have been doing some perusing and have found a most fascinating feature of our internet life. Whereas we all enjoy Googling for information and referring to things such as best we can, there are abundantly rich sources of not only information but of other proud gardeners and landscapers who invest a personal stake in making their own Blogs. I plan on featuring some of these in the coming days and weeks and reviewing and alluding to what their particular biases are.......i.e. Roses, Ponds, Vegetables, Herbs, etc. These are generally folks with our own love of gardening and design. Many specialize in flowers, others, as mentioned, other areas. There is a nice huge community for our passions and I feel we all gain from checking them out and having them join the fun as well, perhaps.

[Steve]

This blog seems to be a hybrid of elements. Jan is a commercial type who has reams of information based on her experience as a pond maker and trouble shooter in Louisiana. She states facts and shows pictures of some incredible ponds and she deals, initmately, with issues such as 'pond ecology', oxygenation, water plants and fish. Her site is lovely, with links to other places, some more commercial. I really enjoyed visiting this site and plan on revisiting often.

Her site: http://pondlady.blogspot.com/

[neetanddave]

Looks like she found us here too! :D

[Steve]

Yeah, is that cool or what? :SmilieDaisy:

[Steve]

http://www.gardenmob.com/ is a very interesting blog, recently begun by a Landscape Architect whose bias is much more towards plants, and in particular, roses. Barrie has a nice layout and some gorgeous pictures of roses with abundant information regarding them. This is a serious rose lady and her pictures are real eye candy. While her site is brand new, without a bazillion posts, yet, it exudes a wealth of knowledge and experience. A very well-done blog.

[Anne]

Looking forward to reading more blog reviews!

[pondlady]

I try to do a posting daily. We are now in the middle of the one year anniversary celebrations/memorials of Katrina, so things are a bit disorganized around our house. I can hardly believe what we have (and haven't) accomplished in the past year. Sometimes the pond becomes last on the list.

Jan, the pondlady

This blog seems to be a hybrid of elements. Jan is a commercial type who has reams of information based on her experience as a pond maker and trouble shooter in Louisiana. She states facts and shows pictures of some incredible ponds and she deals, initmately, with issues such as 'pond ecology', oxygenation, water plants and fish. Her site is lovely, with links to other places, some more commercial. I really enjoyed visiting this site and plan on revisiting often.

Her site: http://pondlady.blogspot.com/

[Steve]

I hope that is not an offensive title, lol. This blog is full of wondrously well-taken pictures from the grounds at Toddingham Manor in England. Linette has provided a great blog, which she updates somewhat regularly, concerning the chores and events at the "manor". There is illustrative writing, providing seasonal glimpses, plus descriptions of the history of the place in good detail. Check out her picture of the flower from what I believe is a giant Tulipfera Tree, essentially green in color, with orange/red highlights.

I think this is a high quality blog written from the perspective of a dedicated and professional gardener who takes her tasks seriously and who obviously loves her trade. Check it out, lots of gardening knowledge here.

http://toddingtonmanor.blogspot.com/

[Steve]

I am not sure how distasteful bringing this up may be, but I noticed Hurricane Season seems to be on us again. Ernesto (I believe is the name) is about to whack Florida pretty good, it seems. Also, anyone else in the region, I have a question to ask: I have wondered about all these hurricanes, their numbers and their incredible ferocity..........I mean, haven't both categories increased recently? I know that living in Kentucky as a kid, tornados always seemed to avoid us, yet, anymore, they hit with a depressing regularity there. One so hopes environmental issues are not factors in this apparent increase, as in factors regarding human productions not normally in Nature's various cycles.

For what its worth, I have been in another form of natural disaster. I lived 3 miles from the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake in '89, the one that hit Oakland and San Fransisco so hard. Something I will never forget, like a bulldozer hit the house, and kept pushing. A sick, helpless feeling, much as Katrina must have been. I sure hope we can avoid anything remotely similar to Katrina and, as a father, I would hate being implicated or aiding in the nastiness that weather might bring for the next generation.

[Steve]

http://www.ashlandinternet.com/~basile/index.html

This blog is a most informative one, covering a wide variety of garden topics, from bugs to plants and soils. Sally writes extremely well. In fact, her blog is worth reading as much for her style and the easiness of her writing as it is for the in-depth facts of gardening life and themes that she addresses. I suspect we have a college graduate on our hands here, lol. It was hard for me to get away from this readable and fascinating blog and I suspect many here will feel the same way. This is a blog one wants to return to, maybe even often.

She also covers specifics plants in depth. Her opening page deals with varieties of Salvia, one of my own favorite perennials and one I use alot of in my own designs. You will appreciate her depth of understanding and interest in almost anything she applies her sharp gardening mind to. Great blog.

Her living area is Southern Oregon, Zone 7, which does have Winters, although not as severe as here in Reno. Thanks, Sally, for a fascinating blog.

[Anakat]

This one has been in my 'favorites list' for some time, nice to know more people will enjoy it now.


I hope that is not an offensive title, lol. This blog is full of wondrously well-taken pictures from the grounds at Toddingham Manor in England. Linette has provided a great blog, which she updates somewhat regularly, concerning the chores and events at the "manor". There is illustrative writing, providing seasonal glimpses, plus descriptions of the history of the place in good detail. Check out her picture of the flower from what I believe is a giant Tulipfera Tree, essentially green in color, with orange/red highlights.

I think this is a high quality blog written from the perspective of a dedicated and professional gardener who takes her tasks seriously and who obviously loves her trade. Check it out, lots of gardening knowledge here.

http://toddingtonmanor.blogspot.com/

[CactusLady]

This one has been in my 'favorites list' for some time, nice to know more people will enjoy it now.

Yes.........what a wonderful blog..........the photos are exceptional, and I must say its nice for an ex-pat, to have a little view back into the English Garden World :clap: :flower: :clap:

[Steve]

I need to have Anne relocate my blog review of Sally's. LOL, I had not noticed the next page and Anakat's response, Cactuslady's as well. Sigh. Squiffy. But I have an incredibly humorous and entertaining blog next........check it out.

[Steve]

I am using two different urls for linking to this site because I felt the first article linked has an answer to an oft-asked question and an irreverence we should all celebrate and mull over. Addressing "Landscapes for the rich." LOL:

http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/2006/07/rich_peoples_ga.html

Otherwise, I adore this blog, for reasons that might even be obvious. This is another well written blog with an obvious relish for things gardenesque. I just hope they do not come after me for linking it, lol. Not short on opinions, lol, just another fiesty gardener or three. This is one of the best garden blogs I have seen. It seems to be conducted by 3 diverse and interesting ladies with "attitude". It is thorough and masterfully written by people with a deep appreciation of the soothing and liberating qualities of dirt and slow-growing plants and some serious social concsience. This aint your "miocrowave blog", lol.

Make sure you read their Manifesto!

http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/

[LokisMum]

Wow - that site is amazing, Steve. I enjoyed reading the rants about the rich people's gardens. They gave me quite a chuckle!

[Steve]

LOL, I really liked that article, especially, Colleen. Like I said, the irreverence is cool. It's topical and smart to ask the question: Is landscaping only for the rich? It is an excellent question.

In fact, :o :rose: I am making a new thread for it..........under the above title. It's something I also want to address.

[LokisMum]

Sounds great! :purpleblob: :purpleblob: :purpleblob:

[Steve]

Well, here's something I just adore and we may as well get it out of the way and get it bookmarked befor we continue to more exotic lands of bloghood. BBC is a terrific resource and has simply marvelous and informativ shows. They also have a large online presence..................:doh2: ...............As we can see. I love this site!

This one is especially about Kew Gardens, always fascinating, but my larger interest is on knowing what all of good old BBC can show us. Nice little resource, eh?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/yearatkew_index.shtml

[Steve]

http://www.gardeningblog.net/

An excellent blog. This blog is just a bit over a year old but is filled with amazingly apt and practical gardening information and tips. He encounters certain problems that we can all share. For example, one of his archives has him getting 60 bags of mulch delivered to add to his gardens. He agreed 60 bags of mulch is a hefty and rather expensive way of going about mulching one's garden, but then he admitted he would simply be killing some section by having it all sit if delivered by truck. He had no where else to keep it. LOL, a practical man! I mean, these kinds of problems we are glad to see, frankly, aren't we? We can relate!

He is smart as a whip, though and pretty experienced in the garden. Some of his container solutions are enlightned, particularly the section on growing reaspberries, an invasive plant for sure. Thgis is one of those blogs you hope to see someone continue. I just like his perspective and personality. There's something genuine about it all.

[Anne]

Well, here's something I just adore and we may as well get it out of the way and get it bookmarked befor we continue to more exotic lands of bloghood. BBC is a terrific resource and has simply marvelous and informativ shows. They also have a large online presence..................:doh2: ...............As we can see. I love this site!

This one is especially about Kew Gardens, always fascinating, but my larger interest is on knowing what all of good old BBC can show us. Nice little resource, eh?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/yearatkew_index.shtml

Woohoo! I love the BBC gardening shows, and Allan Tithmarch, or however you spell that name, is so sweet. And Kew Gardens are amazing, I have visited three times already, and I'm sure I'll visit again in the future!

[Steve]

I'm bumping this piece of history back to the top. The blogs featured here, for those who wonder, are all just great.

[ALICIA21]

I have been doing some perusing and have found a most fascinating feature of our internet life. Whereas we all enjoy Googling for information and referring to things such as best we can, there are abundantly rich sources of not only information but of other proud gardeners and landscapers who invest a personal stake in making their own Blogs. I plan on featuring some of these in the coming days and weeks and reviewing and alluding to what their particular biases are.......i.e. Roses, Ponds, Vegetables, Herbs, etc. These are generally folks with our own love of gardening and design. Many specialize in flowers, others, as mentioned, other areas. There is a nice huge community for our passions and I feel we all gain from checking them out and having them join the fun as well, perhaps.

Steve this is very interesting

[Steve]

Thanks, Alicia. I love them. There are so many good blogs out there nowadays, it's crazy. Have you seen mine, btw?

http://www.stevesnedeker.com shameless, aren't I?

[Anne]

Thanks, Alicia. I love them. There are so many good blogs out there nowadays, it's crazy. Have you seen mine, btw?

http://www.stevesnedeker.com shameless, aren't I?

You are too, it's why we like ya :SmilieDaisy: