Today marks the first anniversary of A Walk in the Garden. I started this blog one year ago today at the encouragement of my dear friend Stepheny Houghtlin, a fellow gardener, grandparent, and writer. Her blog was the inspiration that got me going. Little did I realize what fun it would be. Little did I anticipate what a challenge it would be. Little did I realize how much I would learn. And little did I forsee making so many new friends across the “blogosphere.”
I did not start A Walk in the Garden to produce a “successful” blog. How does one measure success in such a venture? Success wasn’t my goal anyway. I envisioned writing the blog, and still do, as a means to express the joy I experience from gardening and to share that joy with others. I have never met a selfish gardener. We love to share plants and ideas and encouragement and solutions and sources.
In my first post I wrote the following about my objectives:
“I look forward to sharing my gardening observations, spiced I hope with a dash of experience, a dollop of opinion, a slice of irreverence, a spoonful of love for plants, and a cup full of memories.”
This is posting number 163 in A Walk in the Garden. Your responses…your views and likes and comments…over this first year have been heartwarming. The list of followers for whom I am grateful continues to grow. I have learned so much about gardening in other areas of the US and around the world. You have shared your triumphs, your losses, your lessons learned, your creations, your suggestions, your dreams, and your photographs. I’ve learned what a “meme” is and been invited to share weekly, monthly and annually (In a Vase on Monday, Wordless Wednesday, Weekly Photo Challenge, GBFD, GBBD, etc.) in various expressions of our interests. I have been blessed to follow a mutually supporting family of gardeners, writers, and photographers.
I have also learned that there are a number of undercover agents out there who are invaluable to our gardening efforts. I have my Arranger, but what would our community do without the Golfer, the Undergardener, Monsieur, Judy the photographer, Fishman, and others who work behind the scenes? The heavy lifting roles may often go unsung but please be assured that they are not unnoticed.
Here are my four favorite photographs from year one:
Clockwise from upper left: Iris ‘Clarence,’ Itoh Peony ‘Bartzella,’ Muhly grass, a falls at Valle Crucis, NC
My sincere thanks to my readers for making my efforts so rewarding personally. I hope you will continue to join me for A Walk in the Garden.
A Walk in the Garden 
Congratulations on Year 1. Its interesting how many of us start our blogs in the winter, presumably due to a need to engage with gardening at some level during the winter months.
I hope you find year 2 as rewarding
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Thanks, Helen. I hadn’t thought of it in that light, but you seem to have hit on good explanation. Your blog is a delight.
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What a great start! It’s been a pleasure to stroll the garden with you, John.
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Likewise, I’m sure! Will look forward to seeing your garden this year.
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Congratulations John – this anniversary post will have resonated with so many garden bloggers as we have been through similar journeys ourselves. It has been a pleasure to interact with you over this past year and I look forward to it continuing 🙂
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Thank you, Cathy. I do appreciate your encouragement and invitation to be involved on Mondays.
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Congratulations, John, on a wonderful year walking with you in your garden. Unlike some of your followers, who join you from afar, I have been blessed to spend actual time in two of your gardens where I have learned so much. We’ve looked at gardens in France and England, The Plains, VA. and beyond, but when asked what my favorite garden has been, I say, my own. Countless people would answer that question by saying their favorite garden is YOURS. Looking forward to year #2 following your excellent blog!
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We’ve come a way, haven’t we? Thank you so much for your encouragement and help in getting this blog up and running. Keep that finger pressing on my back 🙂
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Congratulations John on your first year, it has been interesting learning about your garden, I look forward to learning more in year 2!
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Thank you, Pauline. I’m having fun with this, and I appreciate very much your being a part of it.
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Congratulations John, heres to many more years of of blogging.
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Thank you, Julie. Looking forward to sharing our gardens together.
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Congratulations John! You have summed up all the good things about garden blogging so well. Although I haven’t known you right from the start I have really been enjoying your blog over the past few months and will be following your second year with interest. Happy blogging! 🙂
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Thank you, Cathy. It’s been fun for me.
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Congrats! I enjoy your blog. And those photos are beeyootiful!
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Thank you, Cynthia. I’m still trying to learn to do a better job on the photos. Is that an excuse for a purchase of some sort?
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Works for me!
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Happy Blog Birthday! Looking forward to year 2 – congratulations!
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Thanks, Elizabeth, for joining in the fun.
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Very impressive for your first year I must say! Congrats. Blogging is addicting – be careful, LOL, and I LOVE that photo of the grass. It should be featured in a gardening magazine. Cathy T
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Thanks, Cathy. I have certainly had fun writing, but also meeting new folks like you across the internet. I enjoy following your activities as well.
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Congratulations on your blog’s first birthday. I have enjoyed seeing your lovely garden and hearing your views about gardening and life. Sharing our gardens through the blogosphere is certainly a pleasure that is new even if gardening itself has its roots in antiquity.
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Thank you, Christina. I feel much the same way about seeing your garden…so different from mine and so lovely.
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Happy Blog Birthday–yours is a nice blog and it is fun and educational, isn’t it? It’s so nice to connect with others who garden in such varying environments.
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Thanks, Tina. This really is all about connecting…and sharing.
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