I must be because Annie at The Little GSP nominated me for The Versatile Blogger award. Wow – pretty cool. My blog has come about through a combined love of gardening and writing. Ordinarily this would seem like an odd combination – but it works here.
When I’m not out there with dirt under my fingernails tending my garden and attempting to grow fresh healthy food to feed my family (and not nasty pests), I am reading about gardening, listening to podcasts etc about gardening and watching TV shows and You Tube about gardening. Its pretty safe to say I live to garden. The thought of a life without gardening causes me to shudder! (The long suffering Hubby the Un-Gardener dreams of a life without gardening – but he loves me and so he digs!)
The cool thing about living here down under in New Zealand is the rest of the world is gardening when I’m not, so in my quiet season when its cold, wet and yucky, I can wrap up warm and read all about what others in the northern hemisphere are up to in their gardens, learn new tricks and learn from their mistakes and virtual garden vicariously. I have to say I am so glad we don’t have that nasty Tomato Horn Worm that they have in The States – that is one nasty pest!
If you are from the northern hemisphere, hang about, then I hope that I can repay some of the winter pleasure I get from you, by sharing my summer gardening adventures – I don’t imagine I’m going to stop blogging anytime soon. (If you’re from down under then stop by and we can compare our gardens.) So now for the formal bit. This wonderful award has strings attached – nice strings. Firstly I need to thank the person who nominated me: Thank you so much Annie at The Little GSP, go check her out. She blogs about yummy recipes, gardening and her dog a German Shorthaired Pointer.
Next I need to tell you of 15 of my favourite bloggers. Now this is where I ran into a few problems. I have a confession to make: you see in my veracious need to read about gardening and my shocking memory, I kind of get so sucked in to the reading wonderful stories about gardens and tick the like button, and then close the webpage, completely forgetting who wrote it! I don’t go about randomly sprinkling “likes” like they were fairy dust, so I have had to actually think about who I like. After a while I have noticed that some gardens seem familiar to me and then I start to look forward to finding out how they are getting on. So here are my offerings, in no particular order:
- Sharon at gettin’ fresh!
- Jenn at Blood, Sweat, and Beer
- Cameron at growing grace farm
- Him & Her at WillowCottageGarden
- Donna at SOILENTGREENS
Disclaimer: I know it’s not the total fifteen you are supposed do, but my list of favs has been somewhat reduced by the fact that other people have also decided that some of my favs are great bloggers and so already have the award. I just hope my shocking memory hasn’t caused me to forget anyone else I really like.
And the last bit is seven things you didn’t know about me:
- I’m actually really shy
- I like craft too and have a bright green craft room
- I’m not the tidiest person in the world
- God knows my name
- I’m not scared of spiders (but Hubby the Un-Gardener is – he shrieks like a little girl)
- I don’t have facebook – I spend too much time on line as it is!
- This year we have our first wedding anniversary with an “0” in it!
Thanks everyone for reading my blog, I always get a little kick out of checking my “stats” and seeing someone has clicked on my blog.
Come again soon – normal gardening blogs will resume shortly.
Sarah the Gardener : o )
You have a fantastic blog! Its nice to see someone eating seasonally! A big hello from a fellow vegetable gardener in the UK! keep up the posing!
Hi there. Thanks. Enjoy your gardening season. I hope the drought there doesn’t affect you too badly. Cheers sarah : O )
This was a great post – congrats on the nomination! I enjoy reading your stuff, and would LOVE to see what New Zealand looks like. And it was good to learn something about you – we haven’t gotten to the “0” in the anniversary yet…but only because we both were widowed when we met – AND MARRIED – 8 years ago. If my sweet hubby had lived, we’d be on our *gasp* 38th this year…longer than you’ve been alive I’m sure. 🙂
OH…and God knows my name too. I’m so glad.
Hi There, Thank you so much for your kind and supportive words. I feel truly blessed to be living in New Zealand. It is a beautiful place. Cheers Sarah : o )
That makes me laugh that you ran over your mower’s wheel! Congrats on your award! I enjoy your gardening posts.
Jessica
Thanks for your kind words. I think the lawn mower is beyond repair – despite Hubby the Un-Gardener saying he can fix it! I see shopping in the future! Cheers Sarah : o )
Congrats on your award! What a beautiful place you have there. I’ve always wanted to visit that area. I had the horrible Tomato Horn Worms last year for the very first time. Went to harvest my egg plant and noticed a huge catepillar under a leaf. I went back inside and Googled “big catepillar” and there it was, lol. They tried to demolish my egg plants. I was surprised at how much damage they did.
Hi Jennifer, From what I have seen that caterpillar is nasty! We still have our pests, but nothing as bad as him! Although a loose chicken can do more damage! Good luck with your garden this year. Cheers Sarah : o )
Congratualations on your award! I found your blog through your husband who commented on my husband’s blog (wtl2055/Re-Employ-Me.com). I am so happy to read about another woman’s garden! I can’t wait to surf your blog for all the content. I hope I can visit New Zealand one day.
Thanks,
Sheila Larsen
Hi Shelia. Thank you so much for your kind words. I feel really blessed to live in such a wonderful place as New Zealand, I hope you do get to visit one day. Cheers Sarah : o )
Sarah, thank you for the nomination and grats on your award! I love reading your posts, not only are they fun, but it’s interesting to me that you are at the end of your growing season and I’m just starting mine. And, you have a whole different climate to work with, so that fascinates me, too. Keep up the excellent work!
I’m picking my brain for my favorite 15 and working on a post so I can get this award on my blog. Again, thank you! Very excited and humbled.
Hi Jenn. No problems! I love the opposite season thing. It keeps me motivated in the cold days and then in the summer not only can I try new things I have learnt reading what others do, I can share my summer garden, knowing it will be read by others trying to stay motivated in the cold days. I really enjoy reading your blogs I think they are great! Cheers Sarah : o )