Today is my fifth blogoversary. Five years ago, on the Feast of St. Nicholas, with a lot of help from my husband, I gave myself the gift of the commonweeder blog. I had no idea where it would take me or the gifts it would give me. Because of this blog I joined 60+ other fascinating garden bloggers in Buffalo and Seattle for Flings that took us to amazing gardens, meetings with creative gardeners, and gave me lively and instructive conversations with other bloggers over meals and while in the bus travelling from one great garden to another. I have ‘met’ many gardeners through the comments they have left on the blog and the emails they have sent. All have added to my horticultural education and horticultural pleasures.
The blog turned out to be a wonderful record of what is going on in my garden. One of the special people I want to thank for prompting my monthly record is Carol over at May Dreams Gardens who has been hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for more than five years. Now just by checking my Bloom Day posts I can see the changes in my garden from month to month and year to year. A great gift. I have also gained a new awareness of the richness of my own local gardening/farming/eating community over these past five years as readers have come to me with news of their own projects.
On this fifth blogoversary I can count that I have written 1190 posts and received 4274 comments. Some of the most popular posts have been Whither my Wisteria, and Henhouse #4. I have never understood why Henhouse #4 was more popular than Henhouses 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7 which was a work of art. The Hawley Woodpile has been a favorite in every season and brought me a reader from France. Mirrors in the Garden – A Trend? was one of the many gifts of the Buffalo Fling.
To help me celebrate Timber Press will give a copy of Beautiful No Mow Yards by Evelyn Hadden to a randomly chosen reader who leaves a comment below. This Giveaway will end on Monday night at Midnight. December 10. On Tuesday morning, December 11, I will announce the winner.
Beautiful No Mow Yards is a beautiful and useful book about the various ways we can cut down on the amount of lawn we have, or even eliminate it altogether. Even if we want a lawn, Hadden shows us that there are eco-friendly alternatives to plain turf. Alternatives that will require less work. It could be yours! Just leave a comment below.
Another part of my celebration is that I can also Giveaway a copy of my own book, The Roses at the End of the Road, which one commenter once said described ‘the life of my daydreams’. It’s got stories about roses, of course, but also about life in the country and the delightful characters around us.
Leave a comment, I’ll randomly choose a winner on December 11 and notify you by email. Then we will arrange to have both books mailed. Good luck!
Congratulations on 5 years of blogging; quite a milestone. I love reading your wonderful blog. I’d love an opportunity to win your giveaway; both books look lovely.
Congratulations on your blogaversary, Pat! I agree that blogging has opened up a whole new world, but most of all, this community of gardeners is such a great group. I always enjoy reading about all the interesting people and events in your area. I’m going to have to come back when I have more time to read about your henhouses–somehow I’ve missed those posts.
Oops, forgot to add–I would love to win a copy of either book!
Both books will be given to the single name that will be drawn on Tuesday morning.
Hi Pat Congratulations on your blogiversary! You are an inspiration!!
Congratulations Pat on five years of blogging. When I began in 2008, I never imagined how many good friends I would make near and far! Hokey smokes that cordwood henhouse is beautiful! I wish we had a garden structure similar to that in our garden! Please sign me up for the drawing. Your books sounds delightful. gail
Pat – I have been admiring this book from afar and would really love to have it for some ideas and inspiration for my clients! Freedom lawns are a joy 🙂
And congrats on your 5-year blogoversary! Your henhouse articles have given me lots of ideas over the years!
I do have your Roses at the End of the Garden book, which is a lovely read, so please enter me in just the No-Mow Lawns book draw!
Time goes by! Hardly seems possible this is your 5th Blogoversary! Congrats! Much love, Kate
I love the ideas and inspiration on your blog.
Congratulations on your 5 years!
Love your blog! Congrats!
Open to Canadians? Loved your book! Had to get it at our library, I haven’t seen it at the bookstore.
These books sound awesome! I’d love to win them but I’m the mean time I’ll have to request them at the library!
love all things gardening-well maybe not chemicals. would enjoy learning from these books! congratulations on your 5year anniversary!!
I adore Henhouse #7- it’s totally a work of art! I admire your tenacity to keep on blogging and enriching others while enriching your own garden! Both of those books look amazing! How fun!
Congratulations. I am an awful gardener, as you know, but I do like keeping up by reading you. And of course your blog is seldom JUST about gardening; the writing is always worthwhile. XOX
I am a long-time reader of your blog, and have gleaned many a tip from your experience. I’m looking forward to five more years of your wisdom and less lawn to mow! Thanks and congrats!
Congratulations! I have enjoyed your blog for three years now, and I secretly slip things to my husband which he appreciates greatly! I print and lay them in his greenhouse, and then they appear! Our backyard has little grass and is more like a rustic country trail with plants everywhere. We love it!
Congratulations on 5 years, Pat! Your blog, your garden, and your joy in both are an inspiration!
I’m so glad to have this local gardening blog, Pat. It’s a great reference … and so are you : )
Congratulations on 5 years of getting the word out. I’ve been a native plant/no lawns advocate for many years and am glad to see so many folks going in the same direction.
Congratulations on your 5th blogaversary and keeping your nose to the grindstone! When is the stone henhouse giveaway?? 😉
Congrats on 5 years! I love no mow gardens, would be a good read!
No-Mow sounds like the perfect gift for my son who just bought a home with 2 acres of grass. Congrats onyour blogoversary!
Looks terrific. I hate mowing my lawn, and am slowly turning it into things I like more–like pumpkins, which the neighborhood kids love.
I just removed my front lawn and would love to win your book for landscaping ideas. I look forward to following your blog.
Congratulations on your success with your blog. I happened on to your blog by an article that was in the Greenfield Recorder and since I subscribe to your newsletter. Enjoy all the articles you post. It would be really great to win your book. As I had mentioned in my comments under the brief tour of Heath, my roots are from this area and I visited Heath for a reunion in August of this year after being away for some 40 years or more. I also do a small kitchen garden down here in TN and have a small flock (6) of back yard chickens to satisfy my country living desires.
Yes, congrats. I can’t wait to read my prize 😉
I’ve been following your posts on Facebook, glad to learn you have a blog.
Congratulations – your blog provides a lot of enjoyment and information.
Cheers to very prolific 5 years. I have experimented with lawn replacement in my front yard….Planting plugs of Carex pragrcilis about 3 years ago, and I love telling people I have only mowed it twice in that time frame. Thank you !
As a long-time follower of your gardening adventures, I salute you on this 5th anniversary! How fast time goes!
No-mow lawns have appealed to me ever since I left my front yard grass to grow long enough for hay mulch in 1963, much to the distress of my neighbour. Now I am shrinking the little patch in my present front yard by adding more growing beds,
for vegetables as well as flowers. It is not lawn; it is weeds and local grasses that get mown but don’t need watering and are hardy enough for visitors to park on.
Bravo! I’ve killed my lawn and have been constantly changing my mind as to the look I want: structured or crazy wild. I’d love to win the book for more inspiration.
congrats on the 5th anniversary of your blog. i am working on a portion of a no grass front lawn. i would love to peruse that book.
congratulations. isn’t blogging fun. I have Pam Penick to thank. What an opportunity. Would love to win the Beautiful No-Mow yards. I have nothing to mow but would love to know more about plantings a no-mow yard,
Congrats!!! Would love to read the lawn book (already have your wonderful book, as you know) It is always a pleasure coming here to visit. Soothing for the spirit and a feast for the eyes.
Happy 5th Pat! Commonweeder is one of my first reads every day, please keep blogging for many, many more years.
Happy Blogiversary. That’s a great milestone — I’m so glad you started blogging so we could meet at the Flings!
Congratulations on 5 years. Your books are wonderful. Best wishes.
Hi Pat, LOVE your blog, read it every night before dinner. It is like having a nice drink. Although I do not have a lawn and garden at the community farm, I would like to continue to imbibe in horticulture and the future of the demise of turf. Of course, I will blog about both. Cheers on your blogiversary.
I almost missed this post that gives me a chance to win your new book. I chanced upon your blog looking for a clear, informative picture of a particular bush (I don’t remember which one)which you had, and have stayed for the duration. I enjoy it all the time.
Pat, love your blog–so happy you are right here in Franklin County!
Congratulations, Pat! You know they say it takes 10,000 hours (and that’s five years) to master a subject or skill. Clearly you’re mistress of all you survey, you’ve taken the bull by the horns, you’ve earned your spurs… um, you’ve put down roots, sent out shoots and now you’re blossoming! Ah, the sweet smell of roses, the sweet smell of success. Bravo, Pat! The Commonweeder is a perennial.
Pat, I’m just catching up on your blog after too long away, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to offer belated congratulations on your 5th blogaversary. -Jean