The Commonweeder blog debuted On December 6, 2007, on the Feast of Saint Nicholas. I barely knew what a blog was at the time, but after after 27 years of writing my weekly garden column, Between the Rows, in the Greenfield Recorder, I decided to write a book. My friend B.J., an expert on all things literary, said I needed to have a blog. Thus was The Commonweeder launched.
The book came first, of course. Many of the chapters were revised columns written over the years. The chapters are varied from Bonnie Kate’s Wedding on our lawn, Lightning Strikes when midnight lightning hit our barn and set the house to smoking, and Saint Fiacre Stayed here. My co-workers at Greenfield Community College often sighed and asked if the tale I was telling was ‘another Heath story.’ Surely they would fascinate a larger audience. My husband helped with the book by providing wonderful illustrations, and my skilled son did all the set up for the printer.
Selling a book was actually harder than writing the book, but they continue to sell. To celebrate the eleventh year of the Commonweeder blog I would like to send everyone who leaves a comment and an email address a copy of The Roses at the End of the Road, postage paid! Please do leave a comment.
My husband set up the blog, and has reset it up over the years. It is wonderful to live in a house that comes equipped with tech support. His supports have made writing the blog a joy, and writing the blog has brought me many new friends in the garden blog world who I have been blessed to meet at the Garden Bloggers Fling which was founded at the same time as my blog. I got to meet the great gardeners and bloggers like Carol Michel of the famous May Dreams Gardens, Mary Shier who taught me the trick of using the NYTimes to get eyeballs, Elizabeth Licata who organized my first Fling in Buffalo (FABULOUS!), Kylee Baumle who is now a great Monarch expert, Dee Nash who has inspired me, Layanee Merchant who honored my garden with a visit, Gail Eichelburger who taught me about the importance of native plants, Cindy Tournier who is practically a neighbor of my Texas daughter, Beth Stetenfeld who gave us a tour of the Olbrich Botanical Garden when we were in Wisconsin,, Pam Penick, who was one of the 2018 Fling in Austin, Texas and many others who have become inspiring friends.
The Commonweeder Blog has also given me a great record, including photos, of the weather, of the changes in my garden, of a move to a new garden. When we moved to Greenfield my garden looked like this. Just bare space.
This past summer, after three years of planting water loving shrubs and native plant, building a little stone wall for the Hugel and trying many experiments, our garden looks like this.
In the summer, anyway. These are the views from my upstairs window.
I plan to keep the blog going. It is always an incentive to learn more, to share more and to have pleasure. I hope you will celebrate with me and leave a comment with your email so I can send you a copy of the Roses at the End of the Road.
December 6, 2018
Congrats on your blogaversary! I enjoy your over views. It makes me wish I had an upstairs. I often learn something from your blogs. I hope you carry on…
I have always enjoyed your columns and now the blog!
Congratulations!
Walter – thank you for being a reader and for the comment. I enjoy working in the garden and sharing my enthusiasms.
Lisa – I will carry on. You can be sure. It is such a pleasure for me to have readers like you!
I do hope you keep blogging. I enjoy reading about other people’s gardens- it encourages me to keep going with my own. (jeanenevarez AT gmail DOT com)
Cheers, Pat! It was so fun to visit with you as you traveled through Madison! Yes, you are lucky to have tech support! That part of the equation seems to be getting more and more complicated! Happy blogoversary!
Happy blogaversary! Congratulations on eleven years of blogging. Here’s to many happy returns of the day!
I have my grandmother’s St. Fiacra overseeing my garden as well. Unfortunately, he does not protect against deer nor the unusually heavy load of snow that is weighing down my roses at the moment.
Happy Blogversary to you! I read always, but post infrequently. Thank you for your wonderful blog!
Peter – Thank you for being a reader and commenter.. I wish you many happy days in your gardens.
Kate – I am really sorry to hear that St. Fiacre is falling down on the job in Vermont. He must be taking on that Vermont ornerieness. I know about that attitude because I have a LOT of cousins in Vermont.
We prefer “curmudgeonly”
🙂