Why Blotanical
Since publishing this post Blotanical is no longer active
Blotanical the gardeners friend
I started my Aberdeen gardening blog back in 2006, I really got in to it and it gave me satisfaction getting an occasional comment or request for help. It was my son in law who set up the WordPress blog which I used.
In February of last year I came across a site where I could build a website myself, perhaps I could make it look more interesting, add pages etc that I did not have the knowledge to do with wordpress at the time. Well anyway I named it gardeninginscotland and gave it a .com address. It did look shall we say flash, nevertheless stats, even after a year showed a considerable drop in visits, and comments all but stopped.
In spite of my insistence my son in law did not close down my aberdeengardening site, much to my delight. I gave it a little face lift added a few new pages and got going with it again.
This is where the fun started, in spite of what I have said so far, this is not an add for wordpress, good as they are. No, today I am singing the praises of Blotanical. sadly no longer active
Today I will not add pictures of my own garden but those of friends.
Below is Sues balcony garden in Milan a fellow Blotanical member.
I was introduced to Blotanical last November by a very nice lady, if I remember correctly I had commented on one of her posts. Well anyway I was very impressed with her blog including the visits and comments which she received. For a time I felt that she was my mentor. (do visit The patient gardener.
Robert and Dawns Aberdeen Garden
After being accepted in to the blotanical hemisphere,I suppose I was a bit overwhelmed. Like anything new, it does take a little time to get your head around it. Now I am not exactly in my dotage, but I do have some senior moments. Just to give you an idea, after joining I got my first response within the Blotanical site within 24 hrs. It was from a guy called Stuart from Australia, very welcoming and friendly he was, so naturally I had to respond. You have the option to send a message, make their blog one of your favourites, or make them your friend. Well what was I to do, didn’t really know what to say to him, hadn’t seen his blog, so I thought I will just make him my first favourite. Silly sod, turns out Stuart is the creator or owner of Blotanical
Well I have managed to get a little better although when commenting on blogs I have been known to call Eliza, Sue and even Donna I have called Sue but until now I have never called Sue anything other than Sue, (I think)
Louise from Penrith
Blotanical, I think is fabulous. I enjoy the interaction with fellow gardeners. Its great they are all picture daft, most of them blog and photograph to a much higher standard than I do. It really is great to see others gardens from around the world I have favourited too many of them to mention here, on the right hand column of my site is a list of blogs I visit. Do check out this very special one Larry from Wisconsin.
They are all really nice people at blotanical, very helpful and welcoming. Don’t get me wrong if they do not agree with you they will let you know, but only in the nicest possible way.
Why Blotanical? In the last ten weeks or so activity on my site has increased.
Well I guess that’s me finished banging on about Blotanical, oh is that expression used in America?
I just wanted another blog (my first one was for scuba diving), more for record purposes. I started on my plant collection Dec 2009 and started my plant blog more as a means to document my plants and learn more about them. I joined Blotanical because it seemed like more of a web-ring to help me find other like-minded people. It stunned me just how many gardening blogs there are/were. I really appreciate it for having helped me find so many new friends. We’re a bit different in that I don’t really monitor the stats and picks and was even surprised a few months back when someone congratulated me for being at the top of a list. In my case, if I consider all that every time I post, it would likely detract from the fun of blogging for me. Although, I do admit enjoying receiving comments and picks. Who wouldn’t? 😀
I also had a similar experience with blotanical. I help me a lot to grow my blog, and to get to know so many amazing people around the world. It is quite a nice place for gardening blogs.
Hi Alistair – how easily would our blogs be lost in the black hole of the world wide web were it not for Blotanical but you have increased your traffic because you write good posts as well as taking time to pick posts and leave kind comments. Thank you for that 🙂
Really happy to be featured Alistair. thank you!
Thanks for the visit and kind comments Carol.
Great post Alistair! You deserve three red stars!! I agree with Esther about bringing so many from around the globe together. I have learned things about growing seasons and festivals I never knew before. Good to have connected with you too!
I have plenty time on my hands at the moment. I suspect it will be a different story when the gardening season gets under way.
Really glad Blotanical has helped you find new people and up your site traffic Alistair. I confess I still haven’t really got to grips with it as much as I should, particularly as, like you, it has caused more people to visit my blog. Thanks for reminding me that it really is worth working out how to get around it…
Thanks Andrea, (I think)
Hi Alistair, i laughed at what you said about blogging. I share the same experiences with you. I’ve been blogging with blotanical members for a long time before applying membership for Blotanicals. However, i think the number who visit is still almost the same. To tell you frankly, if i get not many commenters i tend to stop posting, sometimes i comment in a lot of them to experiment if they will return, and they do. Sometimes only those i visit are only the ones who come, hahaha! I think my posts are not that interesting enough, even if they say they are! Sometimes my post i think is interesting, but the visitors are still the same. My regular friends and visitors are just also my constant commenters. So, I really don’t know. Anyway….those photos are so colorful considering they are just in the balcony and in containers. Thank you.
Thanks for the visit and your kind comments
It has been an eye opener Helen, and its great that you meet up like that. Have to check out Jamie and see if he is also looking for an Arctic gardener.
A lovely post for sure and I so enjoyed the color as my gardens are filled with Winter Whites.
My ancestry is Scottish so I’ll visit you with great interest.
Yes, really appealed to me also.
Thanks for your observations Donna.
I am not sure how I am going to find the time for gardening once the season gets going.
I’m pleased you found Blotanical. I find it very slow at times so I have phases when I hardly ever visit. Even then, I carry on reading the blogs I have found there and which I enjoy. I’d even go so far as to say it contributes to world peace in that it links people of different cultures, who have, in the main different interests and approaches but who have this one thing in common – gardening.
Esther Montgomery
Your blog traffic increased I think because your site is interesting and fun to visit. Today the gardens are really beautiful and full of color. I love the home in your last photo. I could so see myself living there, even if the entire garden was in containers.
Wonder what Stuart is up to. He promised us changes on Blotanical now he is home …
Love the Greek blue framed doors and windows in your Penrith picture.
I am so glad I encourage you to join Blotanical – it really is a wonderful way of finding so many other like minded people. It has grown so much since I joined when there was less than a 1000. I find it quite amazing the variety of blogs that are out there from all over the world. Jamie over at Garden Amateur or that might be Amateur Gardener is trying to get a visitor from the Antartic to his blog so he has all the continents. I have met so many interesting people, quite a few now in the flesh including last May Frances from FaireGarden and Gail from Clay & Limestone, Yolanda from Bliss and Ewa from EwaGardens who all travelled from overseas to come to the Malvern Spring show – completely mad but great fun.
Your welcome Larry,as my brother always says its nice to be nice, he recognises that I am the typical dour Scot. Why do you want more snow, is it for protection of the perennials, and I have heard of a frigid woman, but weather (naw)
Still doing crazy things on blotanical Eliza.
Haha… I’d forgotten about when you called me Sue. Glad you reminded me though because I still think it is funny. 🙂
I absolutely agree about Blotanical. Such a great way to find fun blogs to read and to get to know the writers.
Thanks for the “heads up'” on your recent post Alistair! I linked to your overall garden photos yesterday as I love the expert way you use reds with silvers and grays in your gardens… I know it’s brought you a couple visits at least and I hope it spurs even more interest in your excellent posts! Cold and windy here in Wisconsin today… possible big snow coming next week which I’m hoping for as we lost much cover last week because of warm temps. There is rumor of frigid weather in a week or so with highs around 0 degrees fahrenheit… since I am always challenging the hardiness limits on plantings, I’m hoping this is just a nasty rumor!! Well it’s off to the lumber company as I have some furniture projects I need to get at… take care, Larry