Sunday, October 4, 2015

Four years and counting...

Four years ago today I published my introductory post on this blog.  It's fun to read that first post again and see how my early goals for this blog have held up.

"In addition to sharing progress in my own yard, I will also highlight gardens, gardeners, and garden events in and around this beautiful city of San Antonio.  I'll post interesting things I see along the way as well."

Looking back, I note I have covered all those things and more.  We've walked the River Walk, attended lots of garden tours and events, and have seen many of the sights our city has to offer.  I thought I'd better include my city and its gardeners not only because San Antonio is a beautiful place to live, but at the time my garden was in pretty rough shape!   Focusing on my own garden progress would make a very boring blog.  This blog also provided a challenge for me to get more done in the garden.  Much of that progress has been and will continue to be shared here in my "Before and After" posts like our driveway project which have turned out to be popular with readers.



There have also been a few surprises along the way.  In that first post I mentioned deer as the main wildlife in our garden.  It turns out there are so many more creatures out there like this Barred Owl which I've been sharing on Wildlife Wednesday the first Wednesday of each month.  Wildlife Wednesday is the meme I've been most consistent with.


Another big surprise, and this has just been in the last year or so, is being recognized by readers.  One of you actually used the word "celebrity".  Not quite, but I do enjoy meeting you when I am working various garden events.

I like to use these anniversary posts to take a look at popular posts and see what you've been reading.  Did you know I can generally see what people have been reading most often and even through what link they arrived at my blog?  A gardening friend mentioned that she was reading through my old posts and was surprised when I said I noticed someone had been doing that.  No, I can't see your URL, at least not from Blogger.  Basic stats on Blogger help me see what types of posts are popular with readers.  If I want to get into more detail I can use Google Analytics which I've only checked a couple of times over the years.

A few of the fun highlights from the things you liked this past year:

From my own garden, the Stock Tank Garden was a big hit last spring.


Readers also wanted to know what it's like to shop at the Round Top Antiques Weekend.  The popularity of this post will likely settle down now that the show is over until next spring.


My posts on garden tours remain popular, especially those featuring xeric plantings like this striking modern garden I recently previewed for this year's Watersaver Landscape Tour..


In other interesting statistics Digging still tops the list for blogs referring readers, but the Outlaw Gardener is gaining ground.

Thank you all for reading and commenting over these four years.  I enjoy the opportunity to share my gardening adventures and interact with all of you throughout the year and look forward to more years of blogging.

28 comments:

  1. Outlaw is gaining on me, huh? We'll see about that! :) Congrats on the blogiversary, Shirley. You are definitely a blogging celebrity in S.A. and have done much to show off the beauty of your city's gardens and architecture. Here's to many more years of blogging!

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  2. Thank you Pam! Just had to have a little fun when I discovered that stat.

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  3. Oh, I am a sucker for a good before-and-after. Your "after" of the driveway bed looks fantastic! And I too am fascinated by where my blog traffic comes from. Hands-down, my most popular post is "How To Build A Stable Pea Gravel Path," courtesy of Pinterest.

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    1. "How-to" posts are some of my top posts too. It's funny because some blogger sites advise that those types of posts don't bring in readers.

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  4. Congratulations on your blog anniversary, Shirley. I enjoy seeing what San Antonio and the surrounding area has to offer through your lens.

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    1. Thank you Kris and I enjoy your stunning view of LA!

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  5. Shirley, HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY! I'm so glad I met you and your blog! Before that day I'd never read a blog before and now it is my go to entertainment when I can't be out in my own garden. You have such a wide range of interesting subjects and it's fun to go back to your previous posts and read about things I missed before I started following your blog. Plus, through you I've met other bloggers and their work also adds to my gardening enjoyment. May you have many blogiversaries to come!

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    1. I'm glad you discovered blogging and to have met you too! Thanks for the inspiration for this post. Your questions had me thinking about things that non-bloggers might want to know.

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  6. Happy blog anniversary! How time flies and it's great to look back on your four years of garden blogging.

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    1. The time has flown by as fast as the deadlines I set for myself.

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  7. Happy Blogiversary! I would have thought you had been blogging longer than 4 years! I started in 2002 and it was vastly different back then.

    Keep on writing and sharing!

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    1. Wow Misti! That's an early blog, I don't remember hearing that word until around 2005 so I can imagine it was vastly different.

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  8. Ain't this blogging thing grand? I just got together last weekend with a group of local bloggers, it's so wonderful to have the gardening camaraderie - both local and far flung. Thanks for sharing your part of the world with us!

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    1. It is the best way to connect with people who enjoy the same things we do. I love sharing my part of the world.

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  9. Congratulations! Has it "only" been four years? It feels like your voice has been one of the consistently wise and inspiring reasons to read garden blogs in our area for...well...forever!

    And you have done a wonderful job of representing San Antonio and its amazing gardens, showing them to great advantage and bringing in all sorts of interest where it was well deserved. I for one would totally agree with the "celebrity" assignation because you are a star, start to finish! Here's to four more years!

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    1. Thank you Deb. While I can't say it seems like forever yet, well that's a while and it does seem like a long time now that writing and posting just part of what I do in gardening.

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  10. Happy Blogiversary!
    Love reading about your area. Different growing conditions, but not far away.
    Keep up the good work.

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  11. Hard to believe it's only been four years! You've done so much in such a short time and I'm so lucky to have met you and your inspiration!

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  12. Happy blogoversary! Four years--bravo! I love your stock tank. Heck, I enjoy everything about your garden. It would be my type of garden if I lived in Texas. Cheers!

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  13. You've produced four years of beautiful, informative and interesting blogs. I'm glad you're still counting. I always look forward to receiving them.

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  14. I feel like I have gotten to know and love San Antonio through your blog. As a result, I was less distressed than I might have been when my favorite Blazer left us for the Spurs. Keep writing and we will definitely keep reading.

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    1. Had to look this one up Ricki! Just kidding, it was all over the news even though we're not big pro sports fans it's hard to miss Spurs news around here.

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  15. Congratulations on another year. I always enjoy reading the posts about your garden and the points of interest around San Antonio.
    As far as I know, I have not reached celebrity status like you. My garden does get its share of drive-bys by people that tracked me down.

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    1. So far we haven't had too many drive-bys yet, although I was recommended for the Watersaver Tour based on a drive-by.

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  16. Like Ricki, I've a new found interest in Texas because of your blog and those of Pam and the other great Texas bloggers. Looking forward to the fling's return to Texas! Thanks for four years of great posts and congratulations on your bologiversary! (or is that blogaversary?)

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    1. Either way I've surprised myself with four years of blogging. Thanks Peter!

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  17. Happy fourth blogaversary!
    I'm here because StatCounter tells me A Visitor came from your blog (and Cleveland Ohio, so one of YOUR readers in turn)

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