Favorite Gardening Post for 2008

– Posted in: Miscellaneous

For all of you who have been so busy blogging throughout the year, now is the time to kick back, relax and give yourself a pat on the back. Yes, each and everyone of you who has made garden blogging a ritual and has shared a piece of your world with us, we at GGW want you to know that we appreciate it and feel that you are helping to create an international gardening community in a way that has never been done before.

So, now, it’s your turn to show us (and to remind yourself) which, out of all of the posts you’ve written throughout the year of 2008, is your very favorite one. Leave a link below so everyone can read your ‘best of the best’. And ‘hats off’ to all of you terrific gardeners! May the year 2009 be a healthy, joyful, meaningful and fruitful one.

Below is a verse from the Tao Te Ching (#47) that I wanted to share with you. 

“Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The farther you go, the less you know.
Thus, the sage knows without traveling;
He sees without looking;
He works without doing.”

Fran Sorin

Fran is the author of the highly-acclaimed book, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening, which Andrew Weil, M.D., recommends as "a profound and inspiring book."  

A graduate of the University of Chicago with Honors in Psychology, she is also a gardening and creativity expert, coach, inspirational speaker, CBS radio news gardening correspondent, and Huffington Post Contributor.

Learn more about Fran and get free resources that will help you improve your life at www.fransorin.com.

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Fran Sorin
14 comments… add one

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Nancy Bond December 31, 2008, 3:00 pm

My favorite personal post would have to be “My Garden: As It Was, Is, And May Be” as I received such supportive comments from fellow Blotanists. 🙂

http://nancybond.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/my-garden-as-it-was-is-and-may-be/

Happy New Year!

Nancy-
What a moving and revelatory post! I see why you chose it and I thank you for being so generous in sharing it with all of us. And how right you are about all of nature being your garden! I love the phrase that Chicago uses to describe their city. Rather than saying that Chicago represents ‘a garden in the city’, they say that Chicago is ‘a city in a garden’. Not a bad philosophy, eh? Have a wonderful and joyful 2009! Fran

Daphne December 31, 2008, 3:35 pm

What is the best of my posts? That is an impossible one for me. So I’m going to chose by how many comments I got. Of course that doesn’t mean it is good. It just made people want to say something – or at least laugh at the image I left them with at the end of the post:
Garlic Prep

Cameron(Defining Your Home Garden) December 31, 2008, 4:02 pm

My favorite post is more about the community of garden bloggers rather than my own garden.

http://definingyourhome.blogspot.com/2008/12/blogging-for-happiness.html

Cheers,
Cameron

Cameron-
Great post! And how right you are! There is some excellent research done by some folks at Rutgers University on how flowers effects one’s happiness. For those who are statistically inclined, it proves what we gardeners already know. Gardening or even having a beautiful vase of flowers in your home has the potential to promote a sense of well being and feelings of happiness. What could be better? Thanks for sharing a very, very meaningful post. Happy New Year! Fran

Kylee from Our Little Acre December 31, 2008, 7:02 pm

First I was going to say my series on the Monarchs that was posted this fall, but then as I was looking back, this one jumped out at me:

Garden Designer I Ain’t

I have to list this post this companion post that came later, too…

Am I…*gasp*…Designing?

Kylee-
Two good posts that go ‘hand in hand’. No need to EVER apologize for your feelings and thoughts. That’s what makes blogging such fun. You needn’t ponder over ever word you write. Plus you shared your personality with us…which is spunky!! Happy New Year. Fran

Les December 31, 2008, 7:34 pm

I must say that it is the one I posted yesterday, primarily because it is about a place special to me, but it also has some damn fine photos.

The Season of Brown and Gray

Les-
Your photos are, indeed, magnificent, evocative and full of subtle emotion. If you wouldn’t mind sharing with our readers how you captured such scenes (or do a post on ATideWaterGarden and let us know), it would be terrific. What a wonderful way for me to start my day! Fran

Jon December 31, 2008, 9:27 pm

Cool post….so true. Here’s wishing you a very Happy New Year and all the best in 2009!

Jon at Mississippi Garden

Hey Jon-
Thanks….and right back at you…a healthy and joyful 2009! Fran

Ken from Sweden January 1, 2009, 3:24 am

Hi eweryone
My best is the one I posted now, the one with the differens from summer to winter on the same spot in the garden.
Wish you al a Happy new gardenyear.
Ken on Gardendreams

Dear Ken,
Wow! How wonderful to see the stark difference in separate areas of a garden throughout the seasons. Your photos (and garden) are divine. Happy New Year to you and yours as well! Fran

Craig @ Ellis Hollow January 1, 2009, 12:05 pm

Judging by the number of comments, the most popular post at Ellis Hollow in 2008 was my July bloom day scans: http://www.remarc.com/craig/?p=420

Thank you GGW crew for you design workshops and all your entertaining and informative blogging through the year. Looking for more of the same in 2009.

Craig-
I can certainly see why you chose this post. What a feast for the eyes. You have not only beautiful flowers in your garden but a talented eye on transforming them into a feast for the eye. Wishing you a prosperous and healthy New Year as well. Fran

ESP January 1, 2009, 11:41 pm

I think I would have to go with:
http://east-side-patch.livejournal.com/14030.html

Only because it contains a couple of my favorite swallowtail photos.

ESP-
I see why you chose that one. Yep, the photos of the swallowtails are gorgeous. Plus I love your shed! Fran

our friend Ben January 2, 2009, 3:58 pm

Great Tao Te Ching quote, Fran, and great idea for a post! Now we can all enjoy posts we might otherwise have missed! At Poor Richard’s Almanac, we post on such a variety of topics and in such a variety of styles that it’s hard to play favorites, but if we had to pick, I suppose our favorites would be the humor posts: Silence Dogood’s epic battles with the evil stink bugs, our ominous encounters with Amish friendship bread, and the like. They’re the most fun to write, and we think the most fun to read as well!

Hey Elly-
am glad you liked the quote. I concur with you that humorous posts can be the most fun to write and to read. If you want to give us a link to one of yours, please do so. Happy New Year! Fran

Eleanor at OutOfDoors January 3, 2009, 1:51 pm

I think I have to nominate my Black and White Garden Ball. Not as popular as some of the GBBD posts, but some lovely photos (if I do say so myself), and I’m fascinated by the idea.

Eleanor-
Fabulous photos of succulents….along with contrasting plant materials! Thanks so much for sharing. Fran

Chookie January 4, 2009, 5:33 pm

Here’s one I’m happy with:
http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/2008/12/on-contrast.html
It shows the new perspective one book gave me about contrast, and the post shows me as still puzzled, still learning, still getting new ideas. There’s also a reference to another garden blog, showing the connectedness that is part of why we blog. Thank you to the GGW team for so many wonderful posts this year!

Chookie-
Thanks for sharing. I’ve never read Joy’s book…good review though and I am a big fan of Villandry. I also like the other approach she suggests taking in planning a veggie garden. Fran

Maureen January 6, 2009, 4:00 pm

LOVE this website….hope it’s not presumptuous of me to join right in (I’m old so don’t have any time to waste:)

Our favorite post is one from our recently started ‘farming’ blog . It just kind of sums up the reasons for our renewed interest in growing our own food.

http://weharvestlife.blogspot.com/2008/12/slow-food.html

Maureen-
Are you kidding? We love new visitors….any time of the day or night! Great article and an excellent idea for a blog. I concur totally with what you’re saying about nutrition. My adult ‘children’ still joke with me about how deprived they were of sweets and fast food when they were younger. Good luck with your ‘lifestyle’ and keep us posted on how you fare with renting out your land in exchange for veggies. Your actions are a way of creating a real, sustainable community. I applaud you. Fran

VP January 7, 2009, 11:59 am

It’s my Open Garden blog because it was such fun/hard work to put together and so many kind bloggers have visited and made a donation.

It shows the gardening blogging community is simply the best 😀

http://vpopengarden.blogspot.com/

VP-
What a magnificent post and worthwhile cause. I see why it’s your favorite and why you received such a terrific response to it. Fran

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