Heading into my 20th year of blogging, I’m still here. Hello, y’all! February 14th marked Digging’s 19th blogiversary. I’ve outlasted many of my early garden blogging peers, although most of them are still gardening, of course, and posting on apps like Instagram. But long-form sharing no longer calls to them like it still does to me.

Why do I still blog? It’s sure not for money. (I wish!) For better or worse, monetization of the blog is not something I ever pursued, disliking the idea of cluttering my site with ads or putting my content behind a paywall. Perhaps I should have figured something out though. Hosting and subscription costs to keep my blog running add up. Then there’s the opportunity cost of time spent photographing, writing, and editing — sometimes up to 20 hours per week — to create blog posts, time that could be (should have been?) directed toward paying work.

So why have I kept at it for 19 years and counting? Maybe it’s my obsessive nature — obsessive about documenting this endlessly interesting and beautiful world of ours. While using a camera may prevent you from living in the moment, it also allows for lingering over a moment long after it’s vanished. I love composing a scene with my camera, making art from the living art of the garden, and then poring over it later, long after I’ve come home. Processing — examining photos, editing the best ones, and reflecting on the place or moment they depict — is deeply satisfying. I’m grateful to blogging for this creative outlet, and as a vehicle for sharing with others who appreciate such things.

The blog also serves as my memory. At least once a week, I’ll hunt down an old blog post to recall a detail about a garden I’ve visited, a park I’ve explored, a plant I’ve grown, someone I met, and so on. The blog is also a portal to real-life connection, a way to step out of the isolation of contemporary life and connect with fellow gardeners, nature lovers, plant obsessives, and garden writers who don’t mind being alone but enjoy finding community. Some have become treasured friends.

Blogging has opened unexpected professional doors. After an early stint in print publishing, I embraced stay-at-home motherhood throughout my 30s, a home-focused period of my life when I started gardening. By the time the kids were in school, I’d built a blog following that allowed me to pivot to operating my own garden design business. It also gave me an entry point into writing for gardening magazines and websites, which led to writing three books, speaking engagements, and a public role as “garden expert” that I never would have imagined as a baby gardener or newbie blogger.

I often joke to family and friends about needing to feed the blog. But all along it’s been feeding me.

Veteran bloggers tell me why they still blog

As I embark on my 20th year of blogging, I thought it would be fun and perhaps enlightening to chat with a few other longtime garden bloggers who still regularly post new content, sitting behind a keyboard when they could be out in the garden. I asked them how their blog was born, what drives them to keep cranking out blog posts 15 or 20 years later, how the blogosphere has changed, and how blogging has enriched their lives. I recognize my own motivations and rewards in many of their answers. Here’s a sampling:

“There have…been doldrums, where it feels like I’m just going through the motions. But I kid you not, that’s when I’ll get an email from a reader, typically someone who’s never commented, and they’ll share a story about how my passion inspired them in some way. It’s not always that specific scenario, but something like that will happen, and it gives what I’m doing meaning once again.” – Loree Bohl, danger garden

“It’s magical to think that bloggers send out their posts like scattering seeds of inspiration and information that germinate when the ground is receptive…” – Denise Maher, A Growing Obsession

“My blog is a cohesive chronicle that tells the story of my garden and the places I’ve visited.” – Gerhard Bock, Succulents and More

“Blogging has created lasting connections with other bloggers.” – Lee Miller, A Guide to Northeastern Gardening

And for a chuckle:

“I assume I would be that crazy gardening lady in the neighborhood even without my blog.” – Carol Michel, May Dreams Gardens

If you’ve read this far, dear reader, you obviously appreciate a longer-form discourse in this era of the eye flick, of swiping and scrolling. So thank you for being here as we keep the blogging lights on. In a metropolis of dizzying, flashing neon, a blog offers a small, steady glow in a homely window. Come on in.

Carol Michel – May Dreams Gardens, 21 years blogging

Indianapolis, Indiana

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Carol: I started in 2004, so I’ve been officially blogging for 20 years plus!

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

C: I always wanted to write articles about gardening but didn’t know how to go about finding editors, etc. So when I heard about “web logs” from someone at work, I decided to try it to scratch my writing itch without giving up my day job. 

P: How often do you post and why?

C: I always post on the 15th of the month for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, which I started in 2007. I post other times whenever I feel like I have something worth writing about, so there is no set schedule. And if I don’t know what to write, I let the garden fairies take over and write for me. I think some readers like “their” posts better than mine!

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

C: The comments I got from others. Before social media, we all probably got more comments than we do today. I’m still happy when people comment or see me out and about and tell me they love my blog. As for doldrums? Hmmm, that’s when garden fairies take over!

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began? 

C: The major change has been social media. It’s easier for people to scroll than to stop and read an article.  

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

C: I’ve kept going because I still love writing about gardening. Plus, I turned many of my blog posts into my books, which contain adapted blog posts plus new material. I also like that I can throw a blog post out there that’s a bit experimental and see what resonates with readers. Also, after umpteen years, I moved my blog from Blogger to my own website, so it feels more like I own it rather than rent it, and I want to take good care of it.

In the last year or so, I’ve also started writing on Substack with a weekly newsletter about gardening (caroljmichel.substack.com) and a series I’m doing on forgotten garden writers (lostladiesofgardenwriting.substack.com). I keep to a schedule with those two newsletters. The blog is more ad hoc.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

C: I once tried Google ads but had my own browser set to hide them. Then a reader said I might not like the ads they were serving up, so I dropped it. Other than turning blog posts into books, I’ve never tried to monetize my blog. Honestly, I don’t want to and am blessed that I don’t have to.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life? 

C: Many speaking opportunities and some lifelong friendships with other bloggers I met in the early days! I met Dee Nash at the Austin Fling in 2008, and now we do a weekly podcast together, The Gardenangelists, which is in its 7th season. I’ve also had the opportunity to write magazine articles and for online sites. (That was my original goal pre-blogging, but they aren’t nearly as fun to write as blog posts!) Plus, my first book based on my blog, Potted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life, was so well-received (awarded a Gold Award from GardenComm in 2018 for Best Overall Book) that it encouraged me to publish four more books of “humorous, yet helpful” gardening essays and two children’s books. All of the material for those books started in some way as blog posts.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden? 

C: I was always an avid gardener, and I think that comes across in my blog. I assume I would be that crazy gardening lady in the neighborhood even without my blog.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space? 

C: Honestly, I think of it more as a personal space, though I do have some regular commenters. Community spaces seem to have moved to social media.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

C: I’d tell them to just start. Hit the publish key. You never know where it will take you.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

C: I’m most proud of having a body of work, now published in books, that will hopefully be around for my nieces and nephews and their kids to read and enjoy. As long as I’m gardening, I don’t see an end to blogging about it. 

Susan Harris – GardenRant, 20 years blogging

Greenbelt, Maryland

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Susan: I started a blog in July of 2005 and moved to GardenRant a year later.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

S: I’d been writing a garden club newsletter – not a creative outlet by any stretch – when a friend told me she’d started a blog and that it was easy. I started my first garden blog the very next day. I was attracted to the creative freedom and the chance to share photos.

P: How often do you post and why?

S: In the early years I posted several times a week. Now it’s just weekly, but GardenRant has eight regulars and frequent guests posting there too.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

S: Only brief doldrums, like during winter when I sometimes give myself permission to go a bit off-topic if I have no on-topic ideas. What keeps me motivated is finding topics I’m excited to research, to share and bounce off readers, and also photos to share.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began? 

S: I miss the original days when there were few of us and we all read each other and commented, and the Flings began (thanks, Austinites!). Google Reader made it so easy, and there’s never been an adequate substitute, that I know of. Lots of see-my-garden blogs have migrated to Instagram and elsewhere, but people who like to write are still blogging.

I tell people that blogging is far from the old stereotype of stoners blogging from their parents’ basement. Every topic has people blogging about it, including some of the smartest and most influential writers on that topic. I’m thinking here of some journalistic, medical, and legal blogs.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

S: I like meaty content with text and photos, and blogs are best for that.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

S: After GardenRant’s first ad service (Blogads) ended, we went for years with no source of income. Now we’re in the Mediavine network, which brings in enough to pay our tech/design bills and a little extra, so we’re good. Making money has never been the goal, thanks to all of us having other sources of income. So we’re fortunate that our content is free from monetary influence — no paid posts or links — and our ads are automatic and mostly unrelated to gardening.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life? 

S: Too many to list! Dozens of new friends and acquaintances and fabulous group experiences like Garden Fling. Blogging has brought me into a professional community, something I’d never experienced before, with a pride of accomplishment that was new to me too. Partnering with professional writers (Amy Stewart, Michele Owens, and Elizabeth Licata) was intimidating at first, but I eventually got over it, mostly.

And becoming a member of garden media has resulted in some super events, like press junkets and invitations to special events. Just recently, I was the only media invited to the PlantPop Film Festival in Norfolk, Virginia, a weekend I’ll never forget! There are so few garden media, so bloggers get treated pretty well. And blogging also led to my second career, writing for garden centers, which combined with garden coaching allowed me to end my first career in DC.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden? 

S: I’ve done things in my garden just to write about them. For example, I replaced my lawn with perennials about 15 years ago because I thought it would be fun to experiment with and then cover on the blog. 

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space? 

S: Hmm, it’s definitely not a personal space, and I wish there was more connection with the readers – more comments, like in the good old days.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

S: I always advise blogging only if you have things to say. And not to underestimate how much time is involved in posting.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

S: I was sure proud of the feature story about GardenRant in my local newspaper, the Washington Post. And the early blogging contests were lots of fun but also about bragging rights. Who doesn’t want “award-winning” before their blog name? Today I feel proud of GardenRant’s longevity, its unique role in the gardening world (mostly news, features, opinion, and humor, with almost no how-to), its independence, its current roster of regulars, and its new, improved design.

I’m also proud of the nonprofit citywide website and blog I started in 2011, GreenbeltOnline, using everything I’d learned from garden blogging. It’s where I’m liberated from the strictures of the gardening topic, covering anything remotely related to my town, even day trips from here. A local blog/news site brings a whole different set of opportunities and friendships with it.

I see no reason to quit something I enjoy as much as ever. I have a long list of post ideas, and they keep coming. The college courses I’ve been taking in plant sciences are a great source, as well as travel.

Dee Nash – Red Dirt Ramblings, 18 years blogging

Guthrie, Oklahoma

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Dee: I started in October 2007 with a post imaginatively titled, “Why a Blog?” Hahaha. I was inspired by you and Carol Michel, actually.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

D: I went to my first GardenComm conference (called GWA then), and Dave Perry, Debra Prinzing, and Kathy Purdy talked about blogging. Mary Ann Newcomer was the moderator. Dave said something about using blogging to write about what he wanted to really say instead of just his regular work. I was writing regularly for a regional magazine and locally, and I wanted to say more than I did in these publications; the editors had their messages they wanted published. I also followed and interacted with you and Carol, and I thought I would try. Debra Prinzing encouraged me and loved the name of my blog. Now I know I should have put “garden” in the title for SEO [Search Engine Optimization].

P: How often do you post and why?

D: I don’t have a schedule. If I have something I want to delve into, I post. It’s probably once a month. I often post on Instagram, and if I have a series or get good feedback, I know it’s something to explore.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

D: I have the doldrums sometimes because I feel like I’ve said all I can. However, I can usually find an interesting topic no one else is discussing. Also, I have wonderful, loyal readers (and now listeners through my podcast, The Gardenangelists), and they help me stay engaged.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

D: It’s practically dead. Just kidding. I see the blog as a place of expression for me and a gift for gardeners in Oklahoma. Many blogs have been converted into websites. I just moved my website to my blog and did a forwarding link. I think people don’t realize it costs money to host your own blog. It’s rather expensive when it has so much data and photos.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

D: I try to share something of myself and my experiences. I think that resonates because it is honest.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

D: I used to try, but it was a lot of work. I just try to make enough to pay for hosting. I found so much of the advertising dissatisfying. Either the ads didn’t work for my content or were too flashy. I don’t judge anyone else for trying though. You do you.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

D: Oh goodness! Blogging did so much for me! I wrote a book, The 20-30 Something Garden Guide. I speak regularly (at least until I got Alpha-gal syndrome). I’ve been on panels. I got to travel all over the U.S. I made tons of friends in the blogging community and from readers. It helped me with Instagram, YouTube (if I would work it), and Facebook. I wrote for companies, national magazines, and websites. So fun!

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

D: I did a lot more gardening and tried more things because of blogging. It’s good to have fun things to write about.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

D: Mine is a more personal space, but my readers feel like it is theirs.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

D: I don’t know if I would suggest blogging now. I mean, you have to be very persistent no matter which medium you use.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of?

D: I believe I’ve left a body of work about gardening in a very difficult climate.

Gail Eichelberger – Clay and Limestone, 17 years blogging

Nashville, Tennessee

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Gail: I’ve been blogging 17 years. February 8, 2008, was my first post. I remember being so nervous and so excited to click on the publish button. I knew absolutely nothing about blogging.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

G: I was following Digging and several other blogs and loved the information shared, as well as the communities that blogs created. Austin Spring Fling in 2008 inspired me to finally click the publish button. I met many other bloggers at that first gathering, bloggers who are now my friends.

P: How often do you post and why?

G: In the beginning I posted 3 times a week. Now I blog at least twice a month, on a schedule: Wildflower Wednesday on the fourth Wednesday of the month, and the Taking Care of Wildlife Challenge on the first Wednesday of the month.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

G: My love of native plants and the critters they help has been my motivation. It was discouraging when readership/comments began waning, but I decided that there were enough people still reading it on Facebook that kept me blogging. 

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

G: There aren’t as many bloggers or readers of the kinds of blogs I love. I especially loved the personal aspects of those earlier blogs (and some that continue now). We celebrated our gardening triumphs and commiserated over our failures and did not feel alone. I adjusted by joining social media and using it to share blog posts and native plant information. Now I have an even larger community.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

G: I am still learning and growing as a nature watcher and writer. Researching a topic or plant is still so cool, and I love happening upon an unknown or underappreciated wildflower that I can share with readers.

P: Have you adapted your blog or blogging style in any way for relevancy?

G: One thing I did was create the Taking Care of Wildlife Challenge. I challenge readers to do something for nature as often as they can. Then I share information on a topic that has broader environmental issues with suggestions on things we can all do to make a difference. For example, I’ve written about the effects of outside lightning on birds, insects, and other animals.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

G: Absolutely none. I am okay with being an educator and advocate.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

G: I have met the best people, learned an incredible amount about the environment/nature. I am now a certified Tennessee Naturalist, and I am asked to be on committees and speak at local garden clubs, conferences, and seminars.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

G: I still love this garden, but it’s now more of a habitat. Meaning, the plantings are more naturalistic and incredibly animal and insect friendly. I still keep my garden agreement [on my blog] that I wrote in 2010: “I promise to honor my garden; to not fall prey to comparisons and the dissatisfaction they breed; to not for a minute think a gorgeous flowering face is enough to base a gardening relationship upon[;] and to never, ever disparage the garden to another gardener.”

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners?

G: Yes, it is to many gardeners in middle Tennessee. It’s ironic, but I interact with most of my readers on social media sites more than on the blog. We end up having more interaction and deeper conversations than one gets with blog comments.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

G: I write because I love writing and love sharing about native plants and the environment. So I suggest that folks write about things they love or that truly interest them.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, any regrets? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

G: I regret not switching to another blogging platform. The one I use, Blogger, is not as flexible as I wish. Will I continue blogging? I will as long as I feel I have something to contribute.

Loree Bohl – danger garden, 16 years blogging

Portland, Oregon

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Loree: Sixteen years. I started in March 2009.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

L: I’d been reading garden blogs for a while and decided to take the plunge and become part of the conversation and community. Of course Digging was a huge influence! Beginning the blog also worked great with my job at the time. I was the marketing coordinator at an architecture firm, and my boss thought it would be a powerful guerrilla marketing effort if a few of us started blogging on topics we were passionate about and linked back to the company website on occasion. At home our computer and internet connection were both pretty pathetic, so being able to get my start at work made it possible.

P: How often do you post and why?

L: Up until early 2021 (for 12 years), I posted 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. Then I cut back to 3 days, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with a few extras thrown in now and then. I am schedule driven. By posting on those days, it’s a reflex, and I don’t have to think about the “when.”

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

L: There is so much I want to share! I have a “danger garden” file on my computer with subfolders on topics I want to blog about, some already filled with photos, some with just ideas. Currently there are over 30 folders, and more are created all the time. There have definitely been doldrums, where it feels like I’m just going through the motions. But I kid you not, that’s when I’ll get an email from a reader, typically someone who’s never commented, and they’ll share a story about how my passion inspired them in some way. It’s not always that specific scenario, but something like that will happen, and it gives what I’m doing meaning once again.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

L: There are a whole lot fewer active bloggers, both in the greater blogosphere and also here in Portland, where we used to have a very robust blogging group. Instagram has picked up some of that slack for me, and of greater importance is the in-person community that blogging has built for me, both locally and in the bigger world. Visiting a new city and already knowing a gardener there (whose garden you can visit!) is huge for me.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

L: I’ve kept going because, as with gardening, I can’t imagine not doing it. It’s become a huge part of my identity, and it’s a habit that would be very hard to break. I’ve always processed events and things that happen in my life by writing about them. I revisit and analyze the gardens I’ve visited by editing the photos I took for a blog post. Like I said, I cannot imagine not doing it. Plants and gardens are what make me whole. Sharing that with others just feels natural.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

L: I have not monetized my blog; it’s never been a goal. That said, money has flowed into my life because of the blog, through selling photos or through writing opportunities that have come up. And I’ve received a lot of plants from readers who’ve become friends or (rarer, because I’m very picky) from companies that want me to trial something. Free admission to events that I’d otherwise pay to get into is nice too!

My only issue with other bloggers’ monetization efforts is when it involves ads that diminish the blog-reading experience. I’ve stopped reading a few because there were more ads than actual writing/photos.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

L: First of all, the friendships. I have met so many people through blogging, and I treasure those relationships — although I guess they’re not completely unexpected, since the community is a big part of why I started. Participation in the Garden Fling has allowed me to visit gardens in other parts of the country, opening doors to private gardens that I never would have seen if not for the efforts of the on-the-ground organizers. At the same time, the Fling has connected me with even more bloggers who have become friends. When I started blogging, I never dreamed I’d take part in the Fling, let alone help plan one.

The professional opportunities that have come my way through blogging have been completely unexpected and hugely rewarding, from being asked by Timber Press to write a book (Fearless Gardening) to writing for the Oregon Association of Nurseries and magazines like Fine Gardening, Better Homes & Gardens, and Pacific Horticulture. Having my garden appear in other people’s books and in magazine articles (usually because they saw it on my blog) is always a thrill. The opportunity to speak to gardening groups and share my ideas — many times traveling to different cities or even another country (Canada) — has been a wonderful experience. Finally, while I left the organization several years ago, being a founding partner at plantlust came about because of my blog. Helping to grow that company and acting as the liaison with contributing nurseries was such a rewarding experience.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

L: I take a lot more pictures of my garden than I would if I wasn’t blogging! Blogging has definitely helped me to appreciate my garden design and creative skills more than I otherwise would. I mean, positive feedback from readers is bound to influence the way you feel, right?

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

L: It’s a personal space, or at least that’s how I treat it. My style is conversational, and I share things that are personal — that’s just who I am. I see my blog as my plant- and garden-focused public diary. That said, I do want to have a connection with my readers. I answer their comments and questions both on the blog and by email. Sometimes I will post on a topic if someone has requested it. I visit their blogs and comment on what they’re writing about. That connection is a huge part of why I continue to blog.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

L: I’d tell them to just jump in and get started. Don’t worry about everything being perfect at the beginning, but do take the time to come up with a blog name you can live with for years.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of?

L: Without a doubt, I am proud of my consistency. I’m proud of all the gardening passion that I’ve shared with the world, the people I’ve inspired. I am proud of the fact that I’ve said yes to invites to speak publicly. Writing about gardening is very different than speaking to a group about gardening, but some folks seem to assume that if you do the first, then you’ll be capable of doing the second. I said no for many years but finally worked up the courage to do it, and I’m glad I did. The talks aren’t always great (some have truly sucked), but when the stars align and there is a good rapport between myself and the audience, then it’s magic.

Denise Maher – A Growing Obsession, 16 years blogging

Long Beach, California

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Denise: My first post went up at the end of November 2009. I started with the platform WordPress due to its ability to handle large photos and relatively easy user interface.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

D: I think a frustration with garden media at that time, coinciding with the explosion in blogging and the ease in getting started, made it seem like a good fit. The photojournalism aspect of blogging, allowing lots more photos and discussion, made it distinct from traditional garden media. Ironically, technology and possibly readers’ temperaments ultimately disfavored the long format [of blogging].

P: How often do you post and why?

D: I’ve never kept to a schedule, and although I’m now retired, the frequency of posts has definitely dwindled. When I started the blog in 2009, I was still working full time, although a good part of the work was remote. Intermittent blogging was a welcome respite from my day job, and as my office literally looked out on the garden, it was easy to get distracted and think up posts! I do try to post at least a couple times a month now, especially to mark seasonal changes.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

D: As long as I have a garden, I generally want to talk about it! I love the unintentional conversations bloggers have with each other. For example, in starting a new garden in rainy Zone 8-9 on the Oregon Coast, there was a wealth of information available to me from garden blogs, stretching back over years. It’s magical to think that bloggers send out their posts like scattering seeds of inspiration and information that germinate when the ground is receptive, as mine was a few years ago. 

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

D: Initially I was hoping my blog would be a platform to include local designers, plant nurseries, stuff I felt was under-covered or ignored. As social media became easily available to everyone and self-promotion became possible, this focus naturally fell away. Consequently, the blog became less of a vehicle to spotlight and discuss others and more of a journal of a personal garden. In the very brief period when the blog included the goal of promoting others, I worried about expanding the readership so I could attract the talent I was interested in showcasing. Now that it has turned into more of a personal journal, expanding readership is no longer a goal.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

D: I have an Instagram account but haven’t posted for at least a year. I just never clicked with the shorter format. But I still get a kick out of rereading my old blog posts, so I guess I’m still writing to my future self!

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

D: I’ve never had a business model for the blog, but I find this subject fascinating. Remember when Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge did those heartfelt posts on the difficulty of monetizing her huge readership? I still check in on a couple of blogs that I think are handling the business aspect successfully (and gracefully). The lifestyle blog Cup of Jo is one. And watching Floret build up its business has been fascinating. And now Substack seems to be the vehicle of choice. 

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

D: I did some design work locally via landscape architects who found me through the blog. It wasn’t something I wanted to develop. The personal connections with other bloggers and readers are the biggest reward. And the sense of accomplishment after committing a garden moment to paper, speaking digitally!

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

D: Having an archive readily available is an invaluable tool. It’s easy to check on plants that may have already been trialed as well as garden practices that maybe didn’t come to fruition as envisioned.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

D: We can see [blog visitor] stats, so it’s apparent a lot more people read than comment. So there’s a community in that sense, even though it’s mostly invisible to me. I find it easiest to proceed when I don’t think about a particular reader and focus on what I’d like to see and read – not everyone’s cup of tea, for sure! But there is a small group of bloggers that steadfastly supports each other with comments, the occasional plant offering and meetup, and I treasure this group.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

D: I would simply encourage anyone to write the blog they want to read and see what happens. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in current technological and cultural trends. 

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

D: As a parent, I was thrilled when other publications picked up on [my son] Mitch’s photos that first appeared on the blog – even if they didn’t always give credit! Looking forward, I will probably continue to blog as long as the overhead stays relatively low.

Gerhard Bock – Succulents and More, 15 years blogging

Davis, California

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Gerhard: Almost 15 years. I started in October 2010.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

G: I set out to chronicle the evolution of my garden over time. When I realized that other people were interested in what I was doing, I began to post regularly. An early influence was Loree’s blog, danger garden.

P: How often do you post?

G: I don’t follow a fixed schedule, but I try to post two or three times a week.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

G: My blog simply keeps pace with the changes in my garden. Any doldrums are usually seasonal; in the winter, for example, there isn’t as much happening in the garden, so I don’t have as much material as I would in the spring or summer. Somehow, I always seem to find something to write about. That’s why my blog is called Succulents and More — I’m not restricting myself to a specific topic.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

G: Many bloggers have switched to short-form media like Instagram or TikTok. The views I get on my blog may have decreased over time as fewer of my posts are re-shared, but I feel that the followers I do have are more loyal/passionate than ever.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

G: Instagram, TikTok, etc., are fine for instant consumption, but their format doesn’t allow for any kind of consistent narrative or effective searching. Try to find something somebody posted on Instagram six months or a year ago! My blog is a cohesive chronicle that tells the story of my garden and the places I’ve visited. I often link to older posts to tie everything together.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

G: Monetization has never been a factor. I’ve never made any money off my blog.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

G: I’ve had opportunities to meet people and visit gardens that I would otherwise never have had. These encounters have been a huge inspiration, often steering me in directions I would not have found on my own. Conversely, I’ve derived tremendous satisfaction knowing I have been able to inspire others. This kind of cross-pollination, if you will, has been the most important thing that has come out of blogging.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

G: I’ve become a more consistent, efficient, and mindful gardener. Knowing that I will blog about almost everything I do in the garden puts pressure on me to think things through and do them right. That pressure has been very good for me.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

G: Sometimes one reader may post a reply to another’s reader comment, but I don’t actively try to create a community per se. My blog is definitely a personal space, but since I share it with the world, it’s both personal and public.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

G: Be patient and consistent. And above all, do it for yourself. If you derive personal satisfaction from your blog, it’s far more likely that you’ll keep going. Creating generic content (especially using AI) may be a way to churn out more posts and get more followers, but it will never feed your soul.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

G: I’m most proud of the fact that my blog is still very much alive and that blogging still gives me satisfaction. There’s no reason to stop as long as I have things to do in my own garden and other gardens to visit.

Beth Stetenfeld – PlantPostings, 15 years blogging

McFarland, Wisconsin

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Beth: 15 years in October. My first blog post was on October 25, 2010.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

B: I’ve been interested in plants and nature since grade-school days. I started garden writing for some online publications in mid-2010, and then a couple of editors and colleagues suggested I start a blog. It seemed like a natural progression.

P: How often do you post and why?

B: I tend to post two to four times per month, sometimes more, sometimes less. During holidays and the winter months, I post less. I don’t really follow a schedule. I think I’ve had at least one post per month since I started, even when life threw curve balls. I always have ideas but sometimes not much time. The things that motivate me the most: I enjoy blogging, photographing plants, learning about plants, and learning from other bloggers.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

B: It’s fun! I love gardening and blogging and learning about plants. I haven’t really experienced blogging doldrums. The winter season is a little slower, but during those months I tend to blog about indoor plants, starting seeds for the next growing season, and happenings from the warmer months of the prior year.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

B: There aren’t as many garden bloggers now. It seems some other social media platforms have become more popular over time. I enjoy some of those platforms, too, but I still enjoy blogging.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

B: I’ve continued blogging simply because I enjoy it. Over time, I guess I’ve adapted my blog a bit by keeping the word counts a little lighter, although I still enjoy incorporating many plant and gardening photos.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

B: I don’t allow ads. My blog doesn’t directly bring me income. But I think it’s fine for bloggers who want to have ads/make money. PlantPostings has, however, introduced me to other writers and editors and helped open doors to being published on/in several online and print publications.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

B: Where do I start? The biggest joy has been making so many wonderful friends over the years, both through online publishing and regularly visiting other blogs, and through attending events (including the Fling!) with other gardeners and garden writers.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

B: I’ve learned so many things about plants and gardening, both through research and from other bloggers I regularly follow.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

B: I think my blog is both part of a community of bloggers and also a space for personal expression and tracking my garden’s evolution over the months and years. It’s an honor, a privilege, and a joy to fulfill both of these roles.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

B: I’d encourage new bloggers to stick with it. If you’re in it because you enjoy it, just keep going. Take a break now and then, as desired.

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of?

B: I’m most proud of all I’ve learned and shared. In addition to learning more about plants and gardening, I’ve learned from my own little gaffes, and I’ve tried to improve over time.

Lee Miller – A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, 15 years blogging

Long Island, New York

Pam: How long have you been blogging?

Lee: I started blogging in 2010 after watching the movie Julie & Julia about a blogger writing about the life of Julia Child. I thought to myself, “It could be fun to start a blog and write about gardening!” I did, and now it has been 15 years of blogging.

P: What inspired you to blog about gardening?

L: I have been a gardener all my life. I taught high school science and started up a landscape design business in 1996. Friends, family members, and clients kept pushing me to start writing down all I knew about gardening and design so that it could be shared with others to help them learn and create gardens of their own. I started writing, and after several years of creating posts for my blog, the publishing of my first book, A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer, came about.

P: How often do you post and why?

L: I have a set schedule of the 1st and 15th of each month. It makes it easier for followers to know when to expect posts.

P: What has kept you motivated? Have there been doldrums, and if so, what got you through them?

L: There is always something new to learn and experiences to share, and the longer I work in the horticultural industry, the more there is to write about. Sometimes I need to contemplate a little longer to produce an idea that would be of interest to readers, but eventually it comes to me.

P: How has the blogging landscape changed since you began?

L: With all the different types of social media, I try to keep current and adjust my posts for other platforms and to reach different audiences.

P: So many blogs have been abandoned since the rise of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Why have you kept going?

L: Blogging has created lasting connections with other bloggers. I began following Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day by Carol Michel [of May Dreams Gardens] when I first set out, and she encouraged fellow gardeners to post pictures of their garden on the 15th of each month. Creating Bloom Day posts quickly became part of my monthly schedule. I then started following Digging, where I learned about Foliage Follow-Up, a meme which I continue to honor monthly. Blogging becomes an important part of your life when you have been involved in it for so long.

P: What role, if any, has monetization played for you?

L: I never really thought about monetizing my blog. Blogging for me is mostly about sharing experiences with other gardeners and the thrill of seeing them comment on my posts.

P: What unexpected opportunities or connections has blogging brought into your life?

L: Because of blogging, I was asked to join GardenComm in 2018. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, opening communications with the gardening world and getting to know a wonderful community of like-minded individuals. Being a member has brought opportunities for writing, media appearances, and speaking engagements.

P: How has blogging influenced your gardening practices or feelings about your garden?

L: Blogging has only enhanced my gardening practices and connection to the garden.

P: Do you feel your blog is a community hub for other gardeners or more of a personal space?

L: My blog is meant to be a community site where gardeners can unite and share experiences. I always make a point of interacting on the blogs of those who visit me.

P: What advice would you give to new bloggers?

L: Blogging is all about the connections you make with others. Post relevant material, stick to a general theme, and try to post on somewhat of a schedule. Encourage readers to ask questions and post comments and engage on their blogs as well. Most of all, just enjoy yourself!

P: Looking back on your blogging journey, what are you most proud of? And how long do you think you’ll keep blogging?

L: I feel that becoming more creative and tech savvy with online writing has been an accomplishment for me. I hope to see myself blogging for many years to come!

I welcome your comments. Please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading in an email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post. And hey, did someone forward this email to you, and you want to subscribe? Click here to get Digging delivered directly to your inbox!

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Digging Deeper

Come learn about a visionary xeriscape and pollinator garden called SummerHome at my next Garden Spark presentation on April 10th at 7:30 pm! Tickets are on sale now. I’m excited to welcome Lisa Negri to my Garden Spark speaker series and introduce her to a Texas audience of appreciative native plant lovers. Hear how she transformed an empty lot into an oasis for wildlife and neighbors. The talk will be held at Leaf Landscape Supply (north location), and tickets must be purchased in advance. Join us for an evening of learning, inspiration, and community with fellow garden lovers!

Shop the Spring Native Plant Sale at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center each weekend from March 28 to April 27, 9 am to 1 pm (last entry at 12:30 pm). The first weekend (March 28-30) is open only to Wildflower Center members, but it’s easy to join. Plant sale admission is free. Bring your own wagon or cart to transport your treasures.

Come to the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society Show & Sale at Zilker Botanical Garden on March 29-30 from 10 am to 5 pm. Includes a plant show with specimen cacti and succulents, handcrafted pottery, daily silent auction and hourly plant raffles, and expert advice. Admission is included with paid admission to Zilker Garden.

Tour 5 unique Houston gardens on Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm, during the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day Tour for Houston. Tickets must be purchased online in advance through the Garden Conservancy.

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Read all about the Season 8 lineup here!

All material © 2025 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.